Nick Easter believes England lost their identity during the World Cup and welcomes the intent of new head coach Eddie Jones to devise a game-plan founded on traditional Red Rose strengths.

Rugby World Cup Pool D

The opening act of Ireland’s World Cup Pool D campaign was brought to a neat conclusion in north London last night - now is the time to move into the meat of the drama.

Today

Paul O’Connell’s glorious Munster career will end in the next eight days — and he will play his final Thomond Park game tomorrow, sources have revealed to the Irish Examiner.

Conor O’Shea is not interested in succeeding Matt O’Connor as Leinster’s head coach, according to sources close to Harlequins’ Director of Rugby.

Leinster 14 Harlequins 13

The last time Nick Easter walked onto the pitch at the Aviva Stadium was in 2011, and England looked on the cusp of a first Six Nations Grand Slam for eight years.

There was just over an hour to go to kick-off at The Stoop last Sunday, but Daniel Hudson was leaning on a piece of pricey-looking equipment like it was a trusty ledge in his favourite pub and exuding the calm of a man without a care in the world.

England captain Chris Robshaw has been ruled out of Harlequins’ European Rugby Champions Cup match against Leinster on Saturday and will see a specialist to examine his shoulder injury.

Stuart Lancaster has no qualms about picking Anthony Watson on the right wing for tomorrow’s QBE International against South Africa and believes he is ready for his first Test start.

Criticism has been an all too regular companion for Conor O’Shea over the last two months.

Guinness Pro12 title holders Leinster will entertain Wasps in round one, the London club having qualified through the new play-off system at the end of last term.

England 42 Ireland 15

Harlequins 17 Racing Metro 3

The Munster Rugby Awards luncheon returned to Cork on Friday when a number of clubs throughout the province were rewarded for their efforts with Kanturk RFC proving the most vocal and well represented.

Munster head coach Rob Penney revealed last night that he believes Ronan O’Gara will have a pivotal role to play if the two-time Heineken Cup champions are to upset the odds and beat ASM Clermont Auvergne in Montpellier today.

Harlequins have launched an investigation after claiming “many” of their supporters sold tickets to rival Munster fans for last Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final at the Twickenham Stoop.

Indisputably, this was up there with the very best that Munster have achieved in their rich and storied relationship with the Heineken Cup.

Doug Howlett says it’s crucial that Munster put to bed the dismal Rabo Direct Pro 12 loss to Glasgow last weekend.

Conor O’Shea today removed himself from the running to become Ireland’s next head coach by confirming his intention to continue as Harlequins’ director of rugby.

England coach Stuart Lancaster will this morning confirm his starting line-up for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations game against Ireland in Dublin – and he is expected to keep changes to a minimum.

Don’t for a minute underestimate the value of Munster’s Heineken Cup win over Racing Metro on Sunday.

Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Harlequins will be played at The Stoop.

Harlequins 47 Connacht 8

Shaun Edwards believes Warren Gatland’s absence has hit Wales hard as the head coach returns to take charge following demoralising defeats to Argentina and Samoa.

England full-back Alex Goode described Charlie Hodgson as the best fly-half in the Premiership after watching him orchestrate Saracens’ 30-13 Heineken Cup victory over Racing Metro on Saturday.

Within minutes of this season’s Heineken Cup draw, Harlequins’ director of rugby Conor O’Shea was on the phone to his Connacht counterpart and former Irish team-mate Eric Elwood claiming this third successive meeting in Europe had a touch of inevitability about it.

Zebre 10 Connacht 19

Dean Richards vowed he will never cross the line again as he prepares to return to rugby after serving a three-year Bloodgate ban.

England have been forced into a change for this weekend’s third Test against South Africa after prop Alex Corbisiero suffered a recurrence of a knee injury.

England will field a completely changed side in their tour match against South Africa’s Southern Barbarians in Kimberley on Wednesday.

Ireland U20s captain Niall Scannell warned his Junior World Championship giantkillers that this week’s upset of South Africa will count for nothing against England this evening.

English clubs go missing again...

We’ve forgotten about it while they laugh about it now but back when Conor O’Shea was playing, an unimpressed George Hook publicly touted the theory that O’Shea must have been the subject of a frontal lobotomy, such was the poverty of his vision and decision-making.

England’s interim head coach Stuart Lancaster will name at least eight uncapped players in his 22-man squad to face Scotland in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown.

Connacht 9 Harlequins 8

Conor O’Shea has warned that Harlequins’ stunning Heineken Cup victory over Toulouse “counts for nothing” unless they back it up by beating Gloucester tomorrow.

NORTHAMPTON produced a disciplined and ruthless performance to defeat Aviva Premiership leaders Harlequins and record their seventh win in their last eight outings.

DANNY CARE will be excluded from England’s Six Nations squad after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

SCARLETS number eight Ben Morgan could be in line for an immediate England call-up after turning down the chance to play for Wales.

DEFIANT Saracens ruined Harlequins’ record-breaking Christmas party and ended their unbeaten start to the Aviva Premiership season with a ferocious defensive performance at sold-out Twickenham.