Kelleher – Dillane: 1
Herring had to highest lineout throw success of Ireland’s hookers last year at 93.5%, with Dave Heffernan at 90.5% and Ronan Kelleher at 73.5%.
With second row Iain Henderson having missed much of Farrell’s first year in charge, it will be interesting to note whether the Ulsterman now resumes leadership of the lineout calling. Ryan often took on that duty last year.
As well as leaning on their lineout, Ireland also frequently struck for tries off close-range scrums, eight of them in total and all inside the opposition 22.
That means a whopping 32% of Ireland’s tries started with their own feed into a scrum [average 19%].
Connacht win thriller to secure first away win over Leinster in 19 years
Johnny Sexton went off injured midway through the first half as Andy Friend’s side pulled off a famous victory. Garry Doyle By Garry Doyle Saturday 2 Jan 2021, 9:35 PM Jan 2nd 2021, 9:35 PM 50,804 Views 72 Comments
Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Connacht 35
THIS WAS A proper festive treat. Not just in terms of Connacht’s performance – which was superb – but also with regard to the excitement gifted to this contest by Leinster’s second-half comeback, the resilience Connacht showed to see off that threat and then their joy at the final whistle as they greeted their first away win over Leinster since 2002.
Saints alive now but Leinster will kill their European hopes by 3pm
Leo Cullen’s side will see off their English challengers today to move a step closer to the Champions Cup quarters. By Garry Doyle Saturday 19 Dec 2020, 8:08 AM Dec 19th 2020, 8:08 AM 7,224 Views 14 Comments
Harry Byrne makes his first European start.
Image: Robbie Stephenson/INPHO
Image: Robbie Stephenson/INPHO
THE YEARS CHANGE, the script doesn’t. Season after season, Leo Cullen drops in a European debutant or two but after all the fuss that stemmed from the five greenhorns he selected against Bath back in January 2016, we’ve almost reached the stage where we don’t even notice the new guys come along.
The Heineken Champions Cup has a new format this season and it s not straightforward.
Such is the nature of the condensed sporting season, the international rugby window has just finished and many of those in action over six Ireland games, both Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup, are straight back into high-class competition.
With three leagues – Pro14, Top14 and Premiership – feeding the competition, there was a tiered system (1-4) involved but that really just served to slot the teams into the relevant pools of 12, of which there are two, and decide who they face; it doesn’t come into play from here on in.