TWO defeats against England in 2019 mean Andy Farrell faces big challenges tomorrow afternoon at Twickenham. So what needs to happen for Ireland to win?

Bundee Aki believes Ireland are going to have to bring their 'A' game to Twickenham on Sunday if they are to continue their winning start to the 2020 Guinness Six Nations.

When your son is the England captain and you are the Ireland boss, meetings between the two sides tend to be intriguing and more than a little awkward, unless you’re Andy or Owen Farrell that is.

The French sporting press rarely struggles to find strong words - good or bad - to describe their national teams' performances, but journalists and pundits didn't quite know how to react after Les Bleus beat England in Paris on Sunday.

Saracens will be visiting clubs such as Ealing Trailfinders, Ampthill, and Hartpury RFC in the Green King IPA Championship next season, writes Donal Lenihan.

CHAMPIONS Cup organisers EPRC has launched an investigation into the sideline incidents in the second half of Munster's Round 4 clash with champions Saracens at Allianz Park.

Johann van Graan backed his players to make the right on-pitch decisions after Munster missed a chance to rescue a losing bonus point in a 15-6 defeat at Saracens today.

Munster have reached one objective in this Heineken Champions Cup campaign by beating Saracens for the first time in five years last Saturday.

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.

One man’s setback appears to be an opportunity for a couple of his team-mates as Johnny Sexton’s likely absence from the start of the Six Nations seems to have opened the door for a pair of Munster stars to take centre-stage with Ireland in the coming weeks.

Saracens are set to bring their big guns back for the return match with Munster next weekend after leaving Limerick with a losing bonus point.

Johann van Graan admitted Saracens’ losing bonus point at Thomond Park could be crucial in the final shake-up in Munster’s European pool campaign.

Ask any Munster supporter their thoughts on the Saracens personnel coming to Thomond Park this evening and they will take the matchday squad named by Mark McCall yesterday in a heartbeat. Ask the Munster coaching group the same question and they will not be taking anything for granted.

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

It's 20 years since Munster did that number on Francois Pienaar’s Saracens at Thomond Park.

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

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

Some revealing facts can be laid bare today about the once symbiotic relationship between Munster and the drop goal, a weapon that never seemed to fail in the hands of Ronan O’Gara.

Sean O’Brien was among a handful of former Leinster stars who returned to the team HQ this week to set the scene for the province’s ‘drive for five’ ahead of today’s Heineken Champions Cup opener against Benetton.

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.

There was something cathartic about the way Japan hosted the Rugby World Cup. It made you feel good about the sport. The interaction of fans from all over the world, without rancour or fear, the manner with which visitors to the country were welcomed and embraced, the dignity around the tragic fallout from Typhoon Hagibis.

English and European champions Saracens have been docked 35 points and fined more than £5m, pending appeal, over breaches of salary cap rules.

Move over Dean Richards, Harlequins, and ‘Bloodgate’, there is an even bigger bad news story to overtake you in the annals of English club rugby history, writes Rob Cole.

Eddie Jones says that England are going to be “kicking stones for four years” following their comprehensive World Cup final defeat against South Africa.

This is a contest fit for the final itself with the winner fancied to go all the way.

Eddie Jones has issued a ‘do-or-die’ call to arms ahead of England’s World Cup battle against Australia.

Peter Jackson Time to call a halt as refs fail to implement penalty rules

England are in the middle of a long break between pool games.

Michael Cheika picked a fight with the World Cup organisers yesterday over their banning of Reece Hodge, adamant that Australia had been singled out for special treatment.

England proved too much for Pacific Islanders, running out convincing 35-3 winners

Joe Schmidt doesn’t forget.

Brian O’Driscoll believes Garry Ringrose’s place in the Ireland starting XV is in doubt.

England have beaten Ireland 57-15 in their World Cup warm-up Test at Twickenham.

Shane Horgan has warned that Ireland are too dependent on Jonathan Sexton and believes there is a case for Joey Carbery to play beside the out-half in what would be a huge departure for the team under Joe Schmidt.

Brendan O’Brien Conan: We didn’t play the Leinster rugby that got us to the final

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.

Peter Jackson picks his XV for the Heineken Champions Cup Team of the Tournament.

Steffan Thomas rates the players of both sides of the Heinken Champions Cup final.

Nothing has typified the indomitable will of both Leinster and Ireland in recent years so much as their habit of sticking the knife into opponents in the moments and minutes approaching half-time.

Leinster’s bid for a record fifth European crown came up short at St James’ Park on Saturday as Saracens reclaimed the Heineken Champions Cup for their third title in four seasons.

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.

Dig around through the entrails of Leinster’s last ten years of European triumphs and there are surprisingly few threads connecting them all.

Donal Lenihan on the players and performances that could shade today’s meeting of the European superpowers in Newcastle.

A fifth win for Leinster tomorrow will make them the most successful side in the history of the competition.