THE RDS promises to deliver more than the usual fare tomorrow for a Six Nations down-week.

‘Narrative’ is not a word that pops up too often in media interviews, but Andrew Conway had it locked and loaded when he sat down for a sponsor’s event in Dublin. First was the, yes, narrative.

Chris Farrell and Jack O’Donoghue return to Munster.

Conor Murray or John Cooney? It’s the selection question that has polarised opinion at the outset of Ireland’s new era under Andy Farrell but it doesn’t always have to be one or the other.

Meanwhile, uncapped Leinster back-row Will Connors has been drafted into Andy Farrell's squad.

Andy Farrell is convinced there is plenty of road left for Conor Murray to travel in his Test rugby career after backing his under-fire scrum-half to steer Ireland in their Six Nations opener against Scotland in Dublin this Saturday.

Before this game, Leinster repeatedly talked up the difficulty involved in getting one over their Italian opponents.

Leinster clinched top-seed status and a home Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final as they made it a record-breaking 16 wins in a row in all competitions this season with an 18-0 victory at Benetton.

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.

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.

Max Deegan was deemed to be the best player in the world at the U20 grade after his efforts at the World Junior Championships in 2016.

A grim night for the visitors to the RDS. And it could have been much worse.

New year — same old Leinster?

All good things come to an end. The question, when it comes to Leinster’s current unbeaten run, is when.

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.

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.

Seven tries last week, another seven tonight.

‘Tis the season for Christmas jumpers, blue Santa hats, and Leinster at the Aviva.

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.

Northampton has been a happy hunting ground for Leinster in the past and they have the scent of a quarter-final berth in their nostrils yet again after this impressive win.

The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

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

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.

Ireland have been knocked out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage for the seventh time in nine tournaments.

Luke McGrath insists that Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final sticking point will not taint departing head coach Joe Schmidt’s legacy.

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

Ireland’s preparations for Thursday’s World Cup pool clash with Russia were disrupted before kick-off when Joey Carbery was forced out of Joe Schmidt’s matchday squad.

World Cups tend to throw up all manner of surprises.

For all the travails of last weekend’s calamitous defeat by Japan, Joe Schmidt’s belief in his players and their potential to deliver the best World Cup return in Ireland’s rugby history remains steadfast.

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.

Not that Ireland haven’t enough to be getting on with, but there was little evidence in Scotland’s 34-0 defeat of Samoa in Kobe today that Gregor Townsend’s men are ready to rain on Japan’s World Cup parade come their decisive Pool A clash at the World Cup on Sunday October 13th.

Here’s how the players rated in the aftermath of a hugely disappointing result and performance for Ireland in Shizuoka.

Joey Carbery's versatility is an obvious asset to Ireland at this World Cup but the Munster out-half's ankle injury has left him strapped for time and with little option but to concentrate on his primary duties at No.10 before Sunday's opener against Scotland.

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

Joe Schmidt makes his final trip to the Aviva Stadium this afternoon as he takes charge of Ireland on home soil for the 34th and last time.

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

It is a well-balanced Ireland squad, assembled by Joe Schmidt in forensic detail, with the intention of negotiating a successful seven-week World Cup campaign.

So now the real work begins. The debates over squad selection are over, at least inside the Irish camp, and now comes the business end of Joe Schmidt’s preparations for Japan and the 2019 World Cup.

Jean Kleyn: No matter what Agustin Pichot thinks, the South African-born Munster lock has qualified by right and earned his place the hard way after three years of acclimatisation in Limerick.

Joe Schmidt on ...

Ireland’s deep backline resources for the forthcoming World Cup campaign have been underlined by the quality of the players Joe Schmidt has decided to leave at home.

The IRFU named the group that will travel to Japan today, six days earlier than planned, after the shock demotion was leaked.