When Rory Best blamed Joe Schmidt for taking too much control in 2019 — he inadvertently heaped pressure on the class of 2020. With the Kiwi out of the loop now that excuse no longer exists.

The Leinster out-half was named Ireland captain by Andy Farrell for the upcoming Six Nations, replacing Rory Best, who retired after last year’s World Cup.

Some players refuse to look beyond the next 80 minutes, the next opponent, or even the next training session.

Bob Paisley didn’t want the job of Liverpool manager in 1974.

All good things come to an end. The question, when it comes to Leinster’s current unbeaten run, is when.

The Leinster wing was among the 45 players invited to the national team’s gathering at the new training base at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown last week

Matt Faddes is one of of the few players who won’t be burdened this weekend by Ulster’s many crushing RDS defeats by Leinster.

‘Tis the season for Christmas jumpers, blue Santa hats, and Leinster at the Aviva.

Northampton has been a happy hunting ground for Leinster in the past and they have the scent of a quarter-final berth in their nostrils yet again after this impressive win.

Sometimes it's the words that don't pass a player's lips that stand out.

Leinster have enjoyed some great days at the expense of Northampton Saints but Leo Cullen has learned to approach games against the English club with his eyes open and on full alert.

Rhys Ruddock bore the air of a man intent on looking straight ahead as he spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup opener against Benetton.

Steve Hansen insists quality and not quantity is the vital factor when it comes to experience after seeing New Zealand’s young guns blast Ireland out of the World Cup.

It's not even the fact that Ireland have failed again to reach a semi-final.

Joe Schmidt wasn’t having any of Steve Hansen’s mind games after Ireland saw off the All Blacks last November.

Ireland are about to find out there is something radically different about the All Blacks they will face in today's World Cup quarter-final compared with the team they played last November.

Joe Schmidt wasn't having any of Steve Hansen's mind games after Ireland saw off the All Blacks last November.

“You either go into the history books or I go home to my wife and kids, and everyone's healthy.”

No one could know it at the time but Ireland’s relationship with the All Blacks changed irrevocably in November of 2013.

Some things don't change with the All Blacks. Though they can play rugby with a terrifying beauty, there is a robotic consistency to the way they put opponents to the sword.

Hammer the hammer.

World Rugby has issued an apology to Georgia after a Russian song was played to celebrate their win over Uruguay yesterday.

Slowly but very surely, rugby and this World Cup are beginning to seep into the bones of Japanese society.

For weeks on end, a veritable posse of law enforcers queued up to hammer the warning home, that dangerous tackles meant instant dismissal.

Today’s meeting between New Zealand and South Africa will be their 99th.

The side's 19-10 defeat of Wales at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon secured the No.1 spot for the first time in the nations's history.

This Saturday’s game against Wales may mark the start of Jonathan Sexton’s season but it will mark the last time that an Ireland team takes to the field in Dublin under the watchful eye of Joe Schmidt.

How do you stand out by fitting in? This is the quandary that faces players across all sports when they are looking to make a name for themselves.

We are, Joe Schmidt admits, in uncharted waters.

Best was poor in Twickenham last Saturday when Ireland shipped over 50 points to a rampant England side.

During this year’s Six Nations, the vast majority of the players on show last Saturday were either watching from the bench, the stands or from the comfort of their couches.

New Zealander Hayden Paddon returns to the World Rally Championship at next month’s Neste Rally Finland in an EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC.

It was a bit like the Steve Redgrave moment at the 1996 Olympics Games. Just after the great British oarsman had bagged his fourth gold medal in Athens he told the world they had his permission to “shoot him” if he ever went near a boat again.

Leinster refuse to be a team that limits their eggs to the one basket.

Joe Schmidt was French Rugby President Bernard Laporte's first choice to be appointed as the new head coach of Les Bleus.

There was more than one reason for Alby Mathewson to welcome Johann van Graan’s decision to extend his term at Munster to June 2022.

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

Fergus McFadden says Joe Schmidt is still the best man to turn around Ireland’s recent poor form.

It’s not often you hear a player call an opponent chicken.

There was no doubting the satisfaction Joe Schmidt took from the heights Ireland scaled against France last Sunday, and yet the Kiwi coach wasn’t slow in pointing out how the collective performance fell off a cliff towards the end.

As a man who won three Grand Slam titles on home soil, Adam Jones expects Wales to repeat the trick in Cardiff on Saturday.

Ireland’s bright start and bristling intent from the kick-off was gave an early indication that there was only going to be a home win in Dublin on Sunday.

Joe Schmidt may possess a reputation as a rugby anorak with an obsessive attention to detail but the Ireland head coach knows too that even the modern game has to make allowances for some old-school fun now and then.

England are expected in town any day now, Ireland are already deep in conclave at their Kildare retreat and Simon Zebo is starting in to a two-week break from rugby that will involve some time in Cork and a trip to Dubai.