It was an historic win inspired by and dedicated to an iconic captain and manager.

How does New Zealand remain at such an imperious level from season to season, asks Ronan O'Gara.

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen believes his all-conquering side cannot afford to let their standards slip at Soldier Field tomorrow if the world champions are to secure a 19th successive victory with a win over Ireland.

He’s not an All Black anymore but Dan Carter’s still got it.

After six weeks, Saturday will see the conclusion of the Rugby World Cup.

The Rugby World Cup may be over for Ireland but there are still the semi-finals to look forward to.

IT wasn’t a funereal atmosphere on the ferry on Sunday, but it was sad and solemn. 

THERE was a strange moment during the last 10 minutes of the Ireland-England rugby match last weekend. England were attacking the Irish line. It was a situation for phrases that evoke warfare: ‘battering’, ‘pummelling’, ‘last-ditch effort’, ‘holding on grimly’ and ‘Paul O’Connell’.

A word to the wise: The final say on sport in 2014

Joe Schmidt has said he is confident that the players who are returning from injury will be able for the rigours of Saturday’s huge game against South Africa.

Rob Kearney says fly-half Handré Pollard is the driving force behind South Africa’s recent successes.

Coach Heyneke Meyer has announced the South African team that will play Ireland in Dublin on Saturday in the first of Ireland’s Autumn rugby internationals.

If you were to believe everybody who said they were there at Thomond Park on October 31, 1978 the attendance would run into the hundreds of thousands.

An admission first.

New Zealand 14 Ireland 17

An official team jersey signed by the conquering Munster team which defeated the All-Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978 is among the treasures at Fonsie Mealy’s rare books and collectors’ sale at the Clyde Court Hotel in Dublin on July 1.

6-3 was the final score when Ireland beat Italy to clinch their first ever women’s Six Nations title.

Any thoughts that Ireland’s loss to the All Blacks last month may have been some kind of moral victory have been quashed by Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt.

What a game! Yes we were beaten, but it was a narrow victory by what some suggest is the greatest rugby team the world has seen.

First things first: Sean O’Brien’s dodgy ankle isn’t so dodgy anymore.

For a full decade now, the Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy midfield axis has survived and thrived in the pell-mell that is international rugby but the durable duo are on borrowed time.

The parents of inspirational teenager Donal Walsh are determined to keep his memory alive by continuing to spread his message, which touched a chord not only in Ireland, but around the world.

Samoan international, James So’oialo, younger brother of former All-Blacks Number 8 Rodney So’oialo and former Harlequins scrum half Stephen will join Connacht this summer.

Former Irish rugby international Terry Kennedy told a judge yesterday that “two grown men had let themselves down very badly” in a sideline scuffle at a schoolboys soccer match.

In late 1988, Brian Dillons met Carrigtwohill in a Cork County U16 hurling final.

This was to be hurling’s own Rumble in the Jungle, a seismic clash of two heavyweights in the Leinster senior hurling semi-final.

Perpignan in 2003.

THIS was meant to be the game that topped the bill this weekend: a revitalised Ulster side against one of the French powerhouses with both sides gunning for the win required to take them through to the next round and leave the other scratching for a slot in the Amlin Challenge.

JAMES HORAN is asking his Mayo players to invite pressure on themselves — just as New Zealand did when they claimed the World Cup.

New Zealand 79 Canada 15

As a rather distasteful war of words continues between former Australian international Tim Horan and the Irish management in the wake of Ireland’s 15-6 triumph over the Wallabies, his fellow countryman Matt Burke has been more magnanimous in defeat.

IT is little surprise that everybody connected with Irish rugby has been breathing a sigh of relief that the November series of international matches is finally at an end.

Andrew Sheridan will return to the England front row after a 20-month absence for Saturday’s showdown with New Zealand after recovering from shoulder surger

WALES could face the full might of Australia’s All-Blacks destroyers in Cardiff on Saturday.

Scrum-half Will Genia believes Australia’s Tri-Nations campaign has laid the foundations for Robbie Deans’ men finally to beat New Zealand for the first time in over two years when they clash at Hong Kong Stadium tomorrow.

UNCLE Moss is dead.

RUGBY bosses have done a U-turn on the allocation of tickets for the autumn series of internationals following a massive public backlash.

GRAHAM HENRY expects his New Zealand side to face a much-changed South Africa one when the two countries meet in the Tri-Nations on Saturday.