Leinster's bid to claim top seeding for the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup was buttressed by an ultimately convincing win over Lyon in Dublin on Sunday afternoon.

Italy would be open to taking a stake in the proposed merger between Renault and Fiat-Chrysler, as long as the deal triggers economic benefits for the country, a government undersecretary said.

The prospect of a shock victory was but a false promise when Ireland took a 12 points lead into the break in the opening match of the World Rugby U-20 Championship in Perpignan.