Simon Lewis reports from Yokohama.

Ireland supporters will have breathed a little easier on Saturday night following this victory at the Principality Stadium.

Jacob Stockdale’s interception of a wayward Aaron Shingler offload on 28 minutes was expertly finished by the Ireland wing to notch his second try of the first-half and establish a 12-point cushion that allowed the Irish to release the pressure valve that had been tightening for the past week.

The 2018 Grand Slam champions suffered a humiliating 57-15 defeat to England in London less than two weeks ago

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

The Ireland team to play England on Saturday has been announced and Ross Byrne is set to win his third cap.

Wales have completed the Grand Slam after beating Ireland 25-7 in their Guinness Six Nations match in Cardiff.

Munster booked their place in the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals for an 18th time as they ground out a dogged victory over English league leaders Exeter at a sold-out Thomond Park on Saturday night.

Rival coaches Johann van Graan and Richard Cockerill have adopted contrasting strategies in choosing their teams for tonight’s (7.35pm) Guinness PRO14 encounter at Musgrave Park.

Joey Carbery may not be happy to take the late hits but if it frees up a teammate then he will continue to endure the pain for the Munster cause.

Munster boss Rassie Erasmus admitted his side only had themselves to blame after poor discipline allowed man of the match Johnny Sexton to secure derby victory for Leinster at Aviva Stadium today.

If you are going to make changes in the aftermath of a crushing defeat you would be advised to have a few British & Irish Lions hanging around the place looking for some game time and that is just the luxury Rassie Erasmus has at his disposal this afternoon.

Munster and Ireland second row Donnacha Ryan has inked a deal to move to Ronan O’Gara’s Racing 92 in Paris, Examiner Sport understands.

UCC 2 UCD 1

Peter O’Mahony returns to captain Munster in tonight’s Guinness Pro12 clash with Glasgow Warriors on their 4G pitch at Scotstoun and is joined in the back-row by Tommy O’Donnell who makes his 100th appearance for the province.

Munster 33, Ospreys 0: Head coach Rassie Erasmus made a declaration of intent in last night’s match programme when he insisted Munster couldn’t afford to have a rollercoaster season. 

Kerry 4-17, Meath 3-11: Kerry claimed their fifth consecutive All-Ireland M’B’HC title when overcoming a determined Meath side in Semple Stadium on Saturday.

Cork hurling manager Kieran Kingston has continued his policy of rotation for tomorrow night’s Munster SHL clash with Waterford in Mallow (7.30pm).

Ian Maguire will make his first senior football appearance for Cork in almost a year in Sunday’s McGrath Cup opener against Limerick in Mallow (2pm).

Glen Rovers have reached a second consecutive Cork SHC final but they will have to wait another week to find their opponents in the October 11th decider, with Erin’s Own and Sarsfields drawing in the second semi.

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt toasted fly-half Johnny Sexton after his playmaker helped get his team's World Cup Pool D campaign off to a flying start with a seven-try rout of Canada.

Cian Healy will have to come cold to the World Cup later this month after the Leinster loosehead was omitted from the Ireland team to face England in the last of the four warm-up games, in Twickenham on Saturday.

And so it begins.

Munster 30 Treviso 19: Five points in the bag courtesy of Saturday’s victory over Treviso and Munster are sitting exactly where they want to be in the top two of the Guinness Pro 12 and within touching distance of a home semi-final.

Guinness Pro 12

Edinburgh 3 Munster 34: Edinburgh scarcely represented Munster’s biggest hurdle in their march towards the knockout stages of the Guinness Pro12 league but nevertheless the visitors were in ruthless form in Scotland on Saturday afternoon.

Anthony Foley has wasted no time in recalling Ireland’s Six Nations heroes as the province continue to seek the victories required to help them to a top two Guinness Pro12 finish.

Wales 23 Ireland 16: Ireland’s Grand Slam ambitions have been ended and their hopes of retaining the Six Nations title severely dented by a seven-point defeat to Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Joe Schmidt has warned his players not to get distracted by all the hullaballoo surrounding Ireland as they take their ongoing bid for an RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam to Cardiff tomorrow.

Joe Schmidt has declared his confidence in Munster out-half Ian Keatley, who will wear the number ten jersey for Ireland against Italy on Saturday.

Joe Schmidt finally had some good news to share as he named a trimmed-down Ireland squad for the first two rounds of the RBS 6 Nations, with first-choice scrum-half Conor Murray expected to be fit to face Italy in Rome on Saturday.

Jack Coonan, the highly-promising Leinster back-row forward and Connacht prop Nathan White, are the only uncapped players in the extended 46-strong Ireland squad announced yesterday by head coach Joe Schmidt. 

Zebre 7 Munster 31: Munster got the result and — for 40 minutes at least — the performance they wanted in Italy which sends them into next Saturday’s vital Champions Cup clash with Saracens.

Anthony Foley has warned Keith Earls will have a battle to reclaim his place in the Munster side after naming the Ireland international in the replacements for the Pro12 clash against bottom-of-the-table Zebre today.

Connacht 24 Munster 16