Irish Rugby

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Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe will join Munster ahead of the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship season.

The 29-year-old South African international has agreed a two-year deal with the Irish province.

Van der Merwe made his South Africa debut in July and helped the Springboks win the Rugby Championship title as he featured in the wins New Zealand and Australia.

He previously played for the Pumas and Cheetahs before he joined Scarlets in 2024, where he made an instant impact.

Van der Merwe was named in the URC's Elite XV in his debut season and was named Scarlets' supporters' player of the year.

"I'm excited and honoured to be joining such a prestigious club, with such a proud rugby history," van der Merwe said.

"I want to finish the season strong with the Scarlets, before tackling this new challenge with Munster."

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

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Head coach Andy Farrell has called on Ireland to "put our stamp" and insisted their underdog status should have no bearing on Saturday's must-win Six Nations game against England (14:10 GMT).

Having followed up a dismal defeat by France with a hard-fought victory over Italy, Ireland are aiming to deliver a statement result against an English side still hurting from last week's Calcutta Cup loss to Scotland at Murrayfield.

Farrell has made five changes for the trip to Allianz Stadium, including Jack Crowley's reinstatement at fly-half and the return of British and Irish Lions Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne and Josh van der Flier.

Asked if he has seen a determined mindset from his players this week, Farrell said: "Yeah, but you've heard talk plenty of times about 'we've trained, we've prepared well' and all that but you'd expect that from this Irish team because that's the type of lads we've got.

"We care about preparation and all that but you've still got to go out there and deliver. We want to be a team that goes to places like this and fire a few shots, there's no doubt about that."

Seeking back-to-back Grand Slams, Ireland were favourites when they travelled to England in 2024, a game they lost 23-22 after Marcus Smith's late drop-goal.

Despite their loss to Scotland, England are favourites for Saturday's game as they chase a 10th successive home win, but Farrell says his side's perceived underdog status should have no bearing on the appetite they bring to the 144th instalment of this old rivalry.

"I don't want that to be the case at all," he said.

"Human nature tells you that works for some people but we want to be as good as we possibly can. We want to be able to deal with being favourites or not.

"That should be irrelevant if we're in the right frame of mind."

Farrell will come up against several of the England players he brought on last summer's British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, including Northampton Saints back row Henry Pollock, who starts his first game for England.

"[He's a] bit of a free-spirit," Farrell said of Pollock, who was the youngest player in last year's Lions squad.

"He backs himself. Great lad, good fun. He's a bundle of energy and I suppose that's what they're looking for in terms of bringing him into the starting line like we've done with a few as well."

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Prop Tom O'Toole said he wants to take the opportunity to play loose-head for Ireland "with both hands".

O'Toole plays tight-head for his club, Ulster, but played in the loose-head position when he came off the bench for Andy Farrell's side against Italy.

Despite the 27-year-old having limited experience at loose-head, injuries to Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle before the Six Nations began meant that Farrell's options for the number one shirt became more limited.

"To be honest, I am playing it just day-by-day. I'm excited to get the opportunity and to be involved in this team and this squad, that it what my main focus is," O'Toole said.

"I try don't look too far ahead and when I am back to my provincial side, I'm back to tight-head. There's been a few injuries to give me an opportunity. I am grateful and I want to take it with both hands.

"I was confident enough in the preparation I have done over the last couple of years. I have kept it as something chipping away behind the scenes and keep working at it so, to get an opportunity, I was delighted to put that training into performance."

The Ulster prop featured in the Ireland squad when they won back-to-back Six Nations in 2023 and 2024 and also travelled to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

However, competition for places in Ireland's front row has meant his involvement has not always been consistent.

"Being out of this group and then back in, I am really enjoying it and really want to enjoy each and every day with this group," O'Toole continued.

"I think it should be difficult for everybody [not being in Ireland squads]. I maybe didn't play as much as other guys but was in the group for a few years and was in the Grand Slam team and went to the World Cup.

"You spend so much time together; you become like family. I am 27 now, so I am hopefully coming into a big few years of my career."

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Ireland assistant coach Johnny Sexton says it is important for the team's current fly-halves to "learn some hard lessons" as they try to forge successful international careers.

Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley have shared the number 10 jersey over the past two years, while head coach Andy Farrell also has Harry Byrne and Ciaran Frawley at his disposal.

Crowley, 26, could start Ireland's Six Nations game against England at Allianz Stadium on Saturday (14:10 GMT) after impressing off the bench in the win over Italy following Prendergast's struggles.

When asked if he imparts his wisdom on them, Sexton - widely regarded as Ireland's greatest fly-half - said: "Sometimes, I try not to too often, because it's their journey, it doesn't have to be the same as mine.

"But I do try to explain to them when you're starting off you have to learn some hard lessons.

"I was learning lessons playing AIL [All-Ireland League] at 22 and 23, I got my first cap at 24.

"And I still had many bad games and many moments where I wish I could do it all over again, but that was part of my journey and they have to look at it as moments to learn and get to where they want to go."

