Are you a red, blue, yellow, or green personality type? And which of those boxes does a particular player fit into?

The psychology of sport is based on preparing better, believing you are better, and being better than the opposition. And at the elite level, possessing a ruthless, clinical instinct to drive home that superiority.

Locking down Keith Earls to a new contract that keeps him in Munster until after the 2019 World Cup was a piece of savvy business Lansdowne Road mightn’t have got due credit for, says Ronan O’Gara.

Christchurch feels very safe and secure. And the Ireland in me had forgotten how much you savour those things. The contrast from Paris is huge. There is no anger in this world. On the RER in Paris, every nationality in the world is around you.

By New Year’s Eve, we had disconnected the television at the house in Paris, so I had to slip next door to a pub-restaurant I knew prided itself on multi-screen sports. Montpellier-Brive was on one channel and off in the corner, with a few quiet seats underneath it was coverage of Racing 92’s trip down to Oyonnax.

Leinster are the team to beat, the No. 1 in Europe’s power rankings. And Munster are No. 2, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Joey Carbery won’t be leaving Leinster anytime soon.

Ronan O’Gara doesn’t believe Peter O’Mahony will leave Munster, but warns if the sums don’t stack up at home, maybe the UK is a better option for him.