Eddie Jones ought to have known better, that the rugby Gods have their own way of dealing with those deemed to have been too clever by half.

ANDREW CONWAY is getting his due and it has been a long time coming.

When Wayne Pivac sat down with his Wales squad to outline his expectations for the 2020 Six Nations this week, he did so with the Championship’s trophy alongside him.

With the decisive battle to come next Monday at the Aviva, there’s no getting away from the phoney war status of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand at the same venue on Thursday night.

Parrott will become the third youngest ever Irish international on Thursday week in a friendly that will act as an audition for the decisive Euro qualifier against Denmark.

‘Ask Audrey’ has been the newspaper’s hysterical agony aunt “for ages, like”.

New Plymouth in the rain.

Cian Healy has praised Bundee Aki’s resilience in the face of a tournament-ending suspension after the centre gave his all in Ireland’s first training session for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.

No one could know it at the time but Ireland’s relationship with the All Blacks changed irrevocably in November of 2013.

No-one could know it at the time but Ireland's relationship with the All Blacks changed irrevocably in November of 2013.

Whether you are beating the All Blacks five tries to four or grinding it out in a tight arm-wrestle, Johnny Sexton knows the common thread to Ireland’s recent successes against the best team in the world was to never switch off.

Presumption has already made fools of many of us at this World Cup.

The answer to whether the Springboks are Rugby World Cup 2019 contenders remains a strong ‘yes’ after Saturday’s epic battle against the All Blacks in Yokohama.

Peter O'Mahony cherishes memories of his first trip to Japan.

The Ireland Under-20s paid the price for a nightmare first quarter during which they conceded 26 unanswered points, a sturdy platform on which New Zealand secured a 40-17 victory in today's 7th-8th place play-off at the World Rugby U-20 Championship.

Ireland’s most successful women’s head coach Philip Doyle has been lured back into Test rugby by the chance to revive Scotland’s fortunes ahead of World Cup qualifying.

Jonathan Sexton’s mood was one of the talking points in a disappointing Six Nations campaign for Ireland and it’s unlikely that his humour has improved given his absence from today’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final between Leinster and Ulster.

No Jonathan Sexton, Rob Kearney on the bench and Jack McGrath given the weekend off.

To those with religious belief, faith — the idea, the commitment — may remain a mystery but one that is nonetheless enthusiastically and sincerely embraced.

Three key factors will define today’s titanic Cardiff clash

This was a very different kind of glory to Chicago.

First impression in Blanchardstown yesterday was that the All Blacks were just flat out trolling their hosts.

Conor Murray must prove he can take the knocks next Monday if he’s to take on the All Blacks, according to Ronan O’Gara.

As John B Keane’s masterwork The Field shows we have a close relationship with the land we live on.

To most rugby fans in Ireland he was the Wallabies’ debutant hooker, an emergency selection for Michael Cheika after the first three in line fell by the wayside.

Peter Miskimmin made no bones about it: he was torn.

Spring is finally here. I don’t mean the small amount of hot weather last Friday and

Of the four provinces, Leinster should be the one least in need of imported talent.

Millions of eyeballs will focus on a small rectangle in Cardiff tonight, with three of the four major world heavyweight titles on the line. Both fighters are undefeated, both are heroes in their own countries.

Missing out on a World Cup would, under normal circumstances, be one of the lowest points in any player’s career, but it likely helped propel Jordan Larmour on to a much higher plain this season.

As a two-time world champion, Conrad Smith knows what it takes to be the best in the world.

Nick McCarthy is only 20 games into his senior Leinster career but the St Michael’s and UCD scrum-half has already managed to figure in some of the more unlikely storylines emanating from the club in his short time.

Munster legend Donncha O’Callaghan has issued a warning to Ireland about the potential ‘banana skin’ that awaits them at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

“You don’t win nations cups without jumping clear rounds and we didn’t jump enough of them,” said Michael Blake after he had seen the Irish show jumping team he managed fall short of repeating last year’s success in Ocala, Florida on Sunday evening.

We were barely beyond the final rounds of the Champions Cup before the mind games — with Eddie Jones as always to the fore — at the Six Nations launch in London last week reminded us that the main course is about to land in our laps pretty soon, writes Donal Lenihan.

Peter Jackson gives his progress report on the best and worst teams, players and moments of the Autumn Internationals.

Weekend review - What’s hot and what’s not...

New Zealand international Issac Luke and his former South Sydney team-mate Luke Keary put their hands up to play for Ireland in the 2017 World Cup.

Robbie Henshaw is only a week away from a return to competitive rugby with Leinster but the Irish international is allowing himself a sneaky peek at a possible reunion with Bundee Aki come November.

Jamison Gibson-Park had warned that Leinster’s trip to South Africa would make for a tricky assignment.

Its All-Ireland Hurling final week, and Galway is buzzing. How much of the buzz is down to hurling is anybody’s guess. I don’t blame the people, I blame the City

New Zealand defeated Australia for the second time in eight days but had to hit hit back from 17-0 down and needed a last-gasp try from Beauden Barrett to triumph 35-29 in Dunedin.

England coach Simon Middleton insists a prime-time TV slot will not ramp up the pressure on his players as they face off against New Zealand in the World Cup final today.

There was less than a minute gone at the UCD Bowl when England centre Megan Jones shrugged off a poor excuse of a tackle and crossed the Spanish line for the first score of the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

Simon Lewis takes a look at the testers that the British & Irish Lions face ahead of their third test against the All Blacks at Eden Park.

Sam Warburton achieved a career highlight just getting on the Lions’ bench for last week’s first Test against New Zealand.

Warren Gatland has revealed the tough discussions that led to British & Irish Lions' first Test captain Peter O'Mahony being omitted completely from the second Test squad to face the All Blacks this Saturday, writes Simon Lewis.