Jonathan Sexton will go cold into the Six Nations after confirmation on Monday that the out-half will play no part in Leinster's last two Heineken Champions Cup fixtures.

This is the time Andy Farrell has been planning for. The moment that has been in his mind since he was a teenager at the outset of a glittering professional rugby life.

Jamison Gibson-Park knew he was under the microscope when Stuart Lancaster requested he wear a microphone.

Stuart Lancaster says Johnny Sexton is “100% committed” to Leinster, as the head coach dismissed speculation linking the out-half with a move to Lyon.

Robin McBryde was a baby at birth in Bangor...

Stuart Lancaster believes the disappointment felt by Ireland’s World Cup contingent can spur the four provinces to memorable heights in Europe, just as it did their English counterparts four years ago.

Sacked on the back of England’s dismal World Cup showing on home soil in 2015, the Leinster senior coach now finds himself implicated, indirectly, in Ireland’s tortured 2019 campaign which was brought to a limp end by the All Blacks in Tokyo.

Shamim Malekmian meets the rebels behind Elders for the Earth, who are supporting the teenage climate strikers’ campaign for greener policies.

Alex Goode feels he is the victim of a witch hunt at Saracens as the club’s all-for-one, one-for-all attitude goes out of the window when it comes to the squad’s fantasy football league.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

Gordon D’Arcy remembers when angst was the daily diet in Dublin.

Stuart Lancaster needs no introduction to the dangers Leinster will be facing when they go toe-to-toe with Saracens in Saturday’s heavyweight Heineken Champions Cup final.

Leinster remain optimistic that Sean Cronin will be passed fit for Saturday's Heineken Champions Cup final against Saracens in Newcastle.

The consensus is that Leinster have not been the same ruthlessly efficient machine in Europe this season as last.

Ireland’s U20s are not about to shy away from talk of history.

Leinster have been keen to get something across this week.

Leinster’s run-in to the weekend’s crucial Heineken Champions Cup clash with Toulouse at the RDS got off to a worrying start yesterday with news that Jonathan Sexton is a serious doubt.

Leo Cullen is “hopeful” that Stuart Lancaster will still be part of his coaching staff at Leinster next season.

“I don’t think there’s another Joe out there,” says Ronan O’Gara, when guided toward the topic of life after Joe Schmidt.

When the RFU eventually begins their search to find a replacement for Eddie Jones, there is no need for them to scour the globe.

Leinster boss Stuart Lancaster says he came down hard on his players after their two-point defeat to Scarlets on Saturday.

Tonight will tell Stuart Lancaster a lot.

Stuart Lancaster has backed his Leinster double winners to lay down a big marker for Ireland’s World Cup hopes next year when they take on Australia over three Tests this summer.

Every once in a while whenever the notion takes them, the gods decide to even up the score and divert the course of history.

Stuart Lancaster has joined the public chorus of voices calling for Joey Carbery to stay at Leinster.

Stuart Lancaster has labeled Jonathan Sexton as the “complete” player and suggested the out-half could even emulate Tom Brady by excelling at the elite level beyond his 40th birthday.

Leinster’s journey back to the summit of European club rugby is not yet complete but it is worth pointing out just how far they have already covered in such a short space of time as they contemplate the final step in Bilbao.

Munster expect Keith Earls to resume training this week as the province step up preparations for Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final v Racing 92 in Bordeaux.

“They’ve been hugely impressed with how fast he’s gotten to the stage he’s at.”

Robbie Henshaw’s season looked to be over when he dislocated a shoulder against Italy in the Six Nations. Seven weeks later and things have changed for the better.

Few games present themselves on a canvas decorated with such broad and simplistic brush strokes as Sunday’s meeting between Leinster and Saracens.

After the 2015 World Cup, the Racing 92 coaching ticket was invited to meet the ex-England head coach Stuart Lancaster in Paris, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Garry Ringrose will need to take a big step to replace teammate Robbie Henshaw in Ireland’s Six Nations clash against Wales in two weeks’ time.

Stuart Lancaster has played down the growing hype surrounding the potential St Patrick’s Day Grand Slam showdown between England and Ireland.

Stuart Lancaster has confirmed he has had no contact with Northampton Saints about their vacant director of rugby position and that he has no intention of calling time on his involvement with Leinster.

Leo Cullen is hoping that Stuart Lancaster continues to ignore the whispers connecting him to vacant posts in the Aviva Premiership, with Northampton Saints the latest role to be painted as a good fit for the former England head coach.

The past weekend was a golden one for the Irish provinces against their English counterparts, but Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster isn’t getting carried away with talk of a power shift in the Champions Cup.

Stuart Lancaster refused to engage in a public spat with Rob Andrew, after his former RFU colleague heaped blame on Lancaster for England’s disastrous 2015 Rugby World Cup.

It’s been a long time since Jack Conan looked ill at ease in any jersey, but the Leinster back row couldn’t help but fidget and squirm in the new Ireland number he was asked to sport at the kit’s launch on Dublin’s southside.

Joe Schmidt has thrown the gauntlet down to Ireland’s World Cup 2019 hopefuls to cope with Japan’s unique rugby conditions and also challenged a string of second-row forwards to fill the remaining vacancy on next month’s tour.

Two minutes to go, four points to the good and the noise of over 51,000 people ringing in your ears.

Elite sport holds no respect for age.