As a man more than familiar with the slings and arrows that can follow even the least outrageous fortunes of professional sport, Leo Cullen is a good place to start when assessing Joe Schmidt’s legacy.

Luke McGrath insists that Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final sticking point will not taint departing head coach Joe Schmidt’s legacy.

Michael Cheika is stepping down as Australia head coach following their World Cup quarter-final exit against England.

Johnny Sexton has warned New Zealand that any repeat of their strong-arm tactics from Dublin in 2016 will lead to red cards in today’s World Cup quarter-final.

Two exceptional events today, one in Tokyo the other in London, will set the mood of the nation.

Irish Examiner rugby writers Brendan O'Brien and Simon Lewis look ahead to the World Cup quarter-final meeting with New Zealand.

Ireland are about to find out there is something radically different about the All Blacks they will face in today's World Cup quarter-final compared with the team they played last November.

Four years on from that famous defeat in Brighton, and South Africa are again playing second-fiddle to Japan.

And that includes World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, which has been stunned by the huge numbers being racked up in terms of television viewers and social media engagements as well as the good old-fashioned barometer of jersey sales.

Peter O’Mahony’s All Blacks experience has run the full spectrum of emotions in his eight years as a Test international.

Cian Healy has praised Bundee Aki’s resilience in the face of a tournament-ending suspension after the centre gave his all in Ireland’s first training session for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.

No-one could know it at the time but Ireland's relationship with the All Blacks changed irrevocably in November of 2013.

There was a time when Johnny Sexton’s schoolboy half-back partner in Japan was Vinny Hammond.

Whether you are beating the All Blacks five tries to four or grinding it out in a tight arm-wrestle, Johnny Sexton knows the common thread to Ireland’s recent successes against the best team in the world was to never switch off.

Like it or not, last weekend’s typhoon-related cancellations in the final round of World Cup pool games have given us some inequitable quarter-final match-ups in terms of preparation times for the protagonists.

Tadhg Furlong has warned that to switch off even for a second against New Zealand will cost Ireland the chance of a maiden World Cup semi-final.

Joe Schmidt is hoping Ireland’s long lead-in to their final pool game will help his team put in the performance tomorrow that will take them into the World Cup quarter-finals.

A friend texted me Wednesday night indicating France’s final World Cup Pool C game against England was going to fall victim to the typhoon hammering Japan.

Robbie Henshaw will belatedly begin his 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign against Samoa on Saturday after Ireland named a team close to full strength in their bid to qualify for the quarter-finals.

As an organising body, World Rugby haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory in this tournament to date.

Not that Ireland haven’t enough to be getting on with, but there was little evidence in Scotland’s 34-0 defeat of Samoa in Kobe today that Gregor Townsend’s men are ready to rain on Japan’s World Cup parade come their decisive Pool A clash at the World Cup on Sunday October 13th.

Hard to believe four years have elapsed since Ireland’s painful World Cup quarter final exit at the hands of Argentina in Cardiff. As Joe Schmidt enters the twilight of his spectacularly successful reign at the helm of Irish rugby, the next six weeks will shape the epilogue of a brilliant period for Irish rugby.

Jack Carty turns 27 today. He has spent a long time proving himself but it is an age since he faced a test — with a small ‘t’ — like this.

On the basis of what they showed at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick last Sunday, you’d be thinking Cork will still be hurling come August.

Whatever about the short-term objectives of winning a Test series in Australia, Saturday’s decider offers Ireland an excellent dry run for a potential World Cup quarter-final in Japan next year.

Michael Cheika may not have envied Joe Schmidt the task of telling Johnny Sexton he would be watching tomorrow’s kick-off at Suncorp Stadium from the bench but the man who made the call had no hesitation in handing Joey Carbery Ireland’s No. 10 jersey.

Fine margins, this fixture has been determined by them time and time again over the past decade and everything points to a similar scenario when Ireland and Wales lock horns once more in Dublin this afternoon.

One of the advantages of being a newcomer to this Ireland side is a lack of baggage attached to that 2015 defeat to Argentina.

Donal Lenihan examines the areas that will illuminate Ireland v Wales under Cardiff’s Friday night lights.

Australia have beaten Scotland 23-22 in their international match at Murrayfield.

After an incredible test at Soldier Field during which Ireland reached into physical and mental reserves to achieve one of the most famous of all their rugby victories, the reaction here in New Zealand is — shock horror — joy.

CJ Stander was last night handed a one-week suspension, leaving him out of this Saturday’s second Test with South Africa.

There are few more stunning backdrops to an international rugby stadium than the one that greets you on your arrival at Newlands Stadium. Nestled to the rear of the imposing, rugged features that define Table Mountain, it sets the scene perfectly for what lies ahead. This is South Africa, this is Springbok rugby.

England head coach Eddie Jones has accused Wales of scrummaging “terribly illegally” as the build-up to tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations title showdown between the arch-rivals finally ignited.

If Guy Noves has a grand plan to restore France to former glories, than the former Toulouse supremo is implementing one step and one game at a time.

Ninety-five minutes. That is all the time Ireland have had this week to prepare to face France in Paris tomorrow as they bid to get their 2016 Six Nations campaign up and running and win back-to-back in the French capital for the first time in 88 years.

When France’s new coach sets forward his plans for the national team, he does not speak of ambitions. Guy Noves has been around long enough to know he has a duty to the cause of picking up the pieces of his national team.

It is almost four months since Sean O’Brien was ruled out of Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, a retaliatory swing at Pascal Papé of France leading to his suspension for a knockout game in which Ireland were furthered hampered by injuries.

Opportunity to play for Ireland and longevity of career are the twin pillars on which Joe Schmidt appeals to his players to remain in the fold rather than follow the money overseas, and it seems Keith Earls and Conor Murray have been eager listeners.