A great team needs a rival. No more than Manchester City have needed Liverpool to define the contours of themselves

Manchester United are continuing with the only task in which they can make themselves appear world class: the pursuit of managers.

Leinster’s turnover is now 13 times what it was when he took over, while a skeleton crew of 30 players has been transformed into a staff of 200, divided between first team, academy, player development and administration.

Interpret Gareth Bale’s story generously and it becomes about man’s search for meaning within the grinding materialism of modern society

This year’s tournament feels less like a global celebration than some nightmarish symbolic crescendo

It seems as if every human being fed into this great, soul-sapping contraption, whether established star or callow youth, has emerged beaten down,

Go into business with Tony Soprano and your nice Italian restaurant is going to get burned

It is this glimpse into the true soul of the Dub that makes the current struggles so delicious.

If there are certain things that mark out League of Ireland people and the clubs whose tumultuous fortunes they follow, then Finn Harps are all that and then some.

It is very difficult to imagine a Mexican wave taking place in a Six Nations match under Joe Schmidt