Northampton 9 Racing 92 9: Northampton’s England contingent failed to make an impression as Eddie Jones resumed his busy pre-Christmas scouting tour of the Aviva Premiership clubs last night.

Worcester 13 Northampton 12: It wasn’t just a new dawn for English rugby that kicked off at Sixways last night, just six days removed from the World Cup hosts’ disastrous exit. 

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has admitted to shedding tears over the selection of his 31-man World Cup squad.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster will stand or fall on the decision to drop Danny Cipriani from his final squad of 31 for the World Cup, which will be announced today.

Irish Water is expected to announce that less than half have paid water charges;Cork camogie captain urges others not to hide their feelings; Paul O’Connell has explained that there was no option but to call time on his Ireland career; Alexis Tsipras is facing a revolt in his left-wing party. Here’s this morning’s irishexaminer.com round-up.

Disgraced PR guru Max Clifford has failed to block a privacy claim brought against him by former royal butler Paul Burrell.

Clermont Auvergne 27 Northampton Saints 5: Nick Abendanon hopes his stellar evening against Northampton has offered England additional reason to soften their stance on selecting overseas-based players.

Stuart Lancaster is convinced England can win the World Cup despite presiding over a fourth successive runners-up finish in the RBS 6 Nations.

England 25 Scotland 13

Keith Wood believes Ireland are a better team than England, but fears that edge may not be apparent as soon as this Sunday.

RBS Six Nations: England 47 Italy 17: England full-back Mike Brown receives medical attention for a head injury.

England 47 Italy 17

England have named Danny Cipriani and Nick Easter on the bench for Friday night’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff.

George North’s quartet of tries reinvigorated Northampton’s European campaign, but the 34-6 victory over the Ospreys came at a cost with England centre Luther Burrell departing early through injury.

England imploded at the Waikato Stadium to conclude their series against New Zealand with an error-ridden 36-13 defeat as the All Blacks amassed a record-equalling 17th successive victory.

New Zealand 28 England 27

Ricky Gervais has joked about swapping human companions for frog friendships after starring in the new ‘Muppets’ film.

ENGLAND 29 WALES 18

In a quiet media room inside Twickenham yesterday afternoon Andy Farrell attempted to explain why the Lions coaching staff that he was a part of dropped Brian O’Driscoll for the Third Test against Australia last summer.

Scotland 0 England 20

France 26 England 24

France 26 England 24

England wing Jack Nowell may have been refused entrance to an 18 certificate film on Wednesday night, but Stuart Lancaster insists he is part of an untested trio that is ready for the Stade de France.

Leinster 9 Northampton 18

Northampton 27 Ospreys 16

Frankie Dettori has been ruled out for the season after he fractured his right ankle at Nottingham today, the jockey’s business manager Peter Burrell has said.

An elderly man suffered a “café coronary” after choking on a piece of meat during a meal at a Cork hotel, an inquest heard yesterday.

Officials at the centre of a FIFA investigation have made a complaint against Chuck Blazer, the whistleblower who sparked the bribery scandal that has rocked football’s world governing body.

HOW THE mighty have fallen. New York Giants star Plaxico Burress, who caught the winning touchdown pass in last year’s Superbowl, will not play for the Giants for the rest of the season, having shot himself in the foot.

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 to win their second World Series title by four games to one this morning.

The Football Association have confirmed they will pursue Jamaica for a £135,000 (€168,660) debt, despite the Caribbean country’s FA believing they would write off the sum.

Former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes has been named as the new coach of the Jamaica national team.

Princes William and Harry are hoping today that the long-awaited conclusion of the inquest into their mother’s death will put an end to speculation she was murdered.

PAUL BURRELL took an engagement ring off the dead body of Diana, Princess of Wales, and kept it, his former bodyguard claimed yesterday.

Paul Burrell took an engagement ring off the dead body of Diana, Princess of Wales and kept it, his former bodyguard claimed today.

Diana, Princess of Wales’s former butler Paul Burrell today faced a possible perjury investigation after refusing to return to her inquest to answer accusations that he lied in his evidence.

Paul Burrell has refused to return from the US to be questioned about whether he lied at the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, it was confirmed today.

FORMER royal butler Paul Burrell has been asked to return to the Diana, Princess of Wales inquest following newspaper claims his evidence to the hearing was not the whole truth.

Former royal butler Paul Burrell did not “conceal” anything relevant or tell “untruths” during his evidence to the inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, his solicitors said today.

ONE of Ireland’s last surviving butlers said yesterday that Royal servant, Paul Burrell has brought discredit on the profession.

A Roman Catholic priest has confirmed that butler Paul Burrell made inquiries on behalf of Diana, Princess of Wales, over a theoretical marriage to a Muslim, her inquest heard today.

Diana, Princess of Wales’s blossoming relationship with her new love Dodi Fayed left the Queen “concerned” as the couple grew closer, the inquest was told today.

Diana, Princess of Wales’s romance with Dodi Fayed appeared to have “peaked” days before the couple’s deaths, her former butler claimed today.

Diana, Princess of Wales’ former butler will continue giving evidence at her inquest today as her ex-lover Hasnat Khan said he hopes it will bring an end to speculation surrounding her death.