When the clock passes midnight on New Year’s Eve, Jamison Gibson-Park will step a little closer to his dream.

So, that’s that then. No Conor Murray next month. Possibly Ireland’s most important player and he’s unavailable for the visit of the All Blacks, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Luke McGrath knew the score before the first question was delivered.

Taking and giving a five or 10-metre pass is a fundamental part of the game yet the skills required to deliver under pressure are often overlooked, writes Donal Lenihan.

Donnacha Ryan has come a long way in a very short time, from Tipperary across the Pyrenees via Paris for a crack at joining one of rugby’s rarest breeds.

Kieran Shannon examines what makes Joe Schmidt tick... and keep Ireland’s engine motoring

Nick McCarthy is only 20 games into his senior Leinster career but the St Michael’s and UCD scrum-half has already managed to figure in some of the more unlikely storylines emanating from the club in his short time.

As trips to North America go, Kieran Marmion’s four years ago wasn’t bad.

Two minutes to go, four points to the good and the noise of over 51,000 people ringing in your ears.

The gaffer around here started asking me a question Wednesday, and I cut him off mid-sentence. This is the rest of the answer. Yes. It does, it wrecks my head I never got to work under, to work with, Joe Schmidt. That I didn’t get 10 years at the top of my game under him, writes Ronan O’Gara

Jonathan Sexton couldn’t resist. Confined to the stands for the afternoon last Saturday with a bad hammy, he was joined for a 10-minute spell by Luke McGrath after the scrum-half had illegally dragged down a maul and got himself sent to the bold step.

There are growing fears Luke Fitzgerald is about to announce his retirement from rugby due to injury.

Eoin Reddan did not get the finale his glittering career deserved but the veteran scrum-half at least bowed out on his own terms, eager to make his new life in business every bit as successful as the one he enjoyed in rugby.

The immediate response on the final whistle at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was one of acute disappointment given Ireland finished this gruelling series camped on the South African line after a 19-phase onslaught in search of what could have been a winning score and a series clincher. It was that tight.

Ireland’s newest cap Matt Healy is hoping that out of the disappointment of a series defeat in South Africa his nascent Test career can flourish.

When a friend and colleague retires it always gives pause for thought and Mike Ross is no exception, but Eoin Reddan’s decision to quit the game has not prompted a rethink for the Ireland prop.

For Conor Murray, the thought of having to watch Connacht and Leinster duke it out in a Guinness Pro12 final this Saturday fills him with frustration.

Ulster stayed on course to make the Guinness PRO12 play-offs by defeating Leinster 30-6 in a pulsating derby clash at the Kingspan Stadium.

A massive litmus test awaits Connacht this evening when they host Leinster at the Galway Sportsground (5.15pm).

Simon Lewis looks at how both teams match up.

Conor Murray believes positives can be taken from this season’s RBS 6 Nations campaign, particularly if Ireland sign off with a victory over Scotland on Saturday.

The Six Nations league table may not reflect his views, but Jamie Heaslip believes Ireland weren’t far off the pace in this year’s championship.

Joe Schmidt admitted Ireland's nine-try thumping of Italy "released the pressure valve" amid a testing RBS 6 Nations campaign.

The key moment, talking point and key man of the game.

Simon Lewis breaks down the selection and form on both sides...

Ninety-five minutes. That is all the time Ireland have had this week to prepare to face France in Paris tomorrow as they bid to get their 2016 Six Nations campaign up and running and win back-to-back in the French capital for the first time in 88 years.

Eoin Reddan says Joe Schmidt is spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting the new Ireland captain.

The sense of dread around a hushed Thomond Park had been palpable as Keith Earls lay prone on the turf, surrounded by attentive medics.

Following a five-day turnaround from their morale-boosting Guinness Pro12 victory over Munster at Thomond Park, head coach Leo Cullen has made wholesale changes to his starting line-up for Leinster’s latest interprovincial clash with Connacht at the RDS this evening (5pm kick-off).