Meath joint-captain Donal Keogan is not considering relegation from Division 1 despite the county failing to claim a point in their opening four games.

It is not the first time in recent memory that Ireland’s players have been asked to explain a costly sluggish start against a more physical England side but both Andrew Conway and Keith Earls were prepared to say this was a blip from which they can rebound.

When your son is the England captain and you are the Ireland boss, meetings between the two sides tend to be intriguing and more than a little awkward, unless you’re Andy or Owen Farrell that is.

In previous seasons, players and coaches have spoken of how little relevance a club match can have on a Test clash, but the former England coach is not thinking that way this year.

Tadhg Furlong did not think of himself much as a leader coming into the season.

ANDREW CONWAY is getting his due and it has been a long time coming.

On the face of things, the similarities are unavoidable.

Just five training sessions into his tenure as Ireland attack coach, Mike Catt is nevertheless expecting “some good stuff” from Andy Farrell’s team against Scotland in Dublin tomorrow.

Fifteen weeks had passed since Ireland were turfed out of the World Cup by the All Blacks by the time Jordan Larmour sat down today wearing his IRFU gear.

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.

IRELAND’S implosion at the World Cup sent ripples in all sorts of directions.

DAN McFarland was looking forward to a day of watching rugby on the couch yesterday as the extent of the challenge awaiting Ulster in the spring slowly unfolded in front of his eyes.

Sorting out Cork people for ages ...

First, the good news for Connacht. Yes, there is some.

Josh van der Flier says that Joe Schmidt always reminded his Ireland players that they were in the presence of greatness.

Stuart Lancaster says Johnny Sexton is “100% committed” to Leinster, as the head coach dismissed speculation linking the out-half with a move to Lyon.

Sorting out Cork people for ages

One man’s setback appears to be an opportunity for a couple of his team-mates as Johnny Sexton’s likely absence from the start of the Six Nations seems to have opened the door for a pair of Munster stars to take centre-stage with Ireland in the coming weeks.

Andy Ruiz Jr has been unable to park his taste for expensive cars, despite his father’s pleadings to stop wasting his money.

Audrey's been sorting out Cork people for ages

There was never going to be a single reason for Ireland’s World Cup no-show, but the IRFU’s report into yet another failure at rugby’s biggest tournament will not sit well with former head coach Joe Schmidt.

Dean was appointed to Joe Schmidt's backroom team in September 2016.

Mid-October brought with it the start of the 2019/20 UAE racing season and consequently the return of Cork jockey Tadhg O’Shea to Dubai after a five-month hiatus in his homeland.

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.

As his six-and-a-half year stint in charge of Ireland draws to a close, Joe Schmidt hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to coaching in the distant future.

Johnny Sexton may have only been half-joking when he suggested the knives would be out for himself and half-back partner Conor Murray once Ireland had departed this World Cup.

They may be trying to end each other’s World Cups tomorrow but both Steve Hansen and Joe Schmidt have revealed the camaraderie that exists between the New Zealand and Ireland coaching staffs ahead of their quarter-final at Tokyo Stadium.

Herring has won eight caps for Ireland and was part of Joe Schmidt's training squad ahead of the tournament.

Jason Quigley has linked up with former world middleweight champion Andy Lee ahead of his return to action.

Sorting out Cork people for ages.

Pennywise the clown is back for a second terrifying instalment of IT, writes Kerri-Ann Roper

Wallabies legend Stephen Larkham wants to bring a more cutting edge to the Munster attack as he embarks on his new role as the province’s Senior Coach.

From watching Arsenal in Clonmel on Saturday morning through the third lap of homecoming celebrations on Wednesday night in Liam Sheedy’s Portroe, Seamus Kennedy’s All-Ireland diary takes us inside an exhilarating and emotional week in Tipperary.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has departed their Rugby World Cup training camp to go back to New Zealand due to a family bereavement.

Trethias, whose form includes a defeat of Investec Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood at the Curragh last year, lived-up to her trainer Jessica Harrington’s expectations when landing the listed Naas Oaks Trial in Naas last night.

Boyle will officially join the League of Ireland Premier Division leaders on July 1, just in time for their Champions League qualifying campaign.

Nothing less than a World Cup semi-final appearance in Japan later this year will constitute a good World Cup for Ireland, said a straight-talking David Nucifora, as the IRFU performance director threw down the gauntlet to Joe Schmidt and his squad yesterday.

Got an issue? Ask Audrey.

Jack Carty knows that being voted on to the four-man shortlist for the Zurich Players’ Player of the Year does not mean he will automatically receive a ticket to Japan later this year.

Wimbledon tennis singles champions will win £2.35m (€2.72m) this year, which is an increase of £100,000 (€115,000) on the event in 2018.