It was a touch harsh on Eamonn Barry, Meath’s manager at the time, though the national newspaper headline ‘Barry’s bizarre decisions backfire’ did sum up the confusion felt by some supporters at the time.

Johann van Graan has rated fly-half JJ Hanrahan’s chances of facing Racing 92 on Sunday in Paris as 50/50 with the Munster boss preparing to decide between rookie Ben Healy and Rory Scannell as his starting number 10 in the absence of Joey Carbery.

There’s not much worse than old-timers waxing lyrical about how things were better in their day.

Johann van Graan hopes Joey Carbery will play his first game for Munster this season when they take on Leinster at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Joey Carbery’s likely return from an ankle injury before the end of the year will be good news for Ireland in the absence of Johnny Sexton but Munster will have to plan without him and a handful of others for this Saturday’s trip to Saracens.

This weekend’s test will have to be negotiated without two fly-halves and a trio of front-rowers.

A routine day for Ballyhale. Only the opposition was novel.

The prospect of Munster being without Joey Carbery for several weeks has underlined Johann van Graan’s assertion that to win trophies the province will need a squad deep in quality.

Stephen Larkham earned himself a deserved reputation as one of the most stylish rugby players of his generation when representing Australia on 102 occasions.

When Ronan Finn mentions that he’s “coming up on 32,” the symmetry is irresistible: Shamrock Rovers have been trying to win the FAI Cup all his life.

Nick McCarthy knew he would have a battle on his hands for game-time when he left Leinster for Munster during the season, but it’s a task he is fired-up for as he becomes the latest to make the journey south from the arch-rivals.

Munster may be without out-half Joey Carbery for the opening two rounds of the Champions Cup against Ospreys and Racing 92. Defence coach JP Ferreira said the priority was to get him and all the Irish internationals right for the season on their return from the World Cup.

The shifting power in Meath GAA was further emphasised when first-time finalists Ratoath claimed senior football championship glory at Páirc Tailteann yesterday.

Ratoath will be appearing in their first decider following their fully merited 2-14 to 1-10 win over the Kells men. The north Meath side were continuing their losing streak at the semi-final stage, having lost four in the past five years.

Joe Schmidt backed a cool and calm Jack Carty to run the Ireland show in Johnny Sexton’s absence as part of the head coach’s plan to ruin Japan’s World Cup party at Stadium Ecopa tomorrow (8.15am Irish time).

Jack Carty was on holiday in Spain two years ago when Joey Carbery injured some ligaments in Ireland’s defeat of the USA in New Jersey.

James Lowe blows out his cheeks, squeezes his hands into fists and takes a long, smiling pause.

Two days out from their all-Six Nations World Cup 2019 opening showdown, and the game is afoot.

A Tuesday morning injury update from Ireland squad communications manager David O Siochain, though, suggested Kearney’s injury was not as bad as first feared.

Joe Schmidt on ...

Johann van Graan has backed a “pumped” Joey Carbery to make a speedy return to the Ireland fold and book his place in Joe Schmidt’s 31-man World Cup squad for Japan next month.

Wallabies legend Stephen Larkham wants to bring a more cutting edge to the Munster attack as he embarks on his new role as the province’s Senior Coach.

Ross Byrne will get the chance to nail down his World Cup place at Twickenham tomorrow as Joe Schmidt juggles his fly-half options for next month’s final cut.

Joe Schmidt has called on Ross Byrne to make the most of his opportunity and stake a claim to a place in Ireland’s World Cup squad after handing the fly-half his first Test start against England at Twickenham on Saturday.

It does not take a mathematician to realise seven into five won’t go but the task facing Ireland team management as they juggle their half-back permutations for the upcoming World Cup may be up there with the work of the best Nobel Prize winners.

Ireland could be ready to hand inexperienced fly-halves Jack Carty and Ross Byrne their chances to capitalise on Joey Carbery’s injury with valuable game time in the toughest circumstances against England at Twickenham this Saturday.

Jamie Heaslip says there are no words to console John Cooney, Mike Haley, and Finlay Bealham – the latest trio to be cut from Ireland's potential Rugby World Cup squad.

Will this Sunday’s All-Ireland decide the decade in Kilkenny or Tipperary’s favour?

Joe Schmidt has signalled a much-changed starting line-up for Ireland’s trip to face England at Twickenham in two weeks, but is hoping that injured fly-half Joey Carbery will be back in the mix by then.

Joe Schmidt gave an upbeat assessment on Joey Carbery’s injured ankle following the Ireland fly-half’s worrying withdrawal from the victory over Italy on a medical cart.

Shane Horgan has warned that Ireland are too dependent on Jonathan Sexton and believes there is a case for Joey Carbery to play beside the out-half in what would be a huge departure for the team under Joe Schmidt.

Complaining about the weather is an art form unique to the Irish. But Ireland’s Joey Carbery has more reason than most to complain. Born to Irish parents in New Zealand, he enjoyed its temperate climate until the family returned to Ireland when he was aged 11.

A week that could herald the beginning of the demise of Portmarnock Golf Club as the natural home for some of the game’s most prestigious events got under way yesterday with the first of two qualifying rounds for the 124th Amateur Championship.

Munster and Ireland backs Joey Carbery and Keith Earls look set to return from injury to face Leinster in Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final following a positive fitness update from Johann van Graan.

Johann van Graan has urged Munster supporters to look at the positives of a playing squad in it for the long haul despite the “strange” situation of two key coaches deciding to quit.

Jack Carty knows that being voted on to the four-man shortlist for the Zurich Players’ Player of the Year does not mean he will automatically receive a ticket to Japan later this year.

No-one will be more pleased by the expected return of Joey Carbery, Keith Earls and Conor Murray to the Munster line-up than fellow Ireland back Chris Farrell but he remains frustrated his team is still to unleash its full potential as an attacking threat.

Johann van Graan said Conor Murray could have played against Connacht on Saturday night but was withdrawn from Munster’s matchday squad as a precaution following a pre-game knock at Thomond Park.

Munster boss Johann van Graan insists he is committed to improving his existing squad as the province bids to win silverware for the first time in eight years but that will be without South Africa centre Jaco Taute, who was unveiled today by Leicester Tigers as a new signing for next season.

Edinburgh Airport, Saturday evening, March 30. As the Munster squad and supporters prepare to fly home after a tense quarter-final victory at Murrayfield, there are numerous emotions on display.

The echoes of Munster’s European semi-final defeat to Saracens two years ago may still be ringing in newspaper columns and the minds of supporters but Peter O’Mahony spoke for his squad and management yesterday when he declared his team have long since moved on, and for the better.

Munster boss Johann van Graan has backed Tyler Bleyendaal to step up to the challenge of facing Saracens in Europe in 11 days if his downbeat assessment of Joey Carbery’s fitness proves correct.

There was good news and bad from the Munster camp today as the province announced Johann van Graan had signed a contract extension to June 2022 before the head coach himself rated Joey Carbery as “highly unlikely” to face Saracens in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-final in 12 days.