Enda McEvoy gives the TV View of Ireland’s winning match with England. 

Considering that everyone has been in such a rush to give Ireland the title, it seems only right that the new champions should now be in line for a golden handshake.

That’s one way to pass the time.

Leinster 22 Ulster 7: Hardly a chastening festive period for Leinster. but a haul of just four points from their two Guinness Pro12 derbies has served to portray their progress in a more realistic light than the afterglow of two facile victories over Northampton Saints.

After an incredible test at Soldier Field during which Ireland reached into physical and mental reserves to achieve one of the most famous of all their rugby victories, the reaction here in New Zealand is — shock horror — joy.

Seven years on from that Leinster-Munster ding dong in front of a world record crowd at Croke Park and the prospects of seeing anything like it again at the business end of a European campaign appear slim.

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

Keith Wood has called on Joe Schmidt to appoint Rory Best as Ireland’s captain for the Six Nations.

Jonny Sexton reckons he is getting back to his best form just in time for the start of Ireland’s Six Nations title defence.

Jonathan Sexton won his fly-half battle with Dan Biggar to help send Leinster to the top of the Guinness Pro12 table with victory over the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium.

Ospreys forwards coach Chris Gibbes reckons tonight’s out-half showdown between Dan Biggar and Jonny Sexton will be one to savour.

When one side scores arguably the finest try of the season within the first three minutes and the other misses a penalty from in front of the posts a few moments later, the message is already loud and clear.

As they prepare to head into the lion’s den against title holders Toulon on Sunday afternoon, Jonathan Sexton believes that Leinster need to attack the strengths of the Top 14 giants in their latest European Rugby Champions Cup fixture.

Irish international Robbie Henshaw says he might leave Connacht at the end of the season, but that he has yet to be approached by the IRFU to start contract talks.

There may be a full round of pool games to go over the course of the next seven days but already five teams, including Ireland, have booked a safe passage to the knockout phase of the Rugby World Cup.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Lawrence Dallaglio has backed Ireland to reach the World Cup semi-finals at the very least.

Ireland’s World Cup to do list:

The last time Ireland won back-to-back titles, they sailed home from Liverpool to Dun Laoghaire carrying nothing much more than the clothes they wore. And they travelled third class, with the selectors in first.

So many rudderless English chariots have drifted away on the Liffey over the years they must now pose a danger to shipping in the Irish Sea.

AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final

With Jonny Sexton forced to miss at least the first game of the Six Nations completing a 12 week concussion protocol, the competition has become a key opportunity for his understudies to make their cases for inclusion in the squad for this autumn’s World Cup.

Six things to keep an eye on in this year’s Six Nations

The GAA have been criticised for their lackadaisical attitude to implementing player concussion protocols and ex-Galway attacker Michael Meehan has vehemently stated the “casual approach” to occurrences such as these within the Association needs to be stamped out immediately.

Jack Coonan, the highly-promising Leinster back-row forward and Connacht prop Nathan White, are the only uncapped players in the extended 46-strong Ireland squad announced yesterday by head coach Joe Schmidt. 

French newspaper L’Equipe is reporting that Racing Metro and Ireland fly-half Jonny Sexton has been ruled out of action until after Valentine’s Day next year.

Jonny Sexton has claimed the focus for Ireland is their own performance in the final match of the November test series against Australia on Saturday.

Joe Schmidt has said he is confident that the players who are returning from injury will be able for the rigours of Saturday’s huge game against South Africa.

Joe Schmidt has gone with the young centre partnership of Jared Payne and Robbie Henshaw for Ireland’s game against the Springboks on Saturday.

Brian O’Driscoll had his first stint as a guest presenter on Newstalk’s Off the Ball tonight and took to it like a “duck to water”.

Racing Métro have confirmed that Ireland international Jonny Sexton suffered a broken jaw in Saturday's Top 14 clash with Toulon on Saturday night.

Argentina 17 Ireland 23

Argentina 17 Ireland 29

Former Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan has spoken of his surprise at the decision to bring Jonathan Sexton on tour to Argentina and expressed hope that Joe Schmidt wraps his fly-half in kid gloves for the duration.

On Saturday, Leinster not only bring the curtain down on the domestic rugby season but also on the longest goodbye the game in this country has ever seen when Brian O’Driscoll lines out as a professional rugby player for the last time.

Joe Schmidt has refused to become embroiled in the debate about whether the three-year residency rule should be extended before a player is eligible to play international rugby in an adopted country.

Next month’s tour to Argentina will be the first in the post Brian O’Driscoll era and as another one slips into retirement, captain Paul O’Connell admitted it comes as a reminder his own days are numbered.