It was a bit like the Steve Redgrave moment at the 1996 Olympics Games. Just after the great British oarsman had bagged his fourth gold medal in Athens he told the world they had his permission to “shoot him” if he ever went near a boat again.

Owen Farrell might have been a leading candidate for a few sleepless nights recently but he is determined not to lose out on his eight hours of shut-eye over the challenge facing Saracens this afternoon

Mercifully, England’s attempts to scrap the fallow weeks of the Six Nations and shrink the tournament into five consecutive weekends have fallen on deaf ears. It shows scant regard for the fans and does nothing for player welfare.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

It would be fair to say that as anti-climatic and disappointing as last Saturday in the Aviva was, it hardly constituted the sort of crisis and crossroads Irish rugby was looking at the last time we played and lost an opening Six Nations game to England, writes Kieran Shannon.

The last time the reigning Grand Slam champions dared to beat the All Blacks, they followed up by winning the World Cup within a matter of months, writes Peter Jackson.

Few games present themselves on a canvas decorated with such broad and simplistic brush strokes as Sunday’s meeting between Leinster and Saracens.

What does it take to win a Grand Slam? Upset a president for a start...

Ronan O’Gara says this Ireland team should want to complete the Grand Slam, then go to Australia in the summer and win a Test series down there.

Peter Jackson recaps the weekend’s Six Nations action. 

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

The British and Irish Lions play the final midweek game of their New Zealand tour on Tuesday when they face reigning Super Rugby champions the Hurricanes in Wellington.

With four games played this Lions squad now fully appreciate the severity of the task ahead of them in the test series, writes Donal Lenihan.

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.

Jonathan Joseph was included in the Lions squad for New Zealand after Warren Gatland decided a player who has caused Wales so much torment on his watch could not be overlooked.

Dublin hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for English sides in the Six Nations era, writes Simon Collings.

England may be chasing immortality, but David Wallace believes Ireland will be the hungrier team when the pair meet on Saturday.

Ben Youngs has urged England to continue rebuilding Twickenham into a fortress as they stand on the brink of a team-record 15th successive Test victory.

From the wholly unlikely, like Tiger Woods winning another Major or the Lions whitewashing the All Blacks, to the eminently probable, like Usain Bolt and Leo Messi reemphasising their credentials as wonders of the sporting world, we examine who might be rewriting the record books, month by month, in 2017.

England overcame an alarming start to register a record-equalling 14th successive victory by beating Australia at Twickenham.

With renewed focus on concussion, there are contrasting cultures in the northern and southern hemispheres in that the approach here is to seek ‘collisions’ while the emphasis down there is to avoid ‘contact’, writes Brendan O’Brien

2001

Before taking charge of the Springboks, Kitch Christie made a bold prediction: “Six months is long enough for a coach to win the World Cup.”

The great and the good had been queuing up all week to predict an England win at Twickenham on Saturday night, among them three captains from World Cups long gone, writes Peter Jackson.

World Cup chiefs have moved to clarify the role of television match officials following the controversial use of replays during the tournament’s opening weekend.

Clive Woodward reveals to Simon Collings how England got the edge over their rivals in team preparation.

Clive Woodward wants to replace Philippe Saint-Andre as head coach of France, according to reports in the French press.

The English teacher is bringing new challenges to the Waterford hurlers but is learning about himself as he goes. Be less sensitive. Be truer to himself. And get the balance right between instinct and structure. Ahead of the Allianz league final, Derek McGrath offers a fascinating window to the dressing room, writes Michael Moynihan

Alastair Campbell opens with a compliment about an old mate. Kind of.