Six Nations officials will meet in Paris on Monday to discuss the threat posed to the tournament by the spread of the coronavirus, but they are at the mercy of a situation that is entirely beyond their control.

Chris Farrell returns to the Munster team as Johann van Graan makes five changes ahead of Saturday's Guinness PRO14 match against Scarlets at Thomond Park (5pm).

JJ Hanrahan admits that Munster’s young guns are keeping the established players on their toes.

51-time champions Blackrock College will face Castleknock College in the Leinster Schools Junior Cup semi-final following their emphatic triumph over Clongowes Wood at Donnybrook.

Duncan Casey and Duncan Williams take on the rugby week, joined by player turned agent John Andress.

Connacht prop Paddy McAllister will make an emotional return to South Africa for the first time in 11 years to take on the Southern Kings.

A personal collection of Irish rugby’s most iconic moments belonging to the country’s first Grand Slam captain is to go under the hammer.

The O’Donovan rowers began it at the Rio Olympics four years ago. After that, it seemed anything the oarsmen and women of West Cork achieved, so, too, could the young rugby players of the region.

Armagh, who led by eight points at half-time, needed a goal from sub, Jamie Clarke, in the 70th minute to earn a share of the spoils with Westmeath in a pulsating game in Mullingar.

Ireland women’s head coach Adam Griggs has challenged his players to showcase their “world class” credentials in tomorrow’s Six Nations Championship clash with England.

Fuifui Moimoi built a career, and his reputation, on bulk and what he could do with it.

Paul O’Connell’s presence in Ireland camp got both of Ireland’s contenders for the starting hooker’s role thinking this week.

Johnny Sexton threw down the gauntlet to his Ireland team ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Twickenham, saying they will need to play even better there this time than in their Grand Slam-winning victory of 2018.

Ireland’s management has insisted the team will not miss a beat despite the late change to the pack for tomorrow’s Twickenham showdown.

The big second row's international career appeared to be all but over when Joe Schmidt cut him loose from the Ireland squad that would travel to Japan for the World Cup but he starts for the first time in six months for his country on Sunday against England in Twickenham.

Robin McBryde hopes Leinster can maintain their winning roll tonight, at the Gnoll (7.35pm, TG4).

Connacht backs coach Nigel Carolan says another “ruthless” performance is necessary to have any chance against Edinburgh in tonight’s Guinness PRO14 clash (7.35pm, eir Sport).

It will be a proud day for the Scannell/O’Sullivan families when Munster take the field against Zebre in the Guinness Pro14 in Milan tomorrow night.

Conway has been rewarded with his longest Munster contract yet, a three-year deal, after a year in which he became Munster's third-highest try-scorer in history.

Gael Fickou moves to the wing, where he replaces the injured Vincent Rattez.

Twickenham is a strange mix of the magnificent and the meh.It’s an oddly unloveable place but maybe that’s just down to experience, writes Brendan O'Brien.

Former England rugby union international James Haskell will make his professional mixed martial arts debut on May 16.

CJ Stander paid tribute to the late Garrett Fitzgerald yesterday, speaking fondly of the former Munster chief executive who played an instrumental part in bringing the back-rower from South Africa to Ireland.

Andy Farrell has dismissed Welsh claims Tadhg Furlong is an illegal scrummager, launching a strong defence of the Ireland tighthead prop.

A baker who chased the American dream and went to two Rugby World Cups, former Munster man John Quill joins Duncan Casey and Duncan Williams.

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.

Whether it is facing the bright young things of English rugby or training against the likes of Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray, Ireland Under-20 fly-half Jack Crowley treats it with the same mantra: respect all, fear no-one.

THE RDS promises to deliver more than the usual fare tomorrow for a Six Nations down-week.

On the one hand, Andy Friend is delighted that only Bundee Aki is missing on Six Nations duty as Connacht prepare for a real 10-pointer against a Cardiff Blues side who are just below them in the table.

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland accepts it “won’t be the end of the world” if his team slip up and lose a game over the next few weeks.

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.

Further evidence of the influence of West Cork rugby in the Munster team has come with the inclusion of Rosscarbery flanker John Hodnett for his first Guinness Pro 14 start — against South African side Southern Kings — at Musgrave Park this evening, kick-off 7. 35.

Retired Munster hooker Mike Sherry joins Duncan Casey and Duncan Williams to talk injuries, wet wellies and coaching in the AIL.

A storm is coming. Question is whether it will be Ireland, Wales or just Storm Ciara that rattle through the Aviva Stadium this afternoon.

Mallow’s Anna Caplice has said that creating an attacking platform in the wide channels will be the key to Ireland overcoming Wales in their Women’s Six Nations clash at Donnybrook tomorrow (kick-off 1pm).

Ireland Club XV last night beat Scotland Club XV 22-17 at Energia Park to retain the Dalriada Cup and win the 2020 Club International Series.

Gardaí say that investigations into six killings that took place in Cork since July are progressing well.

The Youghal-native will make her first Ireland start at fly-half in Sunday's Women’s Six Nations game against Wales.

Ireland supporters have been promised that there is “plenty more to come” from Andy Farrell's side as thoughts turn from last week's Six Nations opener against Scotland to tomorrow's visit of Wales to Dublin.

Should Saracens lose the points for their win over Racing, Munster would be deemed to finish second in Pool 4, however it would be Glasgow Warriors who would be next in line to take their quarter-final place as the next-best runners-up.

After enjoying a dream debut off the bench at Donnybrook last weekend, Youghal’s Claire Keohane is set for another significant milestone on Sunday.