Eddie Jones and Rassie Erasmus were both celebrating at full time when England and South Africa last contested a World Cup final, at the Stade de France 12 years ago.

The reaction in New Zealand to the All Blacks’ exit from the Rugby World Cup at the hands of England is best summed up by the Herald on Sunday’s fully black front page.

The second hardest thing for an All Blacks side is to accept they have been dumped out of a World Cup.

Eddie Jones has issued a ‘do-or-die’ call to arms ahead of England’s World Cup battle against Australia.

Joe Schmidt doesn’t forget.

England have beaten Ireland 57-15 in their World Cup warm-up Test at Twickenham.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

It was a performance riddled with mistakes, so many of them elementary, but the side's reaction to adversity in the second-half, when coming from 13-0 down to claim the lead and hold out in the face of considerable pressure, was impressive.

Leicester kept their slim Heineken Champions Cup hopes alive by securing a four-try bonus point in a thrilling 36-26 defeat to Racing 92 in Paris.

Eddie Jones has cautioned against expecting too much from Manu Tuilagi after limiting England’s marauding centre to a bench role against South Africa.

Skipper Rory Best hailed Ulster’s second-half display as they dug in for a vital 24-10 win over Leicester Tigers to kick-start their Heineken Champions Cup campaign.

Leicester boss Geordan Murphy has described Irish rugby’s provincial set-up as brilliant saying there is a “conveyor belt” of talent to choose from.

They led 24-3 early on in a thrilling Test.

The challenges facing the three Irish provinces in European quarter-finals this weekend.

By any standards, Rob Kearney’s contribution to Ireland’s Six Nations success story has been remarkable.

The Joe Schmidt era just gets better and better. So many boxes ticked as the clock ticks towards the 2019 World Cup.

Johnny Sexton will be teeing the ball up at the Aviva Stadium this morning, working away with skills coach Richie Murphy on his day off to keep his kicking routine ticking over as the countdown to Twickenham continues.

Ireland will move above England to second in the latest World Rugby rankings issued today, adding fuel to Saturday’s trip to Twickenham with Joe Schmidt warning his Grand Slam-chasing side to expect an almighty backlash from Eddie Jones’s wounded animals.

In total there are five changes to the side defeated by Scotland at Murrayfield.

Jonny May ran in both tries as England kept their Grand Slam aspirations alive by edging Wales 12-6 in a brutally competitive NatWest 6 Nations clash at Twickenham.

Three challenges for Joe Schmidt facing Ireland against Italy today...

Eddie Jones has lodged a complaint with World Rugby over the conduct of Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones towards referee Pascal Gauzere in Cardiff last Saturday.

Eddie Jones insists the vision of Owen Farrell and George Ford acts as the catalyst for England’s “collective talent” to flourish.

Leicester Tigers 16 Munster 25: Munster planted one boot firmly in the Champions Cup quarter-finals as they grabbed an invaluable away win at Welford Road last night and gave new boss Johann van Graan a benchmark performance for the rest of the season.

The key moment, talking point and key man from an intense game at Welford Road.

For all the good news coming out of Munster in the past couple of days, the appearance of centres Matt Toomua and Manu Tuilagi on the Leicester Tigers teamsheet yesterday lunchtime will have offered a sobering counterpoint ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Cup re-match at Welford Road.

Leinster are the team to beat, the No. 1 in Europe’s power rankings. And Munster are No. 2, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Withover 70 Test appearances for England under his belt and a further 200 racked up in a Leicester Tigers shirt, Ben Youngs has experienced a range of atmospheres during his career.

The big guns are back for Munster’s Champions Cup showdown with Leicester Tigers at Thomond Park tonight (7.45pm) and what a noise there has been around them these past few days.

Peter O’Mahony has urged Munster supporters to forget last year’s 38-0 European drubbing of Leicester at Thomond Park and brace for impact when the Tigers return to Limerick on Saturday.

England claimed a fifth straight win over Australia in a titanic, and controversial, tussle at Twickenham.

Owen Farrell has been recalled for England's clash with Australia at Twickenham on Saturday after being rested for the autumn opener against Argentina.

England made a scruffy start to their autumn series but still ensured they will enter their group showdown against Argentina at the 2019 Wold Cup with an immaculate record against the Pumas under Eddie Jones.

Leicester romped to a seven-try European Champions Cup victory as they ran Castres ragged at Welford Road.

Warren Gatland has given the green light for Owen Farrell to start Saturday’s first test against the All Blacks but his specific role in the Lions line-up will have a massive impact on Johnny Sexton.

Warren Gatland has given his players four games to prove they are worthy of a British & Irish Lions Test place against the All Blacks.

Former British and Lions coach Ian McGeechan says the 2017 tourists “need all six games” in the build-up to the first Test in New Zealand.

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.

Here is the possible make-up of a squad charged with targeting a first Test series triumph against the All Blacks since 1971.