Rory Best says he hopes to play in the Barbarians’ next two games after captaining the side on his debut at Twickenham on Saturday.

Sacked on the back of England’s dismal World Cup showing on home soil in 2015, the Leinster senior coach now finds himself implicated, indirectly, in Ireland’s tortured 2019 campaign which was brought to a limp end by the All Blacks in Tokyo.

Head coach Eddie Jones will face a decision about his long-term England future after the 32-12 World Cup final defeat against South Africa.

Rory Best will take to the pitch for one last time as he was announced as part of the Barbarians squad to face Fiji.

The Springboks are used to being the pantomime villains of world rugby. Their bruising style, proclivity for controversy and yes, success, make them a team everybody loves to hate.

Rob Kearney has agreed a “nine-month extension” to his IRFU contract and will play with Leinster next season.

Gareth Thomas had to stop and gather himself more than once today. His voice faltered. It choked with emotion. Who knows how many times his nerves were betrayed by an subconscious impulse to tug at his right ear?

Glasgow Warriors “know what not to do” as they prepare for Friday’s PRO14 semi-final visit of Ulster, says assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys.

The Otago player has Super Rugby experience with the Highlanders and just joint-second top try scorer in the premier club competition in the southern hemisphere in 2016.

It’s a big evening on the channel that used to be TV3 — Virgin Media One, in case you weren’t sure (and for the record I wasn’t, not fully).

The perils of having a large extended family are becoming all too apparent to Bundee Aki as he tries to wrangle enough tickets for his Australia-based kinfolk to watch Ireland take on the Wallabies over the next three weeks.

Worcester centre Ben Te'o has been ruled out of England's three-Test South Africa tour.

Ollie Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster and Irish Triple Crown hero, British and Irish Lion in 1983)

Johann van Graan has signalled his intent to make Munster a more dynamic attacking force next season with the signing of Irish-qualified Sale Sharks full-back Mike Haley.

Haley is Irish-qualified through his maternal grandmother, who hails from Tralee, Co Kerry.

Mike Haley has an Irish grandmother but played twice for the England Saxons.

"I’ve been so proud to be part of it all, but every journey sadly must come to an end."

Key Munster players Keith Earls and James Cronin are unlikely to play any rugby for the remainder of 2017.

Jordi Murphy couldn’t get down the road to Limerick quickly enough.

Tonga rugby players must be ardently hoping that they never again encounter the conditions prevailing at Thomond Park last night.

France have named inexperienced half-back duo Anthony Belleau and Antoine Dupont in the starting XV to face New Zealand tomorrow.

Munster props James Cronin and Brian Scott, Connacht second-row Quinn Roux and Leinster’s Jordi Murphy make their first starts in the famous colours of the Barbarians who face Tonga at Thomond Park tonight (7.30pm).

The prospect of playing for the Barbarians against Tonga tomorrow night and in the same side as Donncha O’Callaghan is helping Munster’s James Cronin forget the injuries that have plagued and seriously damaged his career — with the prop now hopeful better times must surely lie ahead.

South Africa scrum coach Matt Proudfoot continued where his boss left off by heaping praise on Ireland yesterday.

The battle for supremacy over the Springboks will extend all the way to the pre- and post-match functions at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, writes Donal Lenihan.

Rory Best believes Ireland’s meticulous player management should stop many more top stars following Simon Zebo’s lead in moving to France for next season.

Warren Gatland insisted there were plenty of positives for the tourists to take forward in tougher games after struggling to a narrow opening-game victory against the Provincial Barbarians today.

Warren Gatland’s British & Irish Lions could be about to surprise a few sceptics in New Zealand over the next six weeks.

Munster and Irish second row forward, Donncha O'Callaghan has been announced as May’s ‘Cork Person of the Month’.

Ulster 17 Leinster 13: Thankfully it wasn’t all about the game itself on a bright summer’s day at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday. At least two stand-out moments came from the two Ulster players who were bidding farewell to a venue they had graced on numerous occasions.

Luke Fitzgerald has taken a vocal stance against the IRFU’s policy of recruiting ‘special project’ players to the detriment of native Irish players’ international chances.

Munster have added Rhys Marshall, Thomas du Toit and Cathal Sheridan to their squad.

Donncha O’Callaghan has admitted lining out for Worcester Warriors against Munster on Friday was one of the most ‘emotional’ nights of an incredible career.

Rassie Erasmus has given Munster’s young midfield hopefuls two pre-season games to stake their claim to a starting place for the new campaign before looking to bring in a more experienced replacement for long-term injury victim Francis Saili.

The lack of major one-off events, such as big European Rugby Cup matches and Bruce Springsteen concerts, resulted in operating profits halving at the company which owns Thomond Park.

Ulster aim to avoid looking over their shoulders when they face Ospreys tomorrow afternoon in the final league weekend of the Guinness PRO12 season.

MUNSTER SELECTION

Eddie Jones has been tasked with resurrecting England’s fortunes after the Australian last night agreed a deal to replace Stuart Lancaster.

Earlier in this year this column spoke to Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, former Kerry captain and manager, ahead of the marriage referendum. He was insightful and passionate, articulate and convincing: himself, in other words.