It’s a case of friends reunited for Paul O’Connell, after the 38 year-old Munster and Ireland legend confirmed yesterday he is to move to Paris and take up as role as forwards coach with Stade Francais.

Ronan O’Gara may have coached across town in Paris with Racing 92, but he was quick to acknowledge Stade Francais’ coup in signing up his old Munster colleague Paul O’Connell.

Johann van Graan welcomed his family off the plane from South Africa on Thursday and then sat down to pick his first team in 15 years as he settled into a new life as a professional head coach at Munster.

Bernard Jackman believes Johann van Graan is the perfect man to succeed Rassie Erasmus as Munster boss.

Munster are confident inexperienced new head coach Johann van Graan will not need the oversight of a director of rugby when he takes the reins from Rassie Erasmus.

Brian O’Driscoll believes Munster’s possible appointment of South African Johann van Graan as its new director of rugby is a leap of faith in the judgement of outgoing boss Rassie Erasmus.

Few rugby players can simply be identified by their first names. Gareth, Sonny Bill, Zinzan, Jonny, and Jonah are some of the few whose deeds and skills have given them that particular status. And Joost.

South Africa head coach Allister Coetzee has invited Ireland to “have a go” at his team when their series with the Springboks goes down to the wire on Saturday.

South Africa offered no excuses for their disappointing defeat against Ireland on Saturday with coach Allister Coetzee ordering his players to go and “fix it”.

Jack McGrath knows what it takes to beat the Springboks. He is equally aware that beating them in Dublin is one thing, attempting to repeat the trick in Cape Town quite another.

A new Springboks coach will be named this morning with Allister Coetzee expected to be tasked with making the team a formidable force again while radically altering its racial composition.

Heyneke Meyer believes “the time has come for change” after bringing an end to his reign as South Africa head coach.

Heyneke Meyer may be in the minority when it comes to assessing the merits of bronze finals at the Rugby World Cup.

There’s something deliciously gruff about Steve Hansen and something gloriously barmy about Heyneke Meyer. Talk about being as dry as chalk and as mad as cheese.

As he glances towards the hotel bar All Black head coach Steve Hansen struggles to stifle a laugh.

On June 24, a group of middle-aged men met at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. They swapped stories, posed for photos and then watched a film together.

Bryan Habana has dedicated South Africa’s World Cup semi-final to teacher Zukisa Kela, whose last words were “Go Springboks Go” before being drowned by a gang.

Warren Gatland insists Wales are “not ready to go home” as they seek the fulfilment denied them at the last World Cup. The injury-ravaged Welsh are targeting only their third victory over South Africa when they face Heyneke Meyer’s revived southern hemisphere giants in tomorrow’s opening quarter-final at Twickenham.

Bryan Habana had just turned 12 when he chased Jonah Lomu into the bathroom of an upmarket hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg.

South Africa 64 USA 0: Heyneke Meyer paid tribute to Bryan Habana after the wing equalled the Rugby World Cup try-scoring record as his South Africa side confirmed their quarter-final spot with a comprehensive 10-try victory over USA.

They go into the tournament with race representation plaguing them, but if South Africa come through the pool phase unscathed and purring, no team would relish taking them on in knockout rugby.

If the London Olympics of four years ago is the yardstick by which the Rugby World Cup is to be judged then the tournament organisers have set themselves an incredibly high standard.

Vern Cotter has extended his Scotland contract until 2017 in a major show of faith from the Scottish Rugby Union ahead of the World Cup.

South Africans must be patient with the pace of transformation in the country’s national rugby side and will not be asking for more black players at the World Cup, sports minister Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.

Before looking forward to the inaugural Champions Cup final at Twickenham on Saturday, I feel compelled to examine the implications of an announcement last week that attracted minimal attention on this side of the world.

With his rampant Ireland team currently churning out far more answers than it raises questions, Joe Schmidt’s place at the coaching top table cannot be disputed. But is he the pick of the current crop?

Les Kiss insists Ireland are no ‘one-trick pony’, but the assistant coach has also warned the November clean sweep offers no guarantees as Joe Schmidt’s side turns their attention towards the defence of their Six Nations title.

South Africa have recalled World Cup winners JP Pietersen and Schalk Burger among five changes for Saturday’s QBE International against England at Twickenham.

In the lead-up to facing Ireland anyone wearing a Springbok tracksuit proclaimed that the Autumn tour to Ireland, Britain and Italy was the beginning of their World Cup preparation and not an isolated sequence of games.

History may be written by the victors, but the losing perspective makes for interesting consumption.

Victor Matfield has challenged South Africa to heed their World Cup “wake-up call” after a 29-15 defeat in Ireland.

Rhys Ruddock and Tommy Bowe plundered tries to guide stubborn Ireland to their first victory over South Africa in five years at the Aviva Stadium.

Today is one of those days rugby fanatics relish as an autumn chill begins to bite and the November internationals get up and running, making the armchair seem even more appealing.

Sean Cronin believes Ireland will need to draw on fit-again tighthead prop Mike Ross "big-time" against the powerful Springboks tomorrow.