For 13 years, Brian O’Driscoll and Tana Umaga have each been fielding questions on “that tackle” for an audience fascinated by the events of the Lions’ first Test against New Zealand which defined the relationship between the two great midfield warriors.

 

Of all the drop goals in all the world, Johnny Sexton’s is destined to keep flying ever higher on its steep climb towards the heavens.

Ben Te’o has been instructed to go “fox-hunting” when England launch their NatWest 6 Nations title defence on Sunday.

Peter Jackson gives his progress report on the best and worst teams, players and moments of the Autumn Internationals.

Wales star Sam Warburton says he has had “no hiccups so far” in his recovery from neck surgery.

It’s almost three months since the British and Irish Lions and New Zealand had to settle for a stalemate but Sean O’Brien still can’t shake the conviction that inadequacies on the part of the coaching ticket cost them a shot at victory.

It says much about the character of Colin Meads that when he unveiled a bronze statue of himself in his hometown of Te Kuiti earlier this summer, the All Black legend felt the need to apologise to the large crowd that had gathered in tribute to him.

The dawn of a new era is upon us as the expanded, Springbok-tinged Guinness Pro14 kicks off tonight in Belfast but at the same time in Cork it is the departure of South African talent that will, alas, mark the opening weeks of the fledgling league campaign.

There’s not much riding on Eden Park tomorrow only immortality for a group of lads from Britain and Ireland, writes Ronan O’Gara.

They got the British & Irish Lions over the finish line in Wellington to keep this Test series with the All Blacks alive, now Warren Gatland has backed the same players to go out and make history in the decider at Eden Park on Saturday.

For years the All Blacks have reigned supreme thanks to their never say die mental strength and the supreme stamina to back it past the 80th minute. Yet the man who keeps the Lions in the peak of physical fitness believes the tourists can match those attributes as their series goes down to the wire at Eden Park on Saturday.

Brodie Retallick wants world champions New Zealand to create their own history when they face a Test series decider against the British and Irish Lions.

Simon Lewis takes a look at the testers that the British & Irish Lions face ahead of their third test against the All Blacks at Eden Park.

Kieran Read insists the British and Irish Lions’ future is not in doubt — no matter the result in this Test series with New Zealand.

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

New Zealand 30

After the weeks of verbal jousting started by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and latterly engaged in by Lions boss Warren Gatland, the pair of New Zealanders have finally found some common ground.

THE ancient Greeks had an appreciation, maybe sharper than ours, of how raw life could be. 

Peter O’Mahony’s elevation to the British & Irish Lions captaincy for Saturday’s first test against New Zealand is as much a signal of intent as the bestowal of a coveted title on a born leader.

From day one of his tenure as the head coach of the 2017 British and Irish Lions, Warren Gatland has preached the importance of a power-packed set of replacements to come into the game and either close out a victory or reel in a deficit.

Warren Gatland has given the green light for Owen Farrell to start Saturday’s first test against the All Blacks but his specific role in the Lions line-up will have a massive impact on Johnny Sexton.

That old Irish joke, that the first item on any agenda is ‘the split’, has been superseded by the never-ending debate around the wisdom of amalgamating Cork city and county councils or of extending city boundaries to encompass growing dormitory towns and villages. 

There were a few mobile phones on full charge over in New Jersey last weekend, but to my mind the one who is closer than them all to Lions form is Keith Earls, writes Ronan O’Gara. 

Simon Lewis looks at the key areas where Warren Gatland will have a selection headache going into the first test. 

Here's your morning news bulletin.

Sean O’Brien will not be poring over every injury report the British & Irish Lions issue about tour captain Sam Warburton. 

One of the first things you learn booking flights for this summer tour is that contrary to the initial IRFU missive announcing Ireland taking on the USA en route to Japan, is that it ain’t on the way to the Land of the Rising Sun.