On an explosive Saturday that saw Saracens relegated from the Gallagher Premiership on the eve of a must-win Champions Cup pool game against Racing 92, Munster took their exit from this season’s competition without firing a shot.

Nash has been named to start on the wing as Keith Earls misses out due to a minor knee injury in one of two changes to Johann van Graan's side.

In the 19th minute of the pivotal Pool 4 Champions Cup meeting in Paris last Sunday, JJ Hanrahan and his Munster colleagues jogged back behind halfway to receive a Racing 92 restart.

Andy Farrell's first squad was not one named for shock value, though the omissions are as notable as the new additions.

The coaching group have also named four development players who will train with the squad.

Munster lock Jean Kleyn has emerged as an injury doubt for Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup pool finale at home to Ospreys, with Johann van Graan insisting his side is still alive in the competition.

There are three key metrics that Munster can use to measure progress, writes Owen Harrison.

In the end, there was simply too much firepower for Munster to cope with. They had battled hard for 70 minutes, taking a 22-20 lead into the endgame and keeping hopes of another European miracle alive.

The Munster head coach was able to select JJ Hanahan as his starting fly-half to face Racing 92 in Sunday’s crucial Heineken Champions Cup pool clash at La Défense Arena.

Johann van Graan was left counting the casualties as he turned his focus towards this Friday’s visit to Ulster having lost more players to injury in the 13-6 home defeat to Leinster on Saturday.

Dave Kilcoyne makes his return from a calf injury to start for Munster against Connacht in tomorrow's PRO14 clash.

There's no room for Rob Kearney, Seán Cronin, Jordi Murphy, Jack Carty, John Ryan or Kieran Marmion – with newly eligible Jamison Gibson-Park jumping ahead of the Connacht man at scrum-half.

With the Six Nations kicking off in less than two months, it is the first squad meet-up since the national team returned from Japan.

Saracens have named an almost totally different side to face Munster at Allianz Park tomorrow, while the Reds make one change from their 10-3 home win.

Munster won’t want for incentive in London this weekend. In Jean Kleyn’s permutations, beating Saracens at Allianz Park Saturday not only keeps Munster’s hopes alive of Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final qualification, but also offers the opportunity to extinguish the aspirations of the defending champions.

There are three changes to the team that defeated Ospreys.

The veteran Leinster lock had been one of the cornerstones of Ireland’s successes during Schmidt’s six-year reign as Ireland boss

Keith Earls will make his first Munster appearance of the season in tomorrow's Champions Cup opener against the Ospreys.

Felipe Contepomi made the point last week that every Irish player returning from duties in Japan would process the disappointment of the World Cup in their own unique way.

Head Coaches Johann van Graan and Dan McFarland has named his side for Satuday's Guinness PRO14 Interpro derby this Saturday at Thomand Park.

Munster’s South African influence looks like deepening still further with reports that World Cup winners — centre Damian de Allende and lock RG Snyman — are to join the province

De Allende was a star performer as South Africa clinched the World Cup with victory over England on Saturday, having scored the crucial try in their semi-final win over Wales.

Robbie Henshaw will belatedly begin his 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign against Samoa on Saturday after Ireland named a team close to full strength in their bid to qualify for the quarter-finals.

This was a game that Ireland could not afford to labour in, but labour they did all the same.

Ireland got the bonus-point victory expected of them as they took a welcome step towards the World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday but this was not the bounce-back performance required following last Saturday’s defeat to Japan.

Johnny Sexton will return to the Ireland starting line-up on Thursday as Joe Schmidt’s team bids to reignite their World Cup Pool A campaign against Russia with a much-changed XV.

The Irish squad spent their rest day at Universal Studios Japan

The Ireland squad appear to be enjoying their Japan adventure if their social media activity is anything to go by.

Munster defence coach JP Ferreira admits he was surprised to see Jean Kleyn make the Ireland squad for the Rugby World Cup but says the South African-born lock is being rewarded for his hard work with the province.

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Brian O’Driscoll believes Ireland can back up their World No.1 ranking by winning the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Ireland will take a fully fit squad to Japan for the World Cup.

The 26-year-old Waratahs player will provide cover across the second-row and back-row.

CJ Stander has never shied away from the dirty work. Picture the Munster back row in action and it’s highly likely the image will involve a freeze frame of him with ball tucked under an armpit and ducking his head into contact for the umpteenth time.

The clock had long dipped into the red at the end of the first-half by the time Jonathan Sexton attempted one of those trademark wraparound moves only to be swallowed by a bear hug of a tackle and then held up by a posse of supporting Welshmen.

Having trailed 10-7 at half-time, Ireland started the second period with intent with two tries before the hour mark

Ireland supporters are about to discover whether their team’s trials and tribulations of the past few months will have been worth it when the World Cup squad gets put through its final paces before Japan at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

There were tears on Thursday morning as Rory Best stepped off the Ireland team's training pitch at Carton House for the last time.

The Irish team to face Wales this Saturday has been announced.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned through Trump and Brexit and any number of other modern misadventures then it must be the depressing truth that facts and logic come a distant second to raw emotion and an indignant sense of righteousness.

This Saturday’s game against Wales may mark the start of Jonathan Sexton’s season but it will mark the last time that an Ireland team takes to the field in Dublin under the watchful eye of Joe Schmidt.

Agustin Pichot’s ears must have been burning yesterday at lunchtime as Joe Schmidt responded to the Argentine’s criticism of the decision to select a project player ahead of Devin Toner in Ireland’s World Cup squad.

In the same way that we shouldn’t have been too crestfallen by the heavy defeat in Twickenham, Ireland’s confidence-boosting win against Wales in Cardiff last weekend also needs to be put into context.

Joe Schmidt has spent four years building a greater strength in depth into the Ireland squad but Jonathan Sexton knows that the success of such endeavours will be judged on how the team fares at the World Cup.