France 41 Canada 18: Another comfortable margin on the scoreboard for France, but doubts hang over Philippe Saint-Andre’s side ahead of their final Pool D encounter with Ireland on Sunday week after a workmanlike defeat of Canada in stadium:mk last night.

Strategically speaking, Ireland were as impressive as any nation in the first round of games, writes Ronan O’Gara

In his exclusive online column Ronan O’Gara reflects on the opening weekend of Rugby World Cup 2015?

Their time together in the Ireland team may have been limited to just 15 prior appearances but Keith Earls and Luke Fitzgerald will be delighted if tomorrow’s meeting with Canada goes as well as their first joint-venture against the Canucks.

Tyler Ardron has urged Canada to relish their chance to lock horns with a true rugby great when they face Paul O’Connell and Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday.

Joe Schmidt fears Canada could prove “an incredible banana skin” for an Ireland side chasing their best-ever World Cup return.

HIS mother thinks he’s just ‘a little too human’. His brother believes he’s the ‘white Obama’. His supporters call themselves Ford Nation. Will the real Rob Ford please stand up?

Ireland's 15-6 victory over Australia has seen them move up two places to sixth in the IRB World Rankings as Australia drop one place to third.

France 46 Canada 19

HT: France 19 Canada 10

Tonga 20 Canada 25

Angry ice hockey fans have run wild after the Vancouver Canucks lost the sport’s showpiece finale, the Stanley Cup.

THE mere mention of Georgia is enough to conjure up recurring nightmares for Irish rugby followers who witnessed the lowest ranked side at the 2007 World Cup come within minutes of beating Ireland in the pool stages on a balmy evening in Bordeaux almost two years ago.

Ireland A were forced to come from behind late on to beat Canada 30-19 in their group match at the Churchill Cup in Denver.

LEINSTER’S Heineken Cup hero, Jonathan Sexton, is a notable absentee from the Ireland A side that faces Canada in the 2009 Churchill Cup at Denver, Colorado tomorrow (4.30pm local time, 11.30pm Irish time).

Ireland coach Declan Kidney was able to reflect on a few positives after seeing his side stutter to a 25-6 win over Canada in their summer tour opener in Vancouver.

Canada 6 Ireland 25

Jerry Flannery has been ruled out of the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa after suffering a chipped bone in his left elbow, the team management confirmed tonight.

Wales flanker Dafydd Jones believes the RBS 6 Nations champions may have underestimated Canada after their thrashing at the hands of Ireland last weekend.

Declan Kidney’s reign as Ireland coach began in predictably convincing fashion as hapless Canada were swept aside at Thomond Park.

The Declan Kidney era began at a damp and blustery Thomond Park as Ireland looked to open their autumn series with a convincing victory over Canada.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll believes new coach Declan Kidney has put the “buzz” back into the national team.

DEEP DOWN, Ireland’s new coach Declan Kidney knows that nothing less than a decisive Irish victory over Canada in the first of the three Guinness November internationals at Thomond Park this evening will herald the end of the honeymoon era of his leadership, almost before it has begun.

Canada 12 Japan 12

Gloucester-bound flanker Akapusi Qera has been passed fit to start for Fiji in Sunday’s World Cup clash with Canada in Cardiff.

Fiji won the first Adelaide Sevens beating Samoa 21-7 in the final to stretch their lead to 10 points over their closest rivals in the race to the IRB Sevens World Series crown.

Canada 24 Tonga 7

Perpignan are set to be without former Irish Schools forward Phil Murphy for the next fortnight after a calf injury, although the Catalans insist he should be ready for the Heineken Cup Final in Dublin on May 24 against Toulouse.

Canada cruised to a 51-16 victory over Uruguay to move a step closer to qualifying for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Canada 26 Scotland 23