Athletically, he is phenomenal. We really don t produce guys like him in Ireland
21-year-old Ryan Baird made his Ireland debut last weekend and looks set for further Six Nations involvement. By Murray Kinsella Saturday 6 Mar 2021, 8:00 AM Mar 6th 2021, 8:00 AM 90,906 Views 18 Comments
THERE ARE INTERNATIONAL backs, some of them wingers, who will be jealous of Ryan Baird’s speed.
The little GPS unit that sits into a pocket on the upper back of rugby players’ jerseys has clocked the 21-year-old Leinster lock moving at just over 10 metres per second during a game.
To put that in context, the average max speed for a wing at the 2019 World Cup was 9.2 metres per second, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Baird – who made his Ireland debut against Italy in the Six Nations last weekend – is one of the quickest forwar
O Mahony signs new Ireland and Munster contract
Updated / Thursday, 4 Mar 2021
15:04
Peter O Mahony is staying in Ireland
Ireland and Munster backrow Peter O Mahony has signed a two-year extension to his IRFU contract keeping him at Munster until 2023.
O Mahony made his Ireland debut in the Six Nations against Italy in 2012.
He has won 74 caps and captained his country on eight occasions.
A Lions tourist in 2017, he also captained the Lions in the opening Test of the series against New Zealand.
The 31-year-old has represented Munster on 141 occasions and was named captain of his province in 2013.
Currently serving a three-match ban after being sent off in the opening Guinness Six Nations defeat to Wales, the flanker faces huge competition to retain his place in the Ireland back-row in face of competition from the likes of Rhys Ruddock, Tadhg Beirne, Caelan Doris and the up-and-coming Gavin Coombes and Ryan Baird.
‘It has been a bit of a miserable road over the last few months’
Jack Conan is appreciating every moment of life in an Ireland shirt again after a series of injuries interrupted his career. By Garry Doyle Tuesday 2 Mar 2021, 7:00 AM Mar 2nd 2021, 7:00 AM 10,168 Views 3 Comments
Jack Conan is back for Ireland after 17 months out.
Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
A FRESH ERA began in Rome on Saturday, helped by the return of an old face. While debutants Craig Casey and Ryan Baird stole the headlines, the image of a 28-year-old getting his international career back on track also felt like a new beginning.
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Ryan Baird fulfilled a dream on Saturday – getting his first cap for Ireland. By Garry Doyle Monday 1 Mar 2021, 6:45 AM Mar 1st 2021, 6:45 AM 10,084 Views 5 Comments
If the cap fits: Ryan Baird, Ireland new boy.
Image: Tommy Dickson/INPHO
Image: Tommy Dickson/INPHO
WHEN RYAN BAIRD checked his phone on Friday, a message from an old mentor struck a chord.
Nerves had been kicking in when Andy Skehan, his schoolboy coach, touched base. The content of the text was simple. “You only get your first cap once so enjoy it and take it all in,” Skehan wrote.
It changed the debutant’s mood. Until then, he was busily swotting up on every detail, obsessing about processes and game-plans. Post the Skehan text, he settled down. “Something I kept saying to myself even in the warm-up, was that it’s just another game of rug