DESPITE that crushing defeat to Saracens in London, Ulster remain Ireland’s solitary contender to make the last eight of this season’s Champions Cup. 

Munster 26 Stade Francais 13: The smiles have returned to the faces of the Thomond Park faithful after a miserable winter of discontent but Anthony Foley knows there is still a way to go before the sun will shine once more on this Munster side.

Head coach Anthony Foley declared he was prepared to walk away from Munster if he felt he could no longer inspire winning performances from his players.

Munster crashed out of Europe for the second season in succession as they went down to 14-man Stade Francais in the French capital tonight.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Sitting out Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina due to suspension was tough to take but there is a little bit of Sean O’Brien that doesn’t regret lashing out at Pascal Papé in the opening minutes of the final pool game against France.

Joe Schmidt will urge his players to turn the other cheek against Argentina tomorrow if Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final opponents attempt the types of provocation that saw Seán O’Brien banned for striking France’s Pascal Pape.

Ireland are still weighing up whether to appeal Sean O’Brien’s one-match ban ahead of this Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.

Another day closer and growing confidence that Johnny Sexton will be fit to face Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final.

Ireland’s hopes of reaching a first World Cup semi-final received another hammer blow last night as Sean O’Brien received a one-week ban that will see him miss Sunday’s quarter-final with Argentina.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Twitter erupted yesterday after Ireland flanker Sean O’Brien appeared to strike France’s Pascal Pape during Ireland’s victory over les Bleus. 

1. Ireland’s fallen warriors

They paid €20m to be ringside in Cardiff yesterday for the collision of Europe’s only two unbeaten contenders and the rewriting of one family’s tragic World Cup story.

The issues and decisions that will impact tomorrow’s tournament-defining clash with France...

France 41 Canada 18: Another comfortable margin on the scoreboard for France, but doubts hang over Philippe Saint-Andre’s side ahead of their final Pool D encounter with Ireland on Sunday week after a workmanlike defeat of Canada in stadium:mk last night.

Maybe Jamie Heaslip really is invincible after all. Having missed just one RBS 6 Nations game in seven seasons, the absence of Ireland’s mainstay at No.8 from two of the first three games of this 2015 campaign suggested the formerly unbreakable forward was suddenly human after all.

Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations title-chasing squad returned to their Co Kildare training base last night under no illusions about the size of the task facing them in Wales next weekend.

Pascal Pape, the French rugby player, kneed James Heaslip in the back, causing damage to three vertebrae, during the Ireland/France match. Heaslip had to miss subsequent matches.

Pascal Pape’s RBS 6 Nations career has ended in acrimony after the France lock lost his appeal against a 10-week ban for kneeing Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip in the back. 

Dan Biggar scored a try and Leigh Halfpenny kicked five penalties as Wales kept alive their RBS 6 Nations title hopes by beating France in Paris.

Joe Schmidt has named Jordi Murphy in Ireland's Six Nations side to face England at the Aviva on Sunday.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has relegated powerful centre Mathieu Bastareaud to the bench for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in Paris.

I was privileged to attend the Ireland v France Six Nations test match on February 14.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has relegated powerful centre Mathieu Bastareaud to the bench for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in Paris.

If ever there was a week to symbolise exactly how far Ireland’s national team has come, this is it. 

Ireland rugby coach Joe Schmidt has brought in Ulster's Roger Wilson and Munster's Billy Holland to the Ireland squad ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations clash with England at the Aviva.

Something suspicious is happening. Very suspicious, says Larry Ryan.

Johnny Sexton will put his black eye and facial stitches in the firing line in Paris tonight as he bids to clock up some more game time ahead of Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with England in eight days. 

Sean O’Brien has banked his fair share of injuries in seven years as a professional, but the Ireland flanker has declared himself to be relatively unconcerned about the increasing levels of physicality which underpin modern rugby at the top level.

France forward Pascal Pape has been suspended for 10 weeks and will miss the rest of the RBS 6 Nations after he kneed Jamie Heaslip in the back during last Saturday’s game against Ireland.

The full extent of the damage caused to Jamie Heaslip’s back by Pascal Papé’s knee on Saturday was revealed last night when the Ireland camp revealed the No.8 has been ruled out for a month.

Jamie Heaslip is unlikely to feature again in Ireland’s quest to retain the RBS 6 Nations title after being ruled out of action for the next month.

After only two rounds of action, this year’s Six Nations championship has already taken on the appearance of a two-horse race — notwithstanding Wales’ right to dispute that.