Ireland got the bonus-point victory expected of them as they took a welcome step towards the World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday but this was not the bounce-back performance required following last Saturday’s defeat to Japan.

Garry Ringrose could be pressed into a third successive World Cup start this Thursday after Ireland’s midfield stocks were reduced by a concussion for Chris Farrell.

Two days out from their all-Six Nations World Cup 2019 opening showdown, and the game is afoot.

Leinster have won the Guinness PRO14 final after beating Glasgow 18-15 at Celtic Park.

The frustration Leinster players and coaches felt after last weekend was absolute. That stuff is hard to internalise. You can’t have enough of those stars on your shirt.

Nothing has typified the indomitable will of both Leinster and Ireland in recent years so much as their habit of sticking the knife into opponents in the moments and minutes approaching half-time.

Even in their darkest days - and there has been far too many lately for a rugby nation like France — the one constant has been the power and efficiency of their set piece, writes Donal Lenihan.

Garry Ringrose says no one player can be handed the task of stopping Cheslin Kolbe when Leinster face Toulouse on Saturday.

Preparations for Saturday’s meeting with Argentina have, to put it mildly, been challenging but Garry Ringrose isn’t tempted to reach for any excuses ahead of Ireland’s clash with the South Americans.

Second-half tries from Garry Ringrose and Sean Cronin did the damage for Leinster in their 20-3 Guinness PRO14 derby win over 14-man Connacht at the Sportsground.

While witnessing new rugby heroes lift and warm the hearts of the nation this chilly spring, we couldn’t but think of past ones and how this was their achievement too, writes  Kieran Shannon.

Twickenham? Dan Leavy’s never been, let alone played, at ‘HQ’.

A needs-must situation, Joe Schmidt had said.

Let’s hope that the Grand Slam hasn’t been treated as some sort of interloper around the team room in Carton House this week. Keith Earls was on the money when he said that the next two games were the biggest of his Irish career.

Sam Arnold doesn’t need anyone telling him that he is on the brink of a first Irish cap but the Munster centre knows better than most how suddenly best-laid plans and ambitions can be toyed with by rugby’s fickle gods.

Today seemed to be tailor-made for Joey Carbery.

Ireland face a "huge test" of their squad depth in the wake of Robbie Henshaw's 6 Nations-ending shoulder injury, according to boss Joe Schmidt.

Garry Ringrose will need to take a big step to replace teammate Robbie Henshaw in Ireland’s Six Nations clash against Wales in two weeks’ time.

Leinster 22 Exeter Chiefs 17: There are any number of arbitrary ways to measure a team’s progress, but it seemed the obvious thing to think back to Leinster’s semi-final loss to Clermont Auvergne last April as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday evening.

Ireland made a blistering start to their summer tour with an emphatic 55-19 victory over the US Eagles at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

Scarlets reached their first ever Guinness PRO12 final after defeating much-fancied Leinster 27-15 at the RDS despite having Steff Evans sent off before half-time.

The British and Irish Lions squad announcement followed the usual pattern — a majority of predictable selections, a few left field picks, some surprise omissions along with the customary bolter. Warren Gatland was always good for a few of those and in Ross Moriarty, Ben Te’o and Ireland’s Jared Payne, he didn’t disappoint.

Ronan O’Gara says the preparation Ireland is taking for what lies ahead is not to be snubbed.

Joe Schmidt will pore over the performances of Ireland’s provinces before finalising his squad to face Wales on Friday week, and Jared Payne’s comeback from injury will be of particular interest.

Leinster 33 Castres 15: Another French behemoth brought to earth. Five tries posted. Bonus point secured with oodles of time to spare. And all on the back of an afternoon balanced by the brute force of a dominant pack and a backline speckled with brilliance.

The talking points from today's clash at the Aviva.

As if biggest game of the weekend needed any further spice, Munster head into the Aviva Stadium cauldron to face their fiercest rivals with the abrasive presence of captain Peter O’Mahony.

Ireland 35 Scotland 25: DRIP, drip, drip. One by one the names have been dropping off Joe Schmidt’s tongue throughout this Six Nations campaign. They are the players who represent Ireland’s future and who could well be carrying the nation’s hopes into the 2019 World Cup.

Leinster captain Isa Nacewa has backed exciting rookie Garry Ringrose to become a world-class player if he continues to progress on his current trajectory.

Youngsters Garry Ringrose and Cathal Marsh scored their first Guinness PRO12 tries as Leinster ran out 37-13 bonus-point winners over Newport Gwent Dragons at the RDS.

A disastrous start left Ireland with an impossible task when they fell 19-0 behind after just 15 minutes at Stadio Zaffanella last night.

U20 RBS 6 Nations 

Under-20 RBS 6 Nations

UCD 25 Cork Con 25