The head coach retained 23 players for a two-day camp in Cork last week, while 13 others returned were released back to their provinces to get game-time.

Ronan O'Gara has tried to put himself in the Ireland boss’s shoes this week and he knows all too well that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to team selection.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has made two enforced changes to the Ireland team to face Wales in Saturday's Six Nations clash.

Far from perfect though Ireland were last Saturday, Jonathan Sexton was on to something when pointing out that they are in a far better position after than 12 months previously when their Triple Crown and Grand Slam hopes were already in ruins.

Meanwhile, uncapped Leinster back-row Will Connors has been drafted into Andy Farrell's squad.

This is not France. There is no bottomless pit of players from which a head coach can pluck a new generation, as Fabien Galthié did for this Six Nations.

Johnny Sexton starred on his first outing as permanent Ireland captain as Andy Farrell’s tenure as head coach began with an unconvincing 19-12 victory over Scotland.

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

Castleknock College held off a spirited fightback from Cistercian College, Roscrea at Donnybrook Stadium yesterday to book their place in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup quarter-finals.

Leinster clinched top-seed status and a home Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final as they made it a record-breaking 16 wins in a row in all competitions this season with an 18-0 victory at Benetton.

Nash has been named to start on the wing as Keith Earls misses out due to a minor knee injury in one of two changes to Johann van Graan's side.

Andy Farrell's first squad was not one named for shock value, though the omissions are as notable as the new additions.

The coaching group have also named four development players who will train with the squad.

The Munster head coach was able to select JJ Hanahan as his starting fly-half to face Racing 92 in Sunday’s crucial Heineken Champions Cup pool clash at La Défense Arena.

The official changing of the guard from Joe Schmidt to Andy Farrell took place in Abbotstown on the Sunday before Christmas.

Jonathan Sexton will go cold into the Six Nations after confirmation on Monday that the out-half will play no part in Leinster's last two Heineken Champions Cup fixtures.

All good things come to an end. The question, when it comes to Leinster’s current unbeaten run, is when.

There’s something iconic about the mix of red and blue.

Carbery has spent the last two months rehabbing an ankle injury.

Leo Cullen does not believe Andy Farrell has brought down the curtain on Rob Kearney’s Ireland career.

There's no room for Rob Kearney, Seán Cronin, Jordi Murphy, Jack Carty, John Ryan or Kieran Marmion – with newly eligible Jamison Gibson-Park jumping ahead of the Connacht man at scrum-half.

With the Six Nations kicking off in less than two months, it is the first squad meet-up since the national team returned from Japan.

‘Tis the season for Christmas jumpers, blue Santa hats, and Leinster at the Aviva.

Saracens have named an almost totally different side to face Munster at Allianz Park tomorrow, while the Reds make one change from their 10-3 home win.

Seven tries to one. A 27-point differential. This Pool 1 Heineken Champions Cup encounter turned into a rout but Leinster were just three points to the good when Jonathan Sexton went down in the tackle four minutes after half-time.

The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

For Leinster this week it will be a case of out with the new and in with the old. More or less, anyway.

There are three changes to the team that defeated Ospreys.

The veteran Leinster lock had been one of the cornerstones of Ireland’s successes during Schmidt’s six-year reign as Ireland boss

Felipe Contepomi made the point last week that every Irish player returning from duties in Japan would process the disappointment of the World Cup in their own unique way.

Leo Cullen makes nine changes to the Leinster team which edged past Zebre 3-0 for tomorrow's game against the Dragons.

No one knows why good teams go bad, but they do. The Irish rugby team, for example, who, within the space of a year went from being very good to being really not very good at all.

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.

Leinster strung together four second-half tries as they handed Edinburgh a 40-14 defeat at the RDS Main Arena that ended the Scots’ winning start to the Guinness PRO14 season.

Leinster maintained their 100% start to the Guinness PRO14 season in a game of two halves at a blustery RDS.

Leo Cullen has braced his players for an altogether more challenging Friday night at the RDS tonight (kick-off 7.35pm), a week on from their eight-try hammering of Ospreys.

Leinster are calling this block of Guinness PRO14 games ‘Own the Jersey’ – and Caelan Doris intends to do so with the No 8 shirt.

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.

A moment, please, to think of the poor old referee today.

James Ryan has no doubt but that Ireland's lineout can be a source of real strength for the team as their World Cup opener against Scotland approaches.

Dan McFarland will be up early this Sunday morning, like most Irish rugby fans around the country.

Munster defence coach JP Ferreira admits he was surprised to see Jean Kleyn make the Ireland squad for the Rugby World Cup but says the South African-born lock is being rewarded for his hard work with the province.

You never know who you might bump into in Carton House during an Ireland camp.