The IRFU performance director delivered his report yesterday into how and why Ireland underperformed in Japan

The ad ran ahead of Ireland's Six Nations with England in February and referenced the British occupation of Ireland.

“New Zealand are not the standout like years gone by. South Africa are now; I think we all had that feeling, it was coming, at the right time. Just because I know (Michael) Cheika, Australia will get their act together but there is only so much they can do and they have a lot of issues.

Having established that today’s summer showdown at Twickenham is about as far removed from a “warm-up” as a summer showdown can be, both the English and Irish camps have also made clear that this is a Test match that dare not be treated in isolation of the bigger picture.

Rory Best is on the final stretch of a journey that began almost 14 years ago, but the events of the next few months will go a long way towards shaping how the Ireland captain will look back on his distinguished international career.

Devin Toner's injury problems are behind him with the Ireland lock declaring himself fit and ready to go as Joe Schmidt's squad ramps up its World Cup preparations.

He's not the only big name to miss out in a reshuffled squad.

This weekend Ireland’s show jumping team face their second of four Nations Cup qualifiers when they travel to the Baltic venue of Sopot for the Nations Cup of Poland.

Leo Cullen believes every one of the 15 Leinster players who featured in Ireland’s disappointing Six Nations campaign will feel they have a point to prove when the province faces Ulster in a Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final on Saturday evening.

Andy Farrell will begin his reign as Ireland boss with a Six Nations clash with Scotland at the Aviva.

Joey Carbery has emerged as a major doubt for Munster’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final at Edinburgh Rugby in 11 days after returning from Ireland’s Six Nations camp.

The Ireland Women's worst Six Nations finish since 2006 was confirmed by a poor 24-5 defeat to a young Wales side who were clinical with their scoring opportunities as they concluded the Championship on a real high at Cardiff Arms Park.

Joe Schmidt believes that his Ireland team has got its mojo back but the head coach has added the rider that the last Six Nations appointment of the year, away to Cardiff next Saturday, will be a much more complicated affair.

Conor Murray's form has not been at its usual elevated levels since his return from injury late last year but Ireland assistant coach Richie Murphy believes his teammates need to do more to help the scrum-half return to his best.

The battered champions will be wincing through their pain today at a pearl of wisdom first spoken by an Anglo-Irishman just before he won the world heavyweight title: “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

The uncapped Linda Djougang, Anne Marie O'Hora and Kathryn Dane are also included on the bench.

England defence coach John Mitchell stoked the fires ahead of their trip to Dublin this Saturday by claiming that the defending Guinness Six Nations champions will “try and bore the shit out of us” at Aviva Stadium.

Bundee Aki says he can see a lot of similarities between this season and Connacht’s glorious march to silverware in 2016 as he prepares for his second Six Nations campaign.

Leinster’s run-in to the weekend’s crucial Heineken Champions Cup clash with Toulouse at the RDS got off to a worrying start yesterday with news that Jonathan Sexton is a serious doubt.

Alan Quinlan is "very excited" for the Andy Farrell era, as the IRFU revealed the successor to outgoing head coach Joe Schmidt.

The annual German equestrian festival at Aachen takes centre stage this week with Ireland contesting the showjumping nations cup and dressage rider Judy Reynolds making a long-awaited return to action with her Olympic horse Vancouver K.

Joe Schmidt described choosing the 32 players he will take to Australia next month as the most difficult process of his tenure as Ireland head coach but it is clear he has selected a squad with a series victory over the Wallabies at the top of his priority list.

Johann van Graan is hoping he will be able to call on reinforcements for Munster’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final at Leinster in 12 days with the return of key players from injury.

Keith Earls was crowned Munster Player of the Year yesterday but said he would gladly swap his prize for team silverware at the end of the season.

A Six Nations standout, All-Ireland winner, GAA All-Star, and an International Rules debutant are sprinkled among a stellar collection of 11 sporting talents to be recognised for their achievements in the past year by UCC this evening.

Charlie and his appearances on the Champs Elysee in 1987 and at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico three years later, writes Brendan O’Brien. 

Jacob Stockdale was just 13 years of age when he saw his Ireland heroes claim Ireland’s Grand Slam of 2009.

“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.

Stephen Barry is joined by Mikie Sheehan, Steve Neville and Rob McNamara to crouch, bind and set-tle the debate around Joe Schmidt's away-day failures in the Six Nations.

Munster prop Dave Kilcoyne looks set to miss Ireland’s opening two games of the NatWest 6 Nations but Joe Schmidt is confident Ulster wing Jacob Stockdale will return to training by the end of the week.

And so it begins. There was a new venue in west London yesterday as the self-styled Rugby’s Greatest Championship was rechristened the NatWest 6 Nations to reflect the updated title sponsor.

Ireland’s record in Paris means the squad will be on its guard when they travel there next month, but Sean O’Brien has no qualms about admitting that Joe Schmidt’s side should be winning in the Stade de France if they are to be the team they aspire to be.

Ronan O’Gara believes the pressure will be on Munster to deliver the goods tomorrow night, when they welcome Leicester Tigers to Thomond Park for their latest encounter in Pool Four of the European Rugby Champions Cup (kick-off 7.45pm).

Forget Willie Le Roux’s swan dive non-try, the celebration of the day in Aviva Stadium on Saturday was Fergus McFadden’s.

Good news on the Jonathan Sexton fitness front this afternoon and, though he will certainly start in the Six Nations against the French this Saturday if that continues, the gap between the Leinster ten and Ulster’s Paddy Jackson has narrowed appreciably.

Here's your evening bulletin.

Having not competed at the top level since last year, Greg Broderick and MHS Going Global laid down a late marker for Olympic selection yesterday, producing a double clear to help Ireland win the Furusiyya Series nations cup in a rain-soaked St Gallen, Switzerland.

A former Irish captain, who demanded high standards and wasn’t content for things to be run in a haphazard fashion — Roy Keane wasn’t the only panellist to fit this description at the Bord Gáis Energy ‘Winning in Business’ forum.