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5 days ago | 
belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Ruaidhri O'Connor |Cian Tracey |Will Slattery |Michael Sadlier
1 – With so many players and coaches away with the Lions, what value do you place on Ireland’s summer tour of Georgia and Portugal? Rúaidhrí O’Connor: The decision to leave Paul O’Connell in sole charge with a support team drawn from the provinces diminishes the prestige, but this is a crucial window to freshen up a team that have lost momentum in the past year. As the Lions perform in Australia, the depth of Irish rugby will be tested and hopefully a handful of players can step up.
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6 days ago | 
independent.ie | Ruaidhri O'Connor |Cian Tracey |Will Slattery |Michael Sadlier
Rugby jury: Who should be captain, who should be rested and what actual value is there in Ireland’s summer tour? Paul O'Connell has plenty to ponder as he prepares to oversee Ireland's summer tour to Georgia and Portugal. Photo: SportsfileRúaidhrí O'Connor, Cian Tracey, Will Slattery and Michael SadlierToday at 03:301 – With so many players and coaches away with the Lions, what value do you place on Ireland’s summer tour of Georgia and Portugal?
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2 weeks ago | 
belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Michael Sadlier
With this season still not done, the URC fixtures for the next campaign have already been released when Ulster will open their account with a home fixture against the Dragons (kick-off 8.05pm) on Friday September 26.
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2 weeks ago | 
belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Michael Sadlier
Well, what more can be said? Probably best to leave Ulster to lick their wounds and think about how they might avoid something similar befalling them come the 2025/26 season. But still time for a glance at how the individuals fared, though not all make this cut; Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Zac Ward, Tom Stewart and Ethan McIlroy not playing enough. So, here goes.
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2 weeks ago | 
belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Michael Sadlier
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3 weeks ago | 
belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Michael Sadlier
Ulster boss reflects on tough season: ‘We need to look hard at ourselves’Werner Kok of Ulster is tackled by Magnus Bradbury and Ross Thompson of EdinburghAll the familiar failings were out in force at the Hive Stadium. Missed tackles, dropped balls, turnovers and, of course, a second half collapse though at least this time Jude Postlethwaite’s solo scamper from deep prevented Ulster from making it seven games without points after the midway point.
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3 weeks ago | 
belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Michael Sadlier
The season could hardly have ended on a lower note, conceding seven tries to Edinburgh, and Richie Murphy accepted the elephant in the room, that it has been hugely challenging time with much work required to improve before Ulster return in the autumn.
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3 weeks ago | 
the42.ie | Michael Sadlier
ULSTER ENDED THEIR hugely disappointing season on another low after shipping their fifth straight loss as Edinburgh claimed a bonus point result to book their place in the last eight. Darcy Graham – who was also yellow carded – claimed a hat-trick of tries, Magnus Bradbury crossed the ulster line twice as Edinburgh collected seven touchdowns, four of them coming in the second half.
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3 weeks ago | 
belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Michael Sadlier
And, unsurprisingly, it just wasn’t enough as Edinburgh took what they needed from the game to reach the Play-Offs, pulling away in the second half when at least Ulster did manage to register some points, and a good try it was too from Jude Postlethwaite. As such, Ulster finished on quite a low, their fifth straight defeat in all competitions in a season which, thankfully, is now well and truly over.
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3 weeks ago | 
irishtimes.com | Michael Sadlier
One more time then for Ulster as the curtain falls for the province on a season much of which has been, even by their hardly high-achieving standards, inescapably grim. Failing to make the URC’s top eight – which had already looked quite an ask before the combination of losing at Munster last weekend and then having their already frail hopes extinguished by Benetton beating Glasgow – came with the added blow of the province missing out on next season’s Champions Cup for the first time.
