With an average of 13 internationals now scheduled in a single season, it’s clear that some tests rank higher than others, writes Donal Lenihan

Watching those re-runs on RTÉ of Reeling in the Years serves as a graphic reminder of just how much things have changed in modern Ireland — in the majority of cases — for the better.

The most obvious starting point when exploring the myths surrounding Munster’s historic win over New Zealand is the attendance. At least I can honestly declare that “yes, I was there”, a claim that many in the years that followed that famous encounter deemed to imagine.

For the second week in a row, the quality of rugby on offer across the Heineken Champions Cup pool fixtures has been overshadowed by decisions made by referees and their interpretation of tackling laws, writes Donal Lenihan

Sport retains the capacity to cut even the best of players and teams down to size, writes Donal Lenihan

The challenge for Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster is to keep players firmly focused on the task at hand in the face of the inevitable plaudits that will accompany last weekend’s incredible performance, says Donal Lenihan.

The ride into Exeter was not for the faint of heart, Munster’s charter flight buffeted violently in gale force winds. The landing was pretty white-knuckled too, not helped by the knowledge that five earlier flights had been diverted at that stage. It all made for a strong test of the constitution which would serve Johann van Graan’s men well on Saturday at Sandy Park, writes Donal Lenihan.

Five years on from the acrimonious restructuring of the European Champions Cup, the tournament’s new organisers, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) have finally stumbled across what appears to be the best balance between the old Heineken Cup, as driven by the Dublin based European Rugby Cup (ERC), and the new entity.

It’s somewhat ironic that at a time when rugby is enjoying an unprecedented level of popularity in this country, with the national team ranked in the top two sides in the world, the game itself faces massive challenges.

“Wouldn’t it be great if it was like this all the time?”