Latest news with #StuartLancaster
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Scottish-qualified stand-off Lancaster joins Warriors on two-year deal
Glasgow Warriors "feels like the best possible" for Scottish-qualified stand-off Dan Lancaster, who has signed a two-year deal at of former England head coach Stuart, the 24-year-old spent last season with French side Racing 92, making 25 appearances - including against Franco Smith's side in born in Leeds, Lancaster, who is comfortable at fly-half and both centres, represented Scotland at U18 level alongside Jamie Dobie and Rory coach Smith said his versatility will be "a real asset" in the said he had "heard many great things" about the club and told his agents it was "where he wanted to go"."It all happened pretty quickly, to be honest," Lancaster told club media."I found out I wasn't being kept on by Racing, and one evening shortly after that I got a call from Franco about potentially coming to Glasgow. After that call, I phoned my agent and told them that Scotstoun was where I wanted to go."I played against Glasgow for Racing last year, so I saw first-hand the intensity that the club brings with and without the ball – they're a proper team. "I've heard so may great things about the club and about Franco and the coaching team, and Lucio [Sordoni] told me how special a place it is, so it feels like the best possible place for me to develop as a rugby player."
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Lancaster's Connacht will boast three Lions and six summer tour internationals
There is palpable excitement at Connacht as they look forward to a new season under new management, Stuart Lancaster coming on board as Head Coach. By the time the popular former Leinster assistant coach has his feet under table, it is expected he will have five new internationals in place, Simon Easterby having promised all of those traveling with Ireland to Georgia and Portugal will be capped. In Connacht's case that will be senior debuts for scrum-half Ben Murphy, secondrow Darragh Murray, prop Jack Aungier, centre Hugh Gavin and winger Shane Bolton. There is a sixth Connacht player in the squad Cian Prendergast while there are a further three, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham, away with the Lions. "Yeah excitement," says Murphy of Lancaster taking over as Head Coach ahead next season. "I had two years with him when I was in the Leinster academy. Any dealings I had with him, I've always had massive respect for him and I think you can see the development in the likes of a lot of the Lions who've gone in who've worked with him in Leinster. "How he's brought them up from 19/20-year olds to now hopefully Lions internationals in a few weeks. "He is very good not just on the pitch but off the pitch in building leadership skills and driving a team so I'm looking forward to hopefully picking his brain a bit on that." "I didn't feel we were too far away from being very good and I think Stu has the ability to take us to that next step. "He's been left a good foundation by the staff that were there last year but were ready to take that next step obviously next year. Lancaster had been at the Connacht-Racing game in Galway on April 12, following which The Star/Mirror revealed exclusively on April 16 that he was set to become new coach in Galway. "I didn't know he was coming at that stage. I'd met him briefly on his first day and had a quick chat with him. He outlined a couple of things that he wants to try and implement. "It's all going to be massively exciting. I think they're starting in early July and hopefully get a good bit of groundwork done over pre-season." Connacht finished 13th of 16 in the URC last season on the back of six wins and 12 losses; winning their last game, away at Zebre, helping lift them to a point clear of Ulster. "There was a lot of frustration around the end of the year, particularly around the Racing game (a 40-43, 11-try thriller) and the end of the URC where we felt like we still had a chance and unfortunately we just didn't take it. "It was all up and down to say the least. Individually I was fairly happy with how much I played and how much I contributed to the group but obviously what it comes down to mainly is the team performances and ultimately we were too inconsistent. "It was great learning for me as a young half-back. What I can take forward to next season has been very valuable." As mentioned and barring injury Murphy is expected make his Ireland debut in Georgia, most likely off the bench, on Saturday week in Tblisi. The Georgian capital may be off the beaten track but there was little doubting thee 24 year-old route to getting there, his path was well sign-posted in advance. Switching from Leinster (nine apps, 2021-24) to the western province in time for the 2024/25 season, Murphy made a huge impact, starting eight games and coming on a sub in a further three before lighting up a Challenge Cup win over Lyon with a hat-trick in early January. Called in as an Ireland training panellist that month, Simon Easterby and Paul O'Connell saw enough to put him in the Ireland A squad for the late-February game with England in Bristol. Only for the scrum-half to have to withdraw with injury as Nathan Doak and Fintan Gunne played that day but O'Connell hadn't forgotten his man and, interestingly, it's the Connacht player who travels with Ireland ahead of Gunne who posted a try in the URC final. Says Murphy of his chance to tour with Ireland: "From the outside looking in it probably would have been far-fetched but I kind of felt that with the movements this year, Lions year and all that, that there was going to be an opportunity for a young scrum-half to come into the squad. "I just wanted to put my best foot forward to be the one to be in that position. Thankfully I got an opportunity earlier with Connacht. I've managed to push forward and get into the squad so delighted. Getting