Ireland’s Nations Championship campaign roared into life at Aviva Stadium, as Hugo Keenan’s hat-trick sent them on their way to a 42-12 hammering of Argentina. Andy Farrell’s side produced their best performance since the Six Nations to rack up a bonus-point win against Felipe Contepomi’s side, as their attack and set-piece clicked into gear.
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Former Sale second row Hyron Andrews has died at his Johannesburg Lions’ team hotel before their Champions Cup match at La Rochelle on Saturday. A statement from SA Rugby stated that his death had been an “accident” and that the 31-year-old had “died after a fall”. The public prosecutor in La Rochelle is investigating, with local reports claiming Andrews suffered a heart attack while in the shower. “We are heartbroken by the passing of Hyron,” said Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli.
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The Welsh Rugby Union has outlined how it plans to cut from four professional teams to three by 2028, with Ospreys and Scarlets set to fight to be the side in south west Wales. The governing body confirmed in April it intended to press on with plans to go down to three men’s teams from the 2028-29 season, with one in the capital, one in the east and one in the west.
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Andy Farrell has signed a new deal to remain as Ireland’s head coach until 2031, removing any chance of England luring him back to Twickenham after next year’s Rugby World Cup. Instead, Farrell has opted to stay put in Dublin and will now preside over their next two World Cup campaigns. Farrell, who led the British & Irish Lions to a series win in Australia last year, has steered Ireland to two Six Nations titles, including a grand slam in 2023 and a historic Test series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand since replacing Joe Schmidt in late 2019.
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A magnificent England performance came thrillingly close to derailing France’s Six Nations party in Paris, only for Thomas Ramos to land a long-range penalty with the clock in the red to clinch an extraordinary 48-46 victory and the title. Ireland, winners against Scotland earlier in the day, watched on in Dublin, seeing the title wrenched out of their grasp in the final act of an enthralling edition of the sport’s oldest international championship.
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