# Second best

Last year

2022

# Second best

Rowntree: 'In the white-hot heat of the battle we have to be better than that'

Graham Rowntree cut a dejected figure after seeing his Munster side fall to a one-point defeat against Leinster.

21.0k

Dec 26th 2022, 10:37 PM

# Second best

'We were facing one of the top 5 teams in the world and we saw the difference' - Cisse

First-half goals from Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane gave Senegal a mountain to climb.

7.0k

Dec 4th 2022, 10:49 PM

# tough outing

All Blacks XV tear up the RDS on a painful night for Farrell's Ireland A

The Irish side had few answers for the pace, panache, and power of the visiting Kiwis.

73.9k

103

Nov 4th 2022, 9:37 PM

# Second best

Man Utd forced to settle for Europa League play-off despite win at Real Sociedad

Alejandro Garnacho scored the only goal of the game in Spain.

32.5k

Nov 3rd 2022, 7:57 PM

# Second best

Connacht slip to another URC defeat as Bulls prove too strong in Pretoria

Andy Friend’s side fell to a 28-14 defeat at Loftus Versfeld.

10.7k

Sep 30th 2022, 7:44 PM

# Second best

France sweep to bonus-point win on a tough night for the Ireland U20s

Riche Murphy’s men struggled to compete with a superb French team.

32.8k

Jun 24th 2022, 9:04 PM

# Second best

'Across the board, we just weren't quite there today'

Leo Cullen admitted Leinster came up short in terms of their accuracy and execution against the Bulls tonight.

13.2k

Jun 10th 2022, 11:21 PM

# Second best

Sheehan: Champions Cup final defeat 'a hard one to get the head around'

The Leinster hooker says it’s been tough to digest Saturday’s loss to La Rochelle in Marseille.

5.0k

Jun 1st 2022, 7:00 AM

# Second best

Van Graan 'incredibly disappointed' after Munster fall short against Leinster again

Meanwhile Leo Cullen admitted he was pleased with how his young squad managed the occasion.

20.1k

May 21st 2022, 10:56 PM

# well beaten

England power up to maul Ireland with 11-try victory in Six Nations

Greg McWilliams’ side showed grit in the first half but England ran in 11 tries in total.

14.3k

Apr 24th 2022, 2:14 PM

All time

# Second best

Disappointment for Ireland 7s in defeat to South Africa on Olympics debut

Gavin Mullin and Terry Kennedy scored tries in a 33-14 loss in Tokyo.

14.9k

Jul 26th 2021, 3:37 AM

# Second best

Wales' season ends with disappointing defeat to impressive Pumas

Wayne Pivac’s men struggled against Argentina in the sun in Cardiff.

7.6k

Jul 17th 2021, 5:25 PM

# Second best

Harry Maguire accepts Man United were not good enough

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side lost 3-2 at RB Leipzig to finish third in Group H following the clash in Germany.

5.6k

Dec 9th 2020, 9:13 AM

# Second best

England are a better team than Ireland and more work is needed to close the gap

Andy Farrell and his coaches must remedy the lineout and breakdown issues that hurt them yesterday.

34.4k

Nov 22nd 2020, 7:00 AM

# Second best

Tielemans and Mertens strike as Belgium end England's Nations League hopes

Defeat ends England’s hopes of reaching a second successive Nations League finals.

8.2k

Nov 15th 2020, 10:01 PM

# Second best

Ireland come up short in Paris as England crowned Six Nations champions

Andy Farrell’s men made errors but France were superb in a bonus-point win.

62.9k

144

Oct 31st 2020, 10:00 PM

# Second best

Schmidt: 'This year hasn't been great, but Ireland are in a really good place'

The New Zealander also lamented the shorter turnaround the team had to manage between their final pool game and the quarter-final.

9.7k

Oct 19th 2019, 7:55 PM

# Regrets

'We’re not going to suddenly sign five world-class players, it doesn’t work like that'

Leinster left Newcastle with a few regrets but feeling they had got close to Saracens.

27.6k

May 13th 2019, 6:00 AM

# Second best

All Blacks depart Dublin after being 'manipulated' by clever Ireland

‘We’re still stuck between the old way and the new way.’

30.7k

Nov 19th 2018, 9:02 AM

# Looking Up

All Blacks and November next in Schmidt's sights as Ireland's success rolls on

The Ireland head coach is heading home to New Zealand for a few weeks of rest.

12.5k

Jun 24th 2018, 7:30 AM

# Second best

Three debuts made as Ireland go down to Les Bleus at rain-soaked Stade de France

Goals from Olivier Giroud and Nabil Fekir were enough to hand a dominant French side victory in Paris tonight.

29.7k

May 28th 2018, 10:09 PM

# Second best

Connacht collapse as Ospreys deal second home defeat of Pro12 defence

Pat Lam’s men gave up a bonus point again in Galway.

19.8k

Sep 10th 2016, 9:34 PM

# Second best

Leinster beaten as Seymour runs in 4 tries for Glasgow

Rob Kearney, Josh van der Flier and Zane Kirchner all scored for the province but it couldn’t prevent a 33-25 loss at Scotstoun Stadium.

12.1k

Sep 10th 2016, 5:17 PM

# Second best

Lukaku double helps Belgium to victory over Ireland at Euro 2016

The Boys in Green were on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline in Bordeaux.

13.1k

Jun 18th 2016, 4:00 PM

# Second best

Ireland's women lose out to the French in front of 11,158 in Perpignan

The Girls in Green were defeated 18-6 in the Six Nations tonight.

21.3k

Feb 13th 2016, 10:34 PM

# Second best

Cheika sees World Cup defeat as the beginning of Wallabies' journey

The former Leinster boss says his team can close the gap on the All Blacks by playing them frequently.

3.2k

Nov 2nd 2015, 10:10 AM

# Second best

Cathal Pendred has been given his first taste of defeat in the UFC

John Howard overcame the Dubliner at UFC 189.

9.7k

Jul 12th 2015, 2:10 AM

# Second best

'Nothing can console me' laments Messi as world slips through Argentina's hands

The Golden Ball winner missed one of three great chances that fell his team’s way against Germany.

5.8k

Jul 14th 2014, 3:10 PM

# Second best

Double bogey derails Michael Hoey's bid for €240,000 European Tour win

The Northern Irishman was well placed to challenge eventual winner Ross Fisher at the Tshwane Open until he ran afoul of the 12th.

2.7k

Mar 2nd 2014, 2:33 PM

# Nearly Men

Opinion: Ireland call-ups and lack of signings to hobble Ulster's title ambitions

The province’s emergence as league and Heineken Cup contenders will stretch Mark Anscombe’s squad this season.

3.5k

Aug 13th 2013, 4:41 PM

# Second best

Rugby Championship: Springboks name unchanged line-up in quest to deny McCaw's 100th win

South Africa are in a confident mood after disposing of Australia at the weekend.

720

Oct 3rd 2012, 3:44 PM

# Second best

Match Report: Mandzukic on the double for Croatia

Two goals from the Wolfsburg striker resigned Ireland to defeat in their first Euro 2012 fixture.

2.3k

Jun 10th 2012, 10:08 PM