called up as a training panellist and working with the 2025 Six Nations squad last January has, he says, helped greatly with settling him in alongside the senior players this time. "Yeah, definitely, it feels a little bit more comfortable because you've had those experiences. "There's not a whole lot of experience in the group but the lads who've been in for the last couple of years. Obviously, Craig (Casey) as captain has been great, he's been great to myself and Doaky as well. "I've worked with both no10s, Sam Prendergast and Ciaran Frawley, before, they've very good at setting up the team and getting their messages across and then there's obviously lads like Ryan Baird, Stuart McCloskey, who've been around for a little bit longer again. "I think there's a really good mix of that experience and then I feel that with so many new caps or potential new caps that brings a bit of enthusiasm as well which I think all together is a good mix. "Whether I was a training panellist or whether I'm in the normal squad you go out to train in the same way, try and earn your opportunity to play, that hasn't really changed. I suppose in that aspect it has been similar but I think those experiences have helped me." IRELAND SUMMER TOUR SCHEDULESaturday, 5th July: Georgia v Ireland, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi (kick off 9pm local time, 6pm Irish time);Saturday, 12th July: Portugal v Ireland, Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon (kick off 7pm local, same Irish time)Ireland Men's Squad – Summer Tour 2025, departing for Tbilisi on Wednesday, 2nd (14): Shayne Bolton (Connacht)*, Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(captain)(18), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(24), Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)*, Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(8), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht)*, Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(19), Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht)*, Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(10), Jimmy O'Brien (Naas/Leinster)(8), Tommy O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)*, Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(7), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(8), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(38)Forwards (18): Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)*, Jack Aungier (Lansdowne/Connacht)*, Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(27), Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster)(2), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)(6), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster)(2), Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(2), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(1), Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)*, Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(4), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)*, Michael Milne (UCD/Munster)*, Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)*, Tom O'Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(16), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(4), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster)*, Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(2), Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster)(3)
BBC News
7 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Murphy on Ireland, Lancaster at Connacht and family success
This summer, another door will open for Ben Murphy. A year ago, he was packing his bags and heading west after agreeing to join Connacht from has proved a fruitful step. While he admits the province's 2024-25 season was "up and down", his progress was smooth. He played 16 times and scored nine tries. Earlier this year, he was a training panellist on Ireland's Six Nations squad. But now, with the country's frontline stars on British and Irish Lions duty, the 24-year-old scrum-half is keen to impress while swapping the green of Connacht for the similarly shaded Test jersey. "From the outside looking in, it [receiving an Ireland call-up] probably would have been far-fetched," he admits. "But I kind of felt that with the movements this year, Lions year and all that, that there was going to be an opportunity for a young scrum-half to come into the squad and I just wanted to put my best foot forward to be the one to be in that position. "Thankfully I got an opportunity earlier with Connacht. I've managed to push forward and get into the squad so [I'm] delighted." After Ireland's summer's Tests against Georgia and Portugal, Murphy will return to the winds of change in Galway, with former England boss and Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster having recently taken the reins. Murphy previously crossed paths with Lancaster while he was coming through the Leinster academy. "I didn't feel we were too far away from being very good [last season]," added Murphy, who flourished in the latter stages of Pete Wilkins' tenure. "And I think Stu has the ability to take us to that next step. He's been left a good foundation by the staff that were there last year but were ready to take that next step obviously next year."With Ben on the cusp of a Test debut and his younger brother Jack establishing himself in the Ulster first-team under dad/head coach Richie, it has been a whirlwind couple of years for the Murphy clan. "Yeah its been busy for my mum anyway," he smiled."She's been up and down the road a lot from Belfast to Galway to wherever. It has been hugely exciting obviously. Ulster have had their ups and downs as well as us. "We've kind of been on a similar journey I feel. And Jack the same. Young half-back, learning his trade but he's starting to come into his own now. Massively exciting times for everyone."
RTÉ News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Will Stuart Lancaster be a uniting force at Connacht?
