England claimed a fifth straight win over Australia in a titanic, and controversial, tussle at Twickenham.

Head coach Mike Ford has left Toulon by mutual agreement, with Richard Cockerill taking charge of the first team, the French side have announced.

The French for goal is ‘but’. I’m not a fan of the English equivalent of the spelling.

Michael Cheika is reluctant to heed fresh calls to shift Israel Folau to the centres as the Wallabies travel to Wellington striving to arrest their worst losing streak in more than a decade.

He may be on the All Blacks’ watchlist but if Joe Schmidt does decide to return to New Zealand when his contract expires 12 months from now, the Ireland head coach will likely do so for more personal reasons.

Racing 29 Toulon 21: An incredible 14-man defensive stand added to some ice-cool kicking allowed Racing 92 and former Ireland icon Ronan O’Gara to secure their first Top 14 title in 26 years.

Shock was the overriding emotion on the Cote d’Azur as Paul O’Connell announced his immediate retirement from the sport he has graced so magnificently over the last 14 years.

It’s more than a quarter of a century since the Berlin Wall came down and communism was rolled up like a musty carpet across Eastern Europe.

Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has launched an audacious bid to see his three-time European champions join the Aviva Premiership.

IRFU head of medical services Rod McLoughlin has warned that concussion is not just a rugby problem.

The odds are stacked against Australia as they head into Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final with arch rivals New Zealand, but coach Michael Cheika is refusing to contemplate defeat.

Michael Cheika is just 80 minutes away from completing the coaching miracle of the professional era after guiding Australia to the World Cup final last night.

Juan Martin Hernandez has warned Argentina to be on guard to face “one of the best players in rugby history” in Matt Giteau.

Jonny Wilkinson may not have known what he was unleashing when he mused aloud near the end of last year that Matt Giteau was such an “exceptional” player, that he didn’t quite know how Australian rugby could have ever let one of the most gifted playmakers in Wallaby annals disappear to work his wonders in Europe.

London rush hour, Monday morning. As London bustles, the Wallabies step softly into their working week which, for Bernard Foley and a handful of his mates, started with an early, low-key chat with the press at their Westminster team base.

Ronan O’Gara analyses all the big issues at the Rugby World Cup.

England 13 Australia 33: Having been in the World Cup for just 15 days, England are now set to enter a month-long period of reviews, damning indictments and calls for heads to roll.

With England facing World Cup oblivion, there were a lot of emotions flying around Twitter - not all of them positive.

Rugby gaming

This lull in the Rugby World Cup action seems to have gone on for years.

France resume their Pool D campaign at the Olympic Stadium against Romania tonight with Johnny Sexton declaring Philippe Saint-Andre’s side “the best they’ve looked in years”.

Australia have won the Rugby Championship and ended a long barren run against New Zealand, firing a World Cup warning shot to England and Wales in the process.

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has declared there can be no excuses for his side in this morning’s Rugby Championship decider against Australia and warns they’re in for a tough game if they don’t improve.

Toulon made rugby union history at Twickenham as they clinched a hat-trick of European titles by defeating fellow French heavyweights Clermont Auvergne 24-18 in the Champions Cup final.

Ireland captain Paul O’Connell would be “an invaluable addition” to Toulon, according to Australia wing Drew Mitchell.

In one brief but ground-breaking announcement from the Australian Rugby Union, George Smith, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell were offered the hope of reviving their Wallabies careers in time for this year’s World Cup.

Leinster will be burdened by massive regrets this week as they somehow attempt to patch themselves up for an unforgiving five-day turnaround with the season-defining outing against Ulster in Belfast on Friday night.

The Top 14’s financial watchdog this week released a report showing France’s top 30 clubs have an accumulated debt of almost €34 million — yet nobody here batted an eyelid, writes Ronan O’Gara.

With their Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon now just six days away, anticipation is building around the Leinster camp as they bid to reach their fourth top-tier European decider in just seven seasons.

IT’S difficult to escape the feeling that Munster’s comprehensive defeat at the hands of Saracens was an accident waiting to happen, says Donal Lenihan.

Saracens and England fly-half Owen Farrell missed his club’s 24-23 loss to Gloucester on Friday with a "minor strain" but coach Mark McCall insisted: "We are very confident he will be fit for Munster next week."

One coach ended up in hospital and the other was left with a serious World Cup headache: Ireland’s win against Australia told vastly different stories for two teams trying to prove themselves.

Former Leinster coach Michael Cheika, above, said he will not try to interfere with Australia’s long-standing policy of refusing to select overseas-based stars.

Obviously I’m biased but, for me, it wasfantastic to see all the old Munster values and traditions were still there.