Shane Horgan believes Brian O’Driscoll may yet continue his love affair with rugby after he hangs up his boots, despite the Ireland centre’s continued assertions he is unlikely to seek a coaching role.

All week now, the Ireland coaches and players have been running around their team base in Kildare with the metaphorical fire extinguishers, dousing any talk of Triple Crowns or, heaven forbid, a Grand Slam.

It’s funny the things you remember.

Triple Crowns weren’t high on the agenda when Jonathan Sexton began life as an international but the Racing Metro out-half would dearly love to claim the honour when Ireland face England at Twickenham on Saturday week.

We plot Brian O’Driscoll’s incredible Six Nations journey.

From mediocrity to systems failure and, finally, heroism.

Brian O’Driscoll is to be awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin early next year.

If Brian O’Driscoll had a euro for every time his try against Australia in Brisbane 12 years ago has been replayed, discussed or even mentioned in passing, Ireland may have been better placed going to him for a bailout than the Troika.

Ireland 13 France 13

Warren Gatland looks set to be confirmed next month as head coach of the 2013 British and Irish Lions.

WE may be immersed in the Christmas break but for the players and management of the provincial sides, it represents one of the busiest periods of the year.

CALL it karma, call it coincidence, call it the circularity of history, but if anyone in the FAI was tuned in last weekend for Wales versus Ireland in the Rugby World Cup, their hearts must have skipped a beat when Shane Williams touched down for that crucial early try. And we don’t mean skipped in a bad way.

O2 has today extended its partnership arrangement with the Irish Rugby Football Union to 2016.

GARRYOWEN RFC coach Paul Cunningham yesterday claimed that the IRFU have misinterpreted his views on the current debate amongst top clubs with the way the domestic game is being run.

A NOTHER high profile rugby figure yesterday slammed the IRFU’s treatment of club rugby.

FROM one Lions fly-half to another, Neil Jenkins paid tribute to Ronan O’Gara as he prepared to join his Welsh star in the 1,000-point club.

Ronan O’Gara has been hailed as “a legend of the game” as he prepares to join an exclusive club in Test match rugby.

BACK to square one, with a platinum edge. If Ireland’s golden generation are to score their country’s first victory over New Zealand tomorrow evening, Declan Kidney has decided it will be done with the majority of the side that misfired against South Africa a fortnight ago.

IRELAND manager Paul McNaughton does not believe that the national rugby team have lost the backing of their supporters, despite Saturday’s disappointing turnout at the Aviva Stadium.

Former Ireland full back Girvan Dempsey will be inducted into the Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Hall of Fame, joining other greats such as Mick Galwey, Anthony Foley, David Humphreys and Keith Wood.

SHAME on us as a sporting nation.

Brian O’Driscoll admits Scotland will be desperate to ruin the Croke Park farewell party when Ireland bring down the curtain on their RBS 6 Nations campaign tomorrow.

Brian O’Driscoll insists Ireland must never feel indifferent towards the Triple Crown even though they litter the champions’ recent past.

Declan Kidney insists it would be “huge” to mark the end of Ireland’s residency at Croke Park by claiming the Triple Crown.

ULSTER Rugby have resisted the temptation to appoint from overseas in their search to replace Matt Williams, plumping for home-grown candidate, Brian McLaughlin.

BRIAN O’Driscoll tried his hardest yesterday to claim “nothing has changed from last week” as he prepared to lead Ireland to a potential Grand Slam at the Millennium Stadium.

Peter Stringer believes Ireland are better equipped to claim the Grand Slam in 2009 than for their failed attempt six years ago.

JAMIE HEASLIP insists Ireland won’t be undone by Grand Slam hype as they prepare for their trip to Scotland later this month.

FRANK HADDEN has lauded the impact former Ireland defence coach Graham Steadman has made on Scottish fortunes, saying the former rugby league star’s work will pay “rich dividends” in this year’s Six Nations.

IRELAND set out on the hunt for more silverware today bidding to extend their amazing run of international golf success.

Eoin Reddan is thrilled by the idea of Pat Howard becoming the next Ireland coach after looking to Wales for inspiration on what a new management team can achieve.

Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel will start in the half-backs against Italy a week on Saturday after Wales head coach Warren Gatland made six changes to the side that beat Scotland.

Brian O’Driscoll believes Ireland are underachieving and their recent string of Triple Crowns is an unacceptable return.

FORMER Ireland captain Terry Kingston welcomed aspects of the Genesis report, which looked into Ireland’s under-performance at Rugby World Cup 2007, and wasn’t overly critical by any lack of transparency of the IRFU statement.

Ireland, seeking a hat-trick of Triple Crowns next season, will start their RBS 6 Nations campaign at home to Italy on February 2, but then tackle holders France in Paris seven days later.

FOR ALL kinds of reasons, Saturday’s victory over England will live in the memory for a long, long time.

Denis Leamy has revealed England were victims of a ferocious backlash as Ireland sought to ease the pain of their sickening defeat to France.

Eddie O'Sullivan basked in the glory of Ireland's stunning autumn double over the southern hemisphere and declared: "It's right to feel giddy."

AHEAD of today’s opening duel with France in the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Canada, there is a sense of unity, purpose and burning ambition among the Ireland squad that they can finish the tournament with a top six ranking.

THE well held view that Malcolm O’Kelly only plays to his full potential when the mood is on him appears to carry some substance.

MARCUS HORAN will be given the all clear when results of an x-ray in St Vincent’s Hospital are revealed to the Irish management this morning.

IRISH eyes are on the Triple Crown. The Six Nations Championship title is the bonus that coach Eddie O’Sullivan and captain Brian O’Driscoll seek but dare not dream of.