Jack Carty stands alone among Irish goalkickers this season with not even Johnny Sexton able to keep him

Of all the drop goals in all the world, Johnny Sexton’s is destined to keep flying ever higher on its steep climb towards the heavens.

As Test match debuts go, Virimi Vakatawa’s was something special. It took the 23-year-old France winger just 14 minutes to mark his first international appearance with a try. It was a sweet score, too, stepping inside a defender to dot down for the opening try of France’s 23-21 victory over the Italians.

Previous World Cups, in soccer and in rugby, have demonstrated the dangers of bigging up teams during the pool stages, but Michael Cheika and the Wallabies have certainly earned the praise.

If you want to be realistic about it, there is little chance of us beating both France and Ireland in the space of five days

Former Munster and international back rower Alan Quinlan believes that Ireland can learn a lot of lessons from what happened in the build-up to the 2007 World Cup as they prepare for this season’s tournament.

The French will take Twickenham by storm next month for the first time since they subjected the All Blacks to the most riotous half-hour in World Cup history.

Gordon D’Arcy’s Ireland career appears at an end after the 81-cap Test veteran was excluded from Joe Schmidt’s squad for the remaining rounds of the Six Nations.

Despite all the upheaval, history has shown the Aussies are a resilient bunch.

IRB JUNIOR WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL:

Just as Brian O’Driscoll wanted to leave the international stage with a Six Nations medal around his neck, so Jonny Wilkinson has his eyes firmly focussed on a gilt-edged finale to a glittering rugby career.

Brian O’Driscoll has brought high emotion to Lansdowne Road over the past 14 years and we can expect more of the same today

The reaction over the Warren Gatland decision to drop Brian O’Driscoll was instant and dramatic, triggering mayhem, fury, disbelief.

Declan Kidney has hailed the increasing influence of Keith Earls within the Ireland squad.

As a goal-kicking Test fly-half, it is little wonder Racing-Metro head coach Gonzalo Quesada should give a nod to the most prolific number 10 in Heineken Cup history.

Munster’s list of prospective backs coaches was reduced by one yesterday after Canterbury confirmed Rob Penney’s assistant Tabai Matson had been appointed as his replacement at the New Zealand province.

The summer after his departure from Manchester United, Roy Keane gave a riveting two-hour talk to the Cork hurlers who were then bidding for a third All-Ireland in a row.

Saturday’s game against England at Twickenham will be Ireland’s 14th test game in eight months and will have a defining influence on how that period is judged.

CHRIS PATERSON will now reflect on a record-filled Scotland career after yesterday announcing his retirement from international rugby.

AS the eldest of eight children, Marc Lievremont’s robust style in coaching the French rugby squad should perhaps surprise nobody.

New Zealand 20 Australia 6

IRELAND’S current ‘golden generation’ have been challenged by Donncha O’Callaghan to earn their status with a World Cup quarter-final victory over Wales on Saturday.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has dismissed claims that his team used negative tactics and faked injuries to achieve their 15-6 World Cup win over Australia at Eden Park last weekend.

Joe Worsley is set to miss out on playing in his fourth Rugby World Cup after being cut from England's training squad.

FORMER South Africa captain Joost van der Westhuizen has been diagnosed with a form of motor neurone disease, his publicist has confirmed.

GORDON D’ARCY admits he is itching to play a competitive game of rugby now he is finally pain-free after a season of playing through injury.

MARTIN JOHNSON yesterday insisted his decision to drop Jonny Wilkinson does not signal the beginning of the end for England’s World Cup-winning fly-half.

Jonny Wilkinson has been dropped by England for only the third time in his 12-year international career.

Martin Johnson last night took a swipe at critics of England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson – and insisted the whole team must bear responsibility for the uninspiring performance against Italy.

England manager Martin Johnson today launched a vigorous defence of Jonny Wilkinson and blasted critics for working to their own agenda.

Chris Paterson today revealed he was targeting far more than 100 caps as he prepared to make yet another bit of history in a Scotland jersey.

Cricket Ireland today announced that Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin will stage the One Day International with Australia in 2010.

THERE’S been higher profile Irish exports to South Africa, but not many have made as deep an impression as Cork man Barry O’Mahony has in his 16 years in this country.

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN may be looking forward to his reunion with the Ireland team this weekend, but you can be sure he won’t be spending too much time looking back on it once his first Test match in charge of the USA is over.

FORMER France captain Fabien Pelous says he has no regrets about calling time on his illustrious career yesterday, even though his body is still telling him to play on for another few years. The Toulouse lock, who made a record 118 appearances for his country, announced he would be hanging his boots up at the end of the season.

MARTIN JOHNSON has urged England to win back the faith of the Twickenham crowd with a ferocious start and victorious finish to tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with France.

MARTIN JOHNSON believes victory over South Africa today would be a seminal moment in his quest to re-establish England as the dominant force in world rugby.

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans believes England team manager Martin Johnson has the ability to push international rugby into a new era.

Martin Johnson called on England to bring the crowd to its feet in tomorrow’s Cook Cup showdown with old enemy Australia and start rebuilding Fortress Twickenham.

Gloucester prop Christian Califano has announced he will retire at the end of the season.

HE MAY not carry as high a profile as the many other New Zealanders plying their trade in professional rugby on this side of the globe but in many ways Jason Holland is as vital a cog in the Munster machine as any player or any member of the backroom staff.

France winger Vincent Clerc is backing Christophe Dominici to end his rugby career on a high after hearing of his compatriot’s decision to quit the international stage.