There will be a time, hopefully in the not too distant future when rugby’s administrators will look back on the decision to shut down their sport due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic as the easy part, writes Simon Lewis.

The European Champions Cup quarter-finals have been postponed, with Leinster and Ulster among the clubs to be hit by rugby's latest cancellation.

Earlier in the week, new head coach Andy Farrell made the point that he wanted his Irish team to stand for something.

Tadhg Furlong is nominated for the third year in a row.

Eoghan Barrett made an instant impact on his professional debut with Pau.

Cork's Eoghan Barrett is set for his European rugby debut with French club Pau.

Connacht’s survival hopes in the Heineken Champions Cup may depend on a superb home record which has seen them lose just one of 14 games at the Sportsground in Europe in the past five years.

Seven tries to one. A 27-point differential. This Pool 1 Heineken Champions Cup encounter turned into a rout but Leinster were just three points to the good when Jonathan Sexton went down in the tackle four minutes after half-time.

Andy Friend’s Connacht can knock down another barrier in Gloucester tomorrow and in the process take a big step towards a new milestone as they continue to grow impressively under the Australian.

Sometimes it's the words that don't pass a player's lips that stand out.

No team in Europe has played as many matches in the Challenge Cup as Connacht

Conor Fitzgerald says he hasn’t looked back since resurrecting his career with Connacht after being let go from the Munster academy 18 months ago.

Ireland U20 out-half Ben Healy will make his Munster senior debut tomorrow night as Johann van Graan opts for wholesale changes for the PRO14 visit of Edinburgh to Cork.

Ulster will be without Will Addison for their back-to-back Heineken Champions Cup games with Harlequins.

It’s amazing how quickly something can turn for a player and when Conor Fitzgerald was let go from the Munster academy 18 months ago the last thing on his mind would have been lighting up the home of Toulouse with an awesome display in the Heineken Champions Cup.

As he prepares to lead Ulster out at home for the first time since taking over as captain, Iain Henderson has a vision of what he wants.

At the risk of redefining the delusional practice of clutching at straws, perhaps there is something to be said after all for making an early exit from the World Cup.

The text message came through on Billy Burns’ phone seconds after the draw was made.

The Irish provincial video analysts will be busily plugging into footage of the French Top 14 ahead of this season’s European Champions Cup. All four representatives have been handed French assignments over the next three months - with Connacht getting a double helping.

Simon Lewis previews the 20 teams aiming for glory as the Champions Cup kicks off this weekend.

Saracens could face another punishment after failing to send any representatives to the Heineken Champions Cup launch.

The final hour is at hand for Ireland’s show jumpers to deliver their country out of the Olympic wilderness. Not since Athens 2004 has Ireland qualified a show jumping team for the Games, and tomorrow sees the Irish riders embark on their last chance to make Tokyo 2020.

Limerick’s team spirt proved key as the Munster champions beat Courtown to set up the chance of All Ireland glory at Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort today.

La Rochelle have lost on all 16 of their visits to Clermont in the club's history.

Ireland's three semi-finalists were defeated at Henley Royal Regatta this afternoon.

Munster’s new-look brains trust will have little time to brace for their first intensive exam on the back of a Heineken Champions Cup draw in Lausanne yesterday which did the province few favours.

Munster have been left holding the short straw for next season's Heineken Champions Cup with the two-time champions plunged into the clichéd 'Pool of Death' after Wednesday's draw in Lausanne.

Ronan O'Gara could be a step closer to a return to the French Top 14.

Dig around through the entrails of Leinster’s last ten years of European triumphs and there are surprisingly few threads connecting them all.

History will be in the air when Leinster face Saracens in tomorrow's Heineken Champions Cup final in Newcastle, but Leo Cullen won't feel the need to highlight the drive for five when he addresses his players before kick-off at St James' Park.

Gordon D’Arcy remembers when angst was the daily diet in Dublin.

Connacht scrum-half Caolin Blade says having Champions Cup rugby wrapped up for next season is a huge boost but they are determined to have a right crack at finishing this campaign with silverware.

Mark McCall made a record-breaking start to his first crack at the European Cup as head coach of Ulster. He responded by resigning.

Former Ireland team manager Michael Kearney has been appointed to the board of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR).

Connacht’s play-off drive in the PRO14 has been handed a big boost with the return of out-half Jack Carty to training in time for this weekend’s clash with Zebre following an arm injury.

Four stunning quarter-finals, three of which were decided by a single score, made for a sensational weekend of Champions Cup rugby.

Connacht’s focus for the remainder of the season will be trying to claim a knockout spot in the PRO14 and a place in next season’s Champions Cup but they will be disappointed to bow out of the Challenge Cup without firing a decent shot.

Sale Sharks 20 Connacht 10

Bundee Aki has returned to the Connacht starting team for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Sale Sharks tomorrow night.

French referees will take charge of the Irish provinces' Champions and Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Connacht coach Andy Friend says they must park their European Challenge Cup quarter-final qualification and the call-up of half-a-dozen of his squad for Six Nations duty and concentrate on a crunch PRO14 clash in Cardiff on Saturday.

Jack Carty crowned a glorious week as he celebrating his call-up to the Irish squad by scoring the match-winning try three minutes from time to send Connacht into the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

Head coach Andy Friend says he has no fears about Connacht being turned into a development province after it emerged Cian Kelleher is returning to Leinster after three seasons at the Sportsground.

Leinster have been keen to get something across this week.