The continued downward spiral of Welsh rugby should worry us all - and there are challenges elsewhere too.

The Stade de France crowd was treated to a contest full of drama and no little skill.

The reaction to the disappointing defeat to the All Blacks has been over the top.

Former Munster player Duncan Casey believes it's time for the province to get aggressive about targeting those playing other sports. 

Persistent rumours of major run-ins between Rowntree and some senior Munster players in recent seasons are not wide of the mark

After five rounds of the current URC season, Munster have the weakest lineout in the competition at 79%.

You make your own luck, however, and on an evening that saw them play 10% below the levels we have grown so accustomed to, Ireland were unable to make their own luck when they most needed to.

As we move into the business end, the tiny margins will be the difference between winning and losing and ultimately, the difference between winning a World Cup and not

Facing a side that can afford to throw all caution to the wind adds another layer of pressure to what is already a crucial game on Ireland's World Cup journey

The first quarter in Paris was the stuff of nightmares for Ireland's Ronan Kelleher, but he deserves a huge amount of credit for keeping his head and getting back on track.