Sexton said it is important 23-year-old Prendergast - who cut a disconsolate figure when he was replaced by Crowley - learns from missing a couple of straightforward conversion attempts against Italy.

He also praised Crowley's "very impressive" impact off the bench as he helped guide Ireland to a 20-13 win at Aviva Stadium despite kicking a penalty dead at the end of the game which ended his side's chances of securing a try bonus point.

"The difference between a good game and a bad game is when the space is there, you've got to go there, because if you set a phase up, it's not going to be there the next time because teams are too good," said the 2018 World Rugby player of the year.

"That's the difference between club rugby and international rugby. What he did on Saturday was good in that regard and now if he starts, he'll have to do it from minute one.

"From the start you have to manage the game a bit more, so each time whether on the bench or starting, it's a different challenge."

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Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park says the bonds built on last summer's British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia has forged a "brotherly rivalry" between the Irish and English camps.

The sides meet in their latest Six Nations encounter at Twickenham on Saturday (14:10 GMT) and both sets of players will know one another only too well with 18 Irish and 15 English on the same Lions squad last summer.

While Test matches between the nations are always dominated by an age-old rivalry, Gibson-Park feels that has only grown stronger and now has something of a family feel between these groups of players.

"I think there was a bit of 'mateship' created between us and to me, that adds to a rivalry," the 33-year-old told reporters at this week's news conference.

"When I think of the inter-pros in Ireland, they are my favourite games to play because you know the lads. I've spoken on it before that it's a brotherly kind of rivalry.

"We played with these guys for two months over the summer and got to know them pretty well, some great fellas. To me, that adds to the challenge and the rivalry."

Gibson-Park had to content himself with a place on the replacements bench for Ireland's victory over Italy in Dublin last weekend with Munster's Craig Casey getting the nod to start.

Naturally, the Leinster clubman is keen to earn his 49th Ireland cap as a starter this week but was happy to "bring energy" as a replacement last week.

Ireland have gone with a bench split of six forwards and two backs in their opening Six Nations games and with that, Gibson-Park feels it is imperative for all players to be a little more versatile, even suggesting with a smile he'd be open to a different role in the backs.

"It's something we have to be over the detail and be ready to do," he added.

"It's part and parcel of playing 6-2 but I'd love to get a run on the wing.

"I enjoy it and it's something I do a little bit of in training. The weeks I'm not playing with Leinster I try and get a run at full-back because ultimately, it can aid your game and give you more of an understanding, and I find it enjoyable."

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Cormac Izuchukwu said his Six Nations debut in the 20-13 win over Italy was "unbelievable" amidst an injury-hit season for the Ulster lock.

The 25-year-old has had a stop-start campaign due to injury and illness, starting just four games for Ulster and missing Ireland's November games.

He played 59 minutes in the victory against Italy in his first game since 2 January, a relief for Izuchukwu after fearing he would need surgery earlier in the season which would rule him out of the rest of the campaign.

"Obviously I've been injured for the whole season, played like four or five games, haven't played since early January I think," he said.

"I met a surgeon recently and I was supposed to get surgery and stuff, and said I'd give it one more shot and then all of a sudden you're playing again, so it's class.

"It's unbelievable. I was delighted."

Izuchukwu, who has now won five Ireland caps, admitted he was caught by surprise at the magnitude of the Six Nations in the build-up to the Italy game.

"It's mental because for me at the France game, such a big stage and I had a taste of it from sitting on the bench as the 24th man, but then I treat every Ireland game just like an Ireland game," he added.

"They're all so special to me, whether it's Portugal or Fiji or Georgia or whatever, they mean the world to me, but I was blown away by the response from social media, online and my family, it's such a big deal to them.

"Six Nations, maybe I didn't grasp it as much as I should have, so that was a shock, but I kind of came to terms with the last couple of days, got my head around it and then just got stuck in."

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Ireland back row Jack Conan says the side are "still hurting" after their opening game loss in the Six Nations ahead of Saturday's second match against Italy (14:10 GMT).

Andy Farrell's side's Six Nations campaign began in dispiriting fashion as they were defeated by France.

On Saturday, they face an Italian side in positive form after their opening-weekend win over Scotland in Rome.

"There are too many good players in the squad for it to be a systemic thing and we have a great chance to bounce back [against Italy]," Conan said.

"It is disappointing the way we performed and no matter what happens we will look back and think what happened then.

"There is still an abundance of quality in every position even with lads being injured and not in the environment. Everyone is hurting, the starting players, the substitutes and the coaching staff."

Italy finished fifth in last year's Six Nations, winning one match and losing four and they have never won a Six Nations match in Dublin.

However, Conan added that Italy has vastly improved in the last number of years and Ireland must be prepared for the Azzurri's threats.

"You look at how Italy dealt with Scotland in really tricky conditions. Their set pieces have come on a long way, their line-out has been really good, they were really good against Scotland in the air, their scrum was fantastic," Conan continued.

"It's a proper test and a real challenge for us. I think it is important that lads aren't burdened with what happened last week.

"You can be hurt because you care but don't let the mistakes or one under power performance impact how we rock into this weekend."