Tadhg Furlong is nominated for the third year in a row.

Young Munster's Alan Kennedy has been named as captain.

Garry Ringrose’s ability to duck and weave is not confined to the pitch.

The IRFU’s World Cup post-mortem will go on for some time yet but the evidence of the weekend just passed would suggest that many of the players involved have turned the page.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen hailed his returning international contingent after their 33-19 bonus point victory over Benetton Rugby in their Heineken Champions Cup Pool One opener.

The difference between Ireland and New Zealand can be summed up in a few words after Saturday’s defeat.

Player ratings on a disappointing end to Ireland's Rugby World Cup campaign

The decision to switch Beauden Barrett to full-back and move to twin playmakers with Richie Mo’unga at fly-half continues to pay dividends for the All Blacks

This was a game that Ireland could not afford to labour in, but labour they did all the same.

For all the travails of last weekend’s calamitous defeat by Japan, Joe Schmidt’s belief in his players and their potential to deliver the best World Cup return in Ireland’s rugby history remains steadfast.

Johnny Sexton will return to the Ireland starting line-up on Thursday as Joe Schmidt’s team bids to reignite their World Cup Pool A campaign against Russia with a much-changed XV.

Garry Ringrose believes Ireland’s shock defeat to Japan can act as the catalyst for a successful assault on the knockout stages.

Here’s how the players rated in the aftermath of a hugely disappointing result and performance for Ireland in Shizuoka.

Ireland will welcome back Keith Earls and Rob Kearney to the back three for Saturday’s Pool A clash with Japan, but there will be no Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony, or Bundee Aki in the starting XV.

Joe Schmidt doesn’t forget.

Chris Farrell says he is not superstitious. Yet the prospect of playing in a World Cup can do funny things to a player.

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

Ireland supporters are about to discover whether their team’s trials and tribulations of the past few months will have been worth it when the World Cup squad gets put through its final paces before Japan at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

Leinster have won the Guinness PRO14 final after beating Glasgow 18-15 at Celtic Park.

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

Garry Ringrose says no one player can be handed the task of stopping Cheslin Kolbe when Leinster face Toulouse on Saturday.

13 of those who start for Saturday's clash also started when Ireland claimed the Grand Slam against England last March.

Preparations for Saturday’s meeting with Argentina have, to put it mildly, been challenging but Garry Ringrose isn’t tempted to reach for any excuses ahead of Ireland’s clash with the South Americans.

Second-half tries from Garry Ringrose and Sean Cronin did the damage for Leinster in their 20-3 Guinness PRO14 derby win over 14-man Connacht at the Sportsground.

Garry Ringrose celebrated 51 not out last Saturday, as he tipped beyond the half-century mark for Leinster.

Niall Scannell will be thrust into action from kick-off this morning, as Ireland bid to win a first Test series in Australia since 1979.

Donal Lenihan looks at three areas Ireland need to master to win the series in Australia.

Joe Schmidt put the band back together yesterday and reminded his Grand Slam winners they were the rock stars in this Test series with Australia, not the support act, writes Simon Lewis in Melbourne.

The Crusaders got a week off after the Chiefs game up in Hamilton. Some of the squad went off to Fiji for R&R. I’m using the time for a bit of a recharge before heading to Brisbane today ahead of the first test.

Simon Lewis profiles the men chasing glory — and a record-equalling fourth European title - in Spain this evening 

As far as preparation goes for your biggest game in a decade, a 50-point hammering is not ideal.

By any standards, Rob Kearney’s contribution to Ireland’s Six Nations success story has been remarkable.

If things had turned out differently, Garry Ringrose and Ben Te’o could have been both in green today, aiming to take down England and celebrate a grand slam together.

Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh picks an Irish XV comprising of the 2009 Grand Slam team and the team that will chase that title on Saturday. 

A needs-must situation, Joe Schmidt had said.

"Sometimes you don't have the luxury of a plethora of options."

There are also three new faces on the bench from the win over Wales.

Keith Earls was one of the first Irish backs to be landed with the dubious honour of being ‘the next Brian O’Driscoll’, so his first emotion when Garry Ringrose was slapped with the same tag was one of avuncular concern.

Ringrose is expected to ease Ireland's midfield injury glut by starting Saturday's crucial clash with Scotland.

The sight of Garry Ringrose in Ireland gear at yesterday’s training session was heartening in and of itself but it took on far greater significance later in the afternoon when news of Chris Farrell’s ill-fortune broke.

If there had been any misgivings in the Irish management think tank about Chris Farrell taking the next big step in his Test career, the Munster centre’s first few minutes of his Six Nations debut will have dispelled them.

Joe Schmidt has backed Ireland’s “great decision makers” to successfully adapt to whatever conditions or opposition gameplan they face when Wales visit Dublin for this Saturday’s crucial NatWest 6 Nations showdown.

Garry Ringrose will need to take a big step to replace teammate Robbie Henshaw in Ireland’s Six Nations clash against Wales in two weeks’ time.

Garry Ringrose is targeting a mid-to-late February return from injury with Leinster and, all going well, a phone call from Joe Schmidt just as the Six Nations campaigns is reaching towards a crescendo.