“IT’S A LATERAL tear in the meniscus,” explains Robbie Henshaw, dressed in full Ireland kit and wearing a protective brace on his left knee. A month has passed since the Ireland centre picked up the injury tackling South Africa’s Lionel Mapoe in the closing minutes of the 32-26 loss at Ellis Park. “I knew straight away there was something wrong,” he recalls. “I felt something go and I couldn’t straighten it. I tried to get up and walk it off but it wasn’t allowing me and I knew it wasn’t good.” Henshaw would miss the third Test decider, flying home to see a specialist, as the Springboks took advantage of…

ALL BLACKS COACH Steve Hansen has signed a new contract through to the next Rugby World Cup, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced on Monday. Hansen’s deal was due to expire in 2017 but the 57-year-old will now stay on until 2019, when Japan hosts the World Cup. After succeeding Graham Henry in 2012, Hansen guided the All Blacks to back-to-back World Cup victories last year, while tallying a record of 52 wins, two draws and just three defeats. “It was never going to be an easy decision nor a foregone conclusion that I would extend my contract. As I’ve said many times before, it had to be right for my family, for myself and for the…

GLASGOW WARRIORS HAVE today announced that double Super Rugby-winning Chiefs coach Dave Rennie will take the reins next season on a two-year contract. The Wellington native will replace Gregor Townsend, who was announced as the next Scotland coach this week after his impressive efforts to turn the Warriors into a title-winning outfit during his time in charge. Rennie won back-to-back Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs in his first two years in charge and the Waikato side remain one of the most impressive club sides world rugby. “It is no secret I have been interested in coaching abroad and this chance with Scottish Rugby fitted the bill perfectly,” Rennie said…

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL IS part of an elite club in New Zealand. It takes a lot for Kiwis to consider a player from outside of Aotearoa to be seen as one of the greatest to play the game, particular from the northern hemisphere. And by and large, that’s how O’Driscoll is viewed in New Zealand. But after the former Ireland captain called for New Zealand prop Owen Franks to be cited following an incident where his hands made contact with the face of Australia’s Kane Douglas last weekend, it caused an angry reaction from former All Black winger John Kirwan. Source: The Tight Five Rugby Union/YouTube O’Driscoll further angered All Blacks…

HAVING BEEN OFFICIALLY confirmed as head coach of the Lions last week, Warren Gatland is now in the process of identifying and signing the assistants he feels will give him the best chance of glory in New Zealand next summer. Paul Gustard would appear to be the favourite to take on the defence coach role, but Gatland and Andy Farrell worked well together in the 2013 series success over Australia. Andy Farrell was speaking at the launch of Huddle Dublin. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO The Lions assistant coaches will be announced on 7 December, meaning the process still has some way to go. “You start thinking about things like that, then…

THE MUNSTER TEAM to start against Edinburgh tomorrow at Thomond Park [KO 3.00pm, Sky Sports 3] shows five personnel changes from last weekend’s victory over Newport Gwent Dragons. Click Here: factory direct women products This weekend’s game will be a first at the Limerick venue for new Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, whose only previous competitive home assignment was a defeat to Cardiff Blues at Musgrave Park a fortnight ago. Making his first competitive start for Munster, Cian Bohane will form a new centre partnership alongside Keith Earls, who’ll play for the first time this season having been a late withdrawal last Saturday in Wales due to a tight hamstring. They replace…

JACOB STOCKDALE WAS one of the first over to team-mate Luke Marshall when the Ulster centre lost control of the ball in the act of crossing the tryline for what looked like a certain try last weekend against Glasgow. Stockdale’s wonderful offload had sent Marshall charging in for the score but Glasgow wing Tommy Seymour – a former Ulsterman – got a hand in to nudge the ball free and deny Marshall.  Stockdale, fresh from his own error over the tryline in the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final defeat to Leinster, put his arm around Marshall and did his best to cheer him up. Click here if you cannot view the clip above …

City of Armagh 21 Garryowen 45 GARRYOWEN GOT THEIR hands on the Bateman Cup for the first time since 2012, as brothers Neil and Liam Cronin combined for three tries in their 45-21 win over first-time finalists City of Armagh at Templeville Road this afternoon.  Division 1B club Armagh gave a very good account of themselves, trailing 14-7 at one stage and scoring final quarter tries through replacement Andrew Willis and Shea O’Brien, but the six-try Light Blues were in sizzling form, the Cronins scoring the final three after first-half efforts from young backs Bryan Fitzgerald, Peadar Collins and Jamie Heuston. U20 Grand Slam-winning out-half Ben Healy kicked 13 points…

WALES FORWARDS COACH Robin McBryde will join Leinster as an assistant coach after the Rugby World Cup. Former Welsh international McBryde has been involved with his country’s international set-up for 13 years, and moonlit as Wales’ head coach during tours to North America and Japan in 2009 and 2013 respectively while Warren Gatland and Rob Howley were on Lions duty. McBryde will replace John Fogarty in the eastern province’s coaching staff after it was confirmed today that scrum coach Fogarty is to take up a role with the IRFU from July onwards. Leinster head Coach Leo Cullen said of the former Scarlets hooker’s appointment: “Robin McBryde is a coach and…

FOUR PREMIERSHIP TITLES, two Champions Cups. Some people wouldn’t count the Anglo-Welsh Cup success or the Premiership Rugby A League victory, but there is no doubt that Saracens’ record during Mark McCall’s time as director of rugby at the club is deeply impressive. McCall arrives before Saracens’ semi-final win over Munster. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO There is also no doubt that McCall is one of the greatest Irish rugby coaches ever but, still, he doesn’t seem to get the plaudits from these shores that might seem deserved. Perhaps that’s because the Premiership is not widely watched in Ireland. Maybe it’s the dislike for Saracens as a club – and the questioning…