THE journey takes less than a minute but it’s the moment you know you’ve arrived at one of the best arenas in world rugby.

‘Tis the season for Christmas jumpers, blue Santa hats, and Leinster at the Aviva.

Joe Schmidt appears to be the sacrificial lamb, thrown under the bus not only by Nucifora but later in the day by his captain Rory Best. Long live the king.

Leinster have enjoyed some great days at the expense of Northampton Saints but Leo Cullen has learned to approach games against the English club with his eyes open and on full alert.

Eddie Jones and Rassie Erasmus were both celebrating at full time when England and South Africa last contested a World Cup final, at the Stade de France 12 years ago.

England proved too much for Pacific Islanders, running out convincing 35-3 winners

An emotional Eddie Jones choked back the tears as he reflected on what it meant to guide England into the 2019 World Cup.

Eddie Jones insists England have the resources to cover for the loss of Maro Itoje as a cloud hangs over the Saracens lock’s participation in the rest of the Guinness Six Nations.

The past year produced another crop of bizarre, eye-watering injuries for sport stars. And not all of them happened during the action.

Manu Tuilagi’s imminent England comeback in time to face New Zealand at Twickenham has had a calming effect on Eddie Jones’ underdogs, according to Ben Youngs.

Worcester centre Ben Te'o has been ruled out of England's three-Test South Africa tour.

Eddie Jones has been left embarrassed after footage emerged of the England head coach referring to Ireland as the “scummy Irish” and Wales as a “little shit place”.

In total there are five changes to the side defeated by Scotland at Murrayfield.

England claimed a fifth straight win over Australia in a titanic, and controversial, tussle at Twickenham.

England made a scruffy start to their autumn series but still ensured they will enter their group showdown against Argentina at the 2019 Wold Cup with an immaculate record against the Pumas under Eddie Jones.

JJ Hanrahan is already revving in red on his return to Munster, writes Simon Lewis. What did he miss? “What you cannot replace. It’s what you’re representing. You can’t buy that anywhere else in the world.”

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.

Hurricanes 31 - Lions 31: IF CJ Stander, Iain Henderson and Dan Cole had any hope of staking their claims to a place in Warren Gatland’s matchday squad for Saturday’s second Test against the All Blacks, it surely waned as the clock ticked past 75 minutes and they were still on the pitch, running themselves into the ground for the British & Irish Lions.

The British and Irish Lions have drawn 31-31 with the Hurricanes in Wellington,writes Simon Lewis.

The British and Irish Lions play the final midweek game of their New Zealand tour on Tuesday when they face reigning Super Rugby champions the Hurricanes in Wellington.

From day one of his tenure as the head coach of the 2017 British and Irish Lions, Warren Gatland has preached the importance of a power-packed set of replacements to come into the game and either close out a victory or reel in a deficit.

Rory Best is set to captain the British & Irish Lions against the Chiefs on Tuesday after Warren Gatland named a matchday squad missing tour skipper Sam Warburton in the final game before Saturday’s first Test with the All Blacks.

Peter O'Mahony has been named captain of the British & Irish Lions for Saturday's showdown with the Maori All Blacks at Rotorua International Stadium.

Warren Gatland believes his British and Irish Lions shot themselves in the foot as they lost 23-22 to the Highlanders under the roof at the Forsyth Barr Stadium today.

The key moment, talking point and key man from the Lions fourth game in New Zealand.

Jack McGrath will not be a happy loser but if the means justify the ends and the Lions win their Test series against New Zealand, then he will happily take defeats to Super Rugby teams.

Jamie Heaslip believes all five Leinster players could feature in next month’s Lions Tests against New Zealand — but fears the Munster and Ulster contingent face a tougher battle to earn starting spots.

The British and Irish Lions squad announcement followed the usual pattern — a majority of predictable selections, a few left field picks, some surprise omissions along with the customary bolter. Warren Gatland was always good for a few of those and in Ross Moriarty, Ben Te’o and Ireland’s Jared Payne, he didn’t disappoint.

Here is the possible make-up of a squad charged with targeting a first Test series triumph against the All Blacks since 1971.

Joe Schmidt must have given serious consideration to putting Peter O’Mahony in the starting line-up, writes Donal Lenihan.

It is a mark of just how far England have come under Eddie Jones that when the topic of facing off against New Zealand was put to him yesterday, the Australian retorted with a wry smile and bags of confidence.

Eddie Jones admitted England had exhausted all of their "get-out-of-jail cards" after edging Wales 21-16 in an enthralling RBS 6 Nations showdown in Cardiff.

Eddie Jones insists the key to defeating Fiji and extending England’s winning streak to 12 Tests is to “bore them to death”.

Eddie Jones' unbeaten England ended a 10-year wait for victory over South Africa.

Chris Ashton rescued Saracens from disaster as injury-ravaged Northampton's brave attempt at causing a major upset in the fierce rivals' Champions Cup quarter-final at Allianz Park ended in a 29-20 defeat.

ENGLAND:

Saracens lock Maro Itoje could make his first England start after Joe Launchbury was ruled out of Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Ireland with a hamstring problem.

England boss Eddie Jones is hoping to turn uncapped lock Maro Itoje into a “BMW”, with the Saracens man set to see action in Rome tomorrow.