The news that Stuart Lancaster is taking over as the head coach of Connacht has caused huge excitment out west. The former England head coach and Leinster senior coach, who departed from his most recent role at Racing 92 in February, has signed a two-year deal to succeed Pete Wilkins who resigned in April. It's a serious coup for Connacht. During Lancaster's seven seasons in Dublin, Leinster won the 2018 Champions Cup as well as four successive Pro14 titles. If he brings even a fraction of that success to his new job he'll be given hero status, and while there's no guarantees in top-level rugby, the Against The Head panel are certain the province is bringing in a figure of real pedigree. "I think he's done more for Connacht this week than spending €100,000 on an advertising campaign, because he's got to Galway, he's met the staff, he's met some of the players, and everyone knows what he did in Leinster," said Bernard Jackman. "You speak to any of the Leinster players, they're incredibly complimentary about his understanding of how to build, how to coach, how to run training sessions which at Leinster is hard because of the numbers but he ran brilliant training sessions, his philosophy on the game, how he develops leadership culture. I think Connacht players are ecited, Connacht fans are excited. "He's a great get. Fair play to the IRFU and Connacht for getting him. "I think it also shows the investment they made in facilities is obviously important for the players and staff, but someone like him... he was on the short list for the Wales job, he was down to the last two for Australia. If he'd bided his time he could have got some big jobs in Europe and he's picked Connacht." Donal Lenihan echoed those sentiments, highlighting the quality of the Connacht production line as another factor that potentially lured Lancaster back to Ireland. "The fact he was over there to watch his son (Dan) playing for Racing recently obviously opened his eyes to what's happened out west for the past number of years," he said. "But there is an incredible number of real quality young players. "I think Lancaster is tailor-made for them. If I was in charge of selling season tickets for Connacht I'd be absolutely thrilled because my job has been done overnight. "I was out with Johnny Sexton at a function recently and he spoke in glowing terms about what Lancaster did for Leinster. "Just his capacity to bring everybody on board, to actually coach, to improve players, to work with people and make them better. People then as a consequence really want to work with him, for him. That's a uniting element in any dressing room."
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Smith the guiding light for ex-England rugby coach Lancaster
Stuart Lancaster says he sees former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith's journey back to the top as his inspiration (Sylvain THOMAS) Wayne Smith's rebuilding of his reputation as a coach has served as an example to former England head coach Stuart Lancaster, he told the Sunday Times. Lancaster bounced back once with Leinster when he was cast aside by England after their disastrous first round exit at the 2015 Rugby World Cup they hosted. Advertisement Now the 55-year-old Englishman must do it all over again, this time with Ireland's weakest province Connacht, after being dismissed by Top 14 side Racing 92 earlier this season. Smith's path to coaching redemption after being fired as All Blacks coach in 2001 came via English Premiership side Northampton Saints. It ended with him becoming a two-time World Cup winner (2011/15) as assistant coach of the All Blacks to first Graham Henry and then Steve Hansen -- a knighthood followed to boot. "He's won the World Cup but he wasn't the head coach," said Lancaster of Smith. "He's respected as a coach who's made a difference to people. Advertisement "That means more to me than anything. Making sure you're there to enjoy your time with your mates, and that your family enjoy it. "Everyone's part of the journey." Lancaster, who guided Leinster to four European Cup finals with the highlight winning the 2018 edition, said he has to pinch himself at times to grasp what he has made of his career. "I was asked this question: if you look back to when you were a teacher, would you take where you're at?" he said. "If you said to me when I was a teacher at 28 years old that I would end up coaching England, coaching in France, coaching in Ireland, winning the European Cup, beating the All Blacks? I'd pull your hand off." Advertisement - 'Top of Everest' - At the same time, though, he feels he still has to accomplish more if he is to retire a contented man. "But if you said to me right now, am I satisfied and ready to finish?" he said. "No, I'm not. "I'm still seeking the real true fulfilment. A New Zealand psychologist, Dave Hadfield, said if you were to retire now, would your soul be at rest? I went, no, I don't think it is. "Until that happens, I'll keep on going. My wife (Nina) says to me, 'When the hell is that going to be?'" To that he replied dryly "when Connacht win the European (Champions) Cup)" which given he has signed a two year contract is asking something as they finished 13th in the URC Championship this term. Advertisement Lancaster says things did not work out at Racing because of a combination of things, although he believes he was moving things in the right direction. "I was promised to be in control of the rugby programme but that never really happened," he said. "The lack of patience: it takes more than 16 months to turn around an organisation and to have it pulled away from you when, yeah, it's not going great but it's going in the right direction. "You look at Manchester United. Once you're in that downward slide of poor recruitment, poor coaching, poor culture, poor identity, there's no magic wand you can wave in a club environment." Advertisement Lancaster may have been let go by Racing 92 but he remained very much in demand. Wales and Australia were linked with him, but after seemingly been in pole position for the Wallabies post he lost out to Les Kiss. Lancaster said he was mindful of there being a life outside rugby. "What I don't want to do is keep trying to get to the very top of Everest all the time and then get to 70 years old and realise 'Jesus Christ, I've just missed life'. "That balancing in life, it's been on my mind." pi/lp
