It is not just the levels of professionalism in the Saracens squad coming to Thomond Park that impress Peter O’Mahony but the quality of the individuals that give the Munster skipper pause for thought

Mark McCall believes the addition of Stephen Larkham and Graham Rowntree to the Munster coaching team has made them more formidable opponents

Mark McCall says Saracens, who are tomorrow expected to drop their appeal to the punishment dished out for breaching the Premiership salary cap, will continue to battle for glory at home and in Europe.

Whatever about losing the World Cup final, English rugby had every right to be feeling good about itself and the future of the game after a successful tournament in Japan — until, of course, they found themselves with a PR nightmare on their hands with revelations about Saracens and their manipulation of the Premiership salary cap.

Mark McCall’s public confession that Saracens may have to sacrifice the Champions’ Cup in order to preserve their domestic status will have fallen on stony ground all over Europe.

Farmers like the McCalls can play a leading role in the battle for Ireland’s threatened bees, writes Ellie O’Byrne.

And before we know it, another season comes to a sudden and dramatic end.

Mark McCall leans against a wall, his back to one of the many framed photos celebrating the local football club’s storied past, as he processes questions about his own club’s route towards legendary status.

Tadhg Furlong might not have done Leinster any favours when he opened Mako Vunipola’s eyes to what it takes to be a true, world-class prop, on the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

There has been a surge in stories lately about who’s going to end up where in 2020 and not all of it has been about your columnist.

Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, handed Munster a crumb of comfort in the aftermath of his team’s 32-16 Champions Cup semi-final win in Coventry.

Mark McCall made a record-breaking start to his first crack at the European Cup as head coach of Ulster. He responded by resigning.

In a statement, European Professional Club Rugby said: “EPCR does not condone the entry of a spectator to the field of play.

Fiji — Whatever about the rugby insights in these Irish Examiner columns, you’ve got to award me points for some of the datelines; Fiji being the latest this week.

This time 12 months ago, Munster and Leinster felt bulletproof as they approached their respective Champions Cup semi-final deciders against Racing 92 and Scarlets, with both squads densely fortified with players from Ireland’s all-conquering Grand Slam team.

The sound of Irishmen baying for blood isn’t going to bother Saracens in the slightest this weekend.

Saracens would have hoped for a quieter week than the one just gone but Maro Itoje, for one, is aiming to block out the outside noise against old foes Munster in the Champions Cup semi-final on Saturday in Coventry.

Iain Henderson bustled and hustled his way to a try in each half as Ulster barnstormed to a bonus-point victory over Scarlets to keep their Heineken Champions Cup qualifying hopes very much alive.

This is not a rant against cheerleading.

Mark McCall looked back with pride on Saracens’ two-year reign as European titleholders but admitted his side’s grip on the Champions Cup was dislodged by a better Leinster team.

Over the past few years, on their way to two Champions Cup triumphs, Saracens have been faced with a number of daunting away trips.

Owen Farrell will be given until Friday to prove his fitness for Saracens' Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster but Billy Vunipola has been ruled out of the trip to Dublin.

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

The new chief executive of EasyJet will take a pay cut to match the salary of his predecessor, Carolyn McCall, said the airline, in a bid to battle against the gender pay gap.

The boss of easyJet will take a salary cut to demonstrate his "personal commitment" to equal pay.

Wasps 26 - Ulster 7: Wasps ended their European Champions Cup group campaign on a winning note with a convincing 26-7 victory over Ulster at the Ricoh Arena.

Ulster loosehead Kyle McCall is like any prop: he wants to scrummage, and scrummage his opposite number off the park. 

Saracens back-rower Billy Vunipola could miss the first month of the Aviva Premiership season in England as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.

A man has admitted murdering his brother and attempting to murder his brother's girlfriend in a New Year's Day house fire.

Cautious comments by British budget airline Easyjet on the outlook for summer pricing hit its shares and those of rival airlines yesterday, overshadowing an increased profit target after a strong quarter.

When Carolyn McCall left the media world for the airline industry seven years ago, newspaper publishers were under siege from a shift online that sucked away advertising revenue. Now she’s coming back to run ITV, just as the battleground has moved to television.

The lack of an Irish presence may have dampened our enthusiasm in the buildup to the Champions Cup final but, in the end, worthy finalists Saracens and Clermont Auvergne produced a captivating spectacle.

Saracens’ trophy hunters may not have achieved greatness yet, but Billy Vunipola believes they are striving to bring Barcelona-esque levels of domination to European rugby.

Ulster 17 Leinster 13: Thankfully it wasn’t all about the game itself on a bright summer’s day at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday. At least two stand-out moments came from the two Ulster players who were bidding farewell to a venue they had graced on numerous occasions.

Munster boss Rassie Erasmus believes Anthony Foley would be really proud of his team’s path to the Champions Cup semi-finals as the province returns to the scene of their late head coach’s final game, writes Simon Lewis.

New York-based Anthony McCall has blurred the lines between film and sculpture for his first Irish