In the same way that we shouldn’t have been too crestfallen by the heavy defeat in Twickenham, Ireland’s confidence-boosting win against Wales in Cardiff last weekend also needs to be put into context.

It’s impossible to get used to -2 degrees in July. Irrespective of how many years a Paddy spends in Christchurch, heading out with a couple of Crusader coaches to a Japanese restaurant dressed like a lagging jacket always seems odd.

Ronan O’Gara believes that beating the Wellington Hurricanes in the Super Rugby semi-final is a pretty straightforward proposition for his Crusaders.

Ronan O'Gara's Crusaders powered past NZ rivals the Highlanders 38-14 Friday to storm into the Super Rugby semi-finals and continue their drive to a third consecutive title.

With the kids at school on Monday, Jessica and I went walkabout to a spot intriguingly called Taylors Mistake. Apparently, a ship captain with a bottle of rum too many ran aground around Godley’s Head looking for Summer Bay.

Take a former Test player with an evolving philosophy about what it means to be a coach, send him on a mission to absorb the best a champion Super Rugby side can offer and then bring it back to an enabling environment with players just as eager to embrace anything that can help them develop their game.

This week represents a step back in time for some of Ireland’s senior players.

The possibility of Ronan O'Gara being part of France's backroom team for the 2019 World Cup has increased with French Rugby Federation sources in Paris confirmed the Munster and Ireland legend was "under consideration."

The sports editor has an interesting habit of framing questions to me in the context of ‘marks out of 10’. So, when he texted me to ask ‘accuracy marks out of 10 for that L’Equipe story’, I gave it a three.

Everything is possible. That’s all I said. The perfect sit-on-the-fence answer. Doing pitchside media Monday, somebody asked a ‘Would you consider…’ question about the All Blacks in the future.

When the clock passes midnight on New Year’s Eve, Jamison Gibson-Park will step a little closer to his dream.

Manu Tuilagi’s imminent England comeback in time to face New Zealand at Twickenham has had a calming effect on Eddie Jones’ underdogs, according to Ben Youngs.

Munster and Irish rugby was reeling last night after it was revealed that Conor Murray, one of the game’s leading scrum-halves, was ruled out of the game for the immediate future with a recurrence of a neck injury that has troubled him at times over the past few seasons.

Being back in Cork next week affords the pause and opportunity to pick the bones of a remarkable eight months here in Christchurch, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Ronan O’Gara’s Crusaders can consolidate their place on top of the Super Rugby standings when they play the Hamilton-based Chiefs in an abbreviated 16th round, before the tournament breaks for June internationals.

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

Munster expect Keith Earls to resume training this week as the province step up preparations for Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final v Racing 92 in Bordeaux.

New Zealand rugby bosses should be concerned about the loss of expertise from rugby coaches moving overseas because of limited career opportunities at home, departing Wellington Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd has warned.

Like Ronan O’Gara, Welsh rugby coach Alistair Rogers understood the maxim about travel broadening the mind, says Brendan O’Brien. 

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

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 mood in South African rugby is understandably glum after the Springboks lost 57-0 to the All Blacks at the weekend, but none of that worried Leinster backline coach Girvan Dempsey yesterday.

Jamison Gibson-Park had warned that Leinster’s trip to South Africa would make for a tricky assignment.

Jordie Barrett will make his first New Zealand start in Saturday’s Test series decider against the British and Irish Lions.

Warren Gatland has revealed the tough discussions that led to British & Irish Lions' first Test captain Peter O'Mahony being omitted completely from the second Test squad to face the All Blacks this Saturday, writes Simon Lewis.

New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has warned “the job is far from done” ahead of Saturday’s second Test against the Lions.

There is nothing worse for a player, having to answer questions about a game that you had visualised playing in for months and yet find yourself surplus to requirements, writes Donal Lenihan.

Hurricanes 31 - Lions 31: IF CJ Stander, Iain Henderson and Dan Cole had any hope of staking their claims to a place in Warren Gatland’s matchday squad for Saturday’s second Test against the All Blacks, it surely waned as the clock ticked past 75 minutes and they were still on the pitch, running themselves into the ground for the British & Irish Lions.

Rory Best refused to criticise referee Romain Poite after the British and Irish Lions were held to a 31-31 draw by the Hurricanes in Wellington.

The British and Irish Lions have drawn 31-31 with the Hurricanes in Wellington,writes Simon Lewis.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin

If things had worked out a little differently, John Plumtree might possibly still be Ireland’s forwards coach, and still accompanying Joe Schmidt on unscheduled detours on the way home from Ulster matches.

The British and Irish Lions play the final midweek game of their New Zealand tour on Tuesday when they face reigning Super Rugby champions the Hurricanes in Wellington.

The All Blacks will prepare for a greater confrontation at the breakdown, as a desperate British and Irish Lions look to level their test series, in the second match in Wellington, coach Steve Hansen has said.