New Zealand and South Africa have won five of the eight Rugby World Cup titles between them. Ahead of the semi-finals — and a potential NZ v SA final — Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh sat down with Munster duo, Kiwi Alby Mathewson and Springbok Arno Botha, to talk World Cups, Test dreams, beer and chocolate.

Fifteen minutes after hanging up, Allister Coetzee rings back, eager to share one last thought.

A fifth win for Leinster tomorrow will make them the most successful side in the history of the competition.

Johann van Graan gave no indication about the quality of his Sunday night’s sleep but given the Munster boss watched a playback of Saracens’ seven-try demolition of Glasgow Warriors before bedtime, a fit of the night terrors would have been understandable.

It would have been very easy for Schalk Burger to call it a day in 2016.

Few games present themselves on a canvas decorated with such broad and simplistic brush strokes as Sunday’s meeting between Leinster and Saracens.

Saracens back row Schalk Burger has been cited for dangerous play at a ruck during Saturday’s Champions Cup victory over Northampton.

Munster 51 - Cheetahs 18: Munster coach Rassie Erasmus has warned against reading too much into the province’s eight try-rout of his native Toyota Cheetahs in a hopelessly one-sided Guinness PRO14 game at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Jacques Nienaber has rejected criticism of Munster’s Champions Cup semi-final performance against Saracens a fortnight ago, insisting the province was beaten simply by “a better plan”.

I have always believed that the announcement of the 2009 Lions squad to tour South Africa, eleven days before that epic Heineken Cup semi-final between Munster and Leinster in front of 82,000 people at Croke Park, played a key role in the southern province’s demise that day, writes Donal Lenihan.

Michael Moynihan looks back on the past month’s big GAA news...

After the sobering sight of four World Cup semi-finalists coming from the southern hemisphere, last weekend offered a glimmer of hope for European rugby. The question now is, was it an aberration or a line in the sand?

In a team chock full of legends, Beauden Barrett may still have junior status but he has been an All Black long enough to know that to retain the World Cup this Saturday, they will have to go back to square one.

South Africa 34 Scotland 16: Stand-off Duncan Weir hopes his stunning second-half burst against South Africa on Saturday will help seal his place in coach Vern Cotter’s plans as Scotland look to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals.

To qualify for selection on Donal Lenihan’s best ever World Cup XV, the players had to have at least one winner’s medal in the pocket

The Scots went to some trouble to make Richie McCaw feel at home at Murrayfield, unearthing evidence placing his ancestors from the same county as Robbie Burns, Bill Shankly and Robert the Bruce.

England 28 South Africa 31

South Africa have recalled World Cup winners JP Pietersen and Schalk Burger among five changes for Saturday’s QBE International against England at Twickenham.

Not a move endorsed by Julie Andrews, never mind rehearsed on the training field under the watchful eye of Joe Schmidt, but let’s start at the very end, writes Enda McEvoy. 

Everybody loves to see the schoolyard bully getting a bloody nose now and again and that’s exactly what happened when South Africa pitched up at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Coach Heyneke Meyer has announced the South African team that will play Ireland in Dublin on Saturday in the first of Ireland’s Autumn rugby internationals.

The three key battles that will decide the Guinness Series opener

South Africa flanker Schalk Burger is set to miss the three-Test series against England next month due to a knee injury.

HE’S a powerful back-row and an explosive runner who has become a cult figure among his supporters and the subject of tribute videos on the internet.

IRELAND, England, Wales and Scotland’s players have been snubbed by the IRB for the Player of the Year award.

South Africa 9 Australia 11

SEAN O’BRIEN put an end to any doubts he couldn’t be moulded into an effective openside flanker about the same time as he was busy knocking Australia out of shape last Saturday in Auckland.

South Africa 49 Fiji 3

THERE are so many talking points since the commencement of the World Cup that it is difficult to know where to begin.

South Africa coach Peter De Villiers will rely on the core of the squad that became world champions four years ago after naming his 30-man World Cup squad tonight.

THE three southern hemisphere giants step up their World Cup preparations with the start of the Tri Nations this weekend — but the tournament is unlikely to prove an accurate guide as to who will lift the William Webb Ellis trophy in Auckland in October.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has named a severely weakened 27-man squad for the away leg of their Tri Nations campaign due to injuries suffered by a host of key players.

South Africa have called Sharks back-rower Jean Deysel into their World Cup training squad to provide injury cover.

JEAN DE VILLIERS is interested in returning to Munster after this year’s World Cup.

South Africa have named seven uncapped players in a 51-man squad called up for a team planning session in Cape Town next month ahead of the World Cup and international season.

WE HAVE a lot to be grateful to Scotland for. Had they not beaten South Africa in Murrayfield last Saturday week, both the Springboks and New Zealand would return home from their respective tours of the four home unions with a clean sweep.

France number eight Imanol Harinordoquy is the only player from the northern hemisphere to make the six-man shortlist revealed today for the International Rugby Board’s Player of the Year award.

Luke Fitzgerald is thrilled to be back playing for Ireland after fighting back from a career threatening injury to the lateral collateral ligament of his left knee while playing against Australia last year.

Peter de Villiers admitted he had little choice when selecting his South Africa team for their Grand Slam tour opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

South Africa coach Peter De Villiers has announced his side that will face Ireland in the opening game of the 2010 Guinness series at the Aviva stadium on Saturday.

Victor Matfield admits the recent spate of injuries that has struck South Africa is far from ideal, but is adamant the squad has enough depth to overcome Ireland.

IT IS somewhat unfortunate that the ongoing saga about the IRFU ticketing policy has overshadowed the return of international rugby to its traditional home in Lansdowne Road.

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney yesterday refused to be drawn into the IRFU ticketing debate but said his side has a bigger responsibility than ever to perform, no matter how many people turn up at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday.

Prop Gurthro Steenkamp has been named the South African Player of the Year for 2010.