Owen Doyle: Luke Jacobson not receiving a red card for reckless tackle was a shocker of a call – The Irish Times
“Why the hell isn’t that a red card?” That sums up the bevy of text messages that pinged…
Owen Doyle: How has blatant illegality in the maul gone so far without being addressed? – The Irish Times
As coaches and teams work on finessing and perfecting their illicit lineout driving mauls, the speed of these…
My old headmaster was right to send off famous All Black. Rugby’s values are far weaker now – The Irish Times
When is a kick not a kick, or a headbutt not a headbutt? It’s a topic which is…
Owen Doyle: Neither ‘side’ likely to have given an inch at vital World Rugby meeting – The Irish Times
The outcomes of World Rugby’s June meeting are now being written up and we should see them soon.…
Owen Doyle: It looks like Hollie Davidson didn’t get the memo on player backchat – The Irish Times
Saying you will do something and then not following through is a mug’s game. Parents know it, teachers…
Owen Doyle: Rugby union in grave danger of being thrown to the wolves by new ‘innovations’ – The Irish Times
Very shortly, the great and the good of World Rugby will convene once more. First, let’s wind back…
Owen Doyle: Referees get an armchair ride as Leinster and Ulster crash and burn – The Irish Times
QED – quod erat demonstrandum. Reflections of days at school remind me of how satisfying it was to…
Ulster fans booed the referee, but he got the penalty try decision right – The Irish Times
Ravenhill, that great old ground, has hosted many famous tussles. Ireland secured the Grand Slam there in 1948,…
End of TV director controlling what is shown on replay cannot come soon enough – The Irish Times
Epic wins for Leinster and for Ulster. Bilbao, more a home to a Guggenheim Museum than to rugby,…
What parent would let their child play rugby after seeing the carnage at Thomond? – The Irish Times
Tales of the unexpected played out across the weekend’s URC matches, as lower-placed teams rattled the cages of…
All referees should have a serious rethink about how they address players – The Irish Times
It could easily have been much more than a passing moment of great danger. When Leinster’s Max Deegan…
Someone needs to have a word with some of these referees – and their critics – The Irish Times
I’ll probably have to suspend my fan-club subscription. Referee Christophe Ridley has been on the elite scene for…