The last time Bundee Aki wore the green jersey, things did not end well but four months on, the Ireland centre is relishing the opportunity to make amends.

Andy Farrell has handed Leinster No.8 Caelan Doris a Test debut against Scotland this Saturday at the expense of Peter O’Mahony.

After an "embarrassing" loss to the same opponents last week, Ireland produced a dramatic win.

Sit Jordan Larmour at a table and he’s still hard to pin down.

When Beirne arrived in Limerick from Scarlets in the summer of 2018, he was filling the void left by Donnacha Ryan

Watching Andrew Conway score that cracker of a try against Ulster last weekend belied the notion that reintegrating Test players back into their clubs is difficult.

The rawness of a World Cup quarter-final in which Ireland failed to produce their best effort will live long with Johnny Sexton but the veteran fly-half insists there will be no blame game when the IRFU produces its review of a faltering 2019 campaign for Joe Schmidt’s team.

Connacht have been boosted by confirmation Bundee Aki will be available to face Leinster in their first interprovincial game of the season, as well as their return to Champions Cup rugby the following week.

Once again the wheat has been separated from the chaff at a World Cup and Ireland have been swept away in the clean-up.

Player ratings on a disappointing end to Ireland's Rugby World Cup campaign

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

The moment of truth has arrived.

There are three changes from the starting line-up Joe Schmidt sent out against Samoa last Saturday for Ireland’s final Pool A game in Fukuoka.

Ollie Campbell put his arm around the shoulders of Michael Lynagh’s youngest son, and pointed at the shiny Aviva Stadium in the near distance.

Joe Schmidt will ask his team of All Blacks slayers to do it all over again this Saturday as Ireland attempt to win a World Cup quarter-final for the first time in their history.

Cian Healy has praised Bundee Aki’s resilience in the face of a tournament-ending suspension after the centre gave his all in Ireland’s first training session for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.

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

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

Johnny Sexton insists Ireland’s World Cup squad are all business as they prepare for Saturday’s quarter-final against the All Blacks, a stark contrast to four years ago when he believes they were overly emotional a week too early.

Hammer the hammer.

Like it or not, last weekend’s typhoon-related cancellations in the final round of World Cup pool games have given us some inequitable quarter-final match-ups in terms of preparation times for the protagonists.

Like it or not, last weekend’s typhoon-related cancellations in the final round of World Cup pool games have given us some inequitable quarter-final match-ups in terms of preparation times for the protagonists.

Ireland's bid to overturn Aki's red card sanction proves unsuccessful.

Irish Examiner rugby writers Brendan O'Brien and Simon Lewis look ahead to the World Cup quarter-finals.

Hansen was in typically mischievous mood when he set the scene on Monday.

Bundee Aki will head into a disciplinary hearing in Tokyo today to decide his World Cup fate with the backing of old friends from the Samoa camp as Ireland hoped for clemency for their centre ahead of this weekend’s quarter-finals.

Are we witnessing a changing of the guard in Ireland’s last line of defence?

With qualification for the knockout phase secured after an Ireland performance more in keeping with what we have come to expect from this squad, the only outstanding issue surrounded the not insignificant detail as to whom Ireland would meet in their quarter-final in Tokyo next weekend.

It might not have been the route they envisaged but Ireland have reached their initial destination, although the question remains whether this is finally the time to venture into virgin territory.

Joe Schmidt's side finish second in Pool A to set up quarter-final with All Blacks.

Presumption has already made fools of many of us at this World Cup.

Ireland looked back to their ruthless, clinical best in a dominant 47-5 win over Samoa in Fukuoka.

Simon Lewis provides an on-the-whistle report of the main talking points from Ireland's win over Samoa.

Joe Schmidt chose his words carefully but he was clearly fuming about the fact that Ireland were playing rugby today while others got to take the weekend off.

Ireland booked their place in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a comprehensive victory over Samoa.

It was Samoa who provided the opposition for Joe Schmidt’s introduction to Test rugby as Ireland’s head coach, way back when in November 2013.

Three areas where Ireland need to deliver...

The sound of song swept through the corridors of the Hakatana mori Stadium as the Samoan players trickled back into their dressing-room after the captain’s run yesterday morning here in Fukuoka.

Rassie Erasmus isn't a man for one kind word when a few dozen can be spread lavishly, like honey on toast.

Perspective has never been far away on this trip, wonderful though it has been.

Donal is in Fukuoka ahead of Ireland's match against Samoa as he surveys the damage of yesterday's World Rugby announcement.

This isn’t the team that Joe Schmidt envisaged naming against Samoa.

Joe Schmidt is hoping Ireland’s long lead-in to their final pool game will help his team put in the performance tomorrow that will take them into the World Cup quarter-finals.

This was always a race against time for Steve Jackson. The Samoan head coach was only appointed to the role last September, chosen from a list of 40 applicants and handed ownership of a team that had to qualify for this World Cup via a two-legged play-off against Germany.