If the London Olympics of four years ago is the yardstick by which the Rugby World Cup is to be judged then the tournament organisers have set themselves an incredibly high standard.

Another of the early front runners for the Leinster job has withdrawn himself from the race with Jono Gibbes committing himself to Clermont Auvergne until 2018.

The retiring Shane Jennings is set to go out on a high when captaining the Barbarians against Ireland at Thomond Park tomorrow night.

Robbie Deans has ruled himself out of the running for the Leinster head coach position. The former Australia coach had been linked with the post after it was announced last week that Matt O’Connor had agreed to leave the club by mutual consent.

Barbarians head coach Robbie Deans will go head to head with compatriot Joe Schmidt at Thomond Park on Thursday night believing his invitational side are set to face genuine World Cup contenders.

On a recent trip to New Zealand former Cork player Conor McCarthy got up close with some of the country’s best rugby players and coaches. So how does the GAA compare...?

Official notice of Matt O’Connor’s exit from Leinster landed shortly after 10am yesterday, but the writing had been on the wall for the Australian head coach for a month.

Amidst the mountain of names mentioned yesterday as possible replacements for Matt O’Connor’s Leinster job, it was that of Robbie Deans that emerged on top with the New Zealander’s tumbling odds squaring with earlier smoke signals from sources.

While it had initially looked like Matt O’Connor would see out the final year of his contract with Leinster, yesterday’s news of his departure wasn’t all that surprising.

A pair of iconic southern hemisphere rugby personalities have tipped Ireland to make a huge impact in the upcoming World Cup.

Thomond Park is set to be graced by two more world-renowned stars when the Barbarians face an Ireland XV in Limerick later this month after Wales and Lions duo Adam Jones and Alex Cuthbert were added to Robbie Deans’s invitational squad.

All Blacks legend Joe Rokocoko is set to make his first return to Thomond Park since scoring the winning try against Munster seven years ago after being confirmed for the Barbarians squad to face an Ireland XV in Limerick on May 28.

Joe Schmidt and the IRFU will do what they can to “influence” Paul O’Connell’s next career move, as speculation linking the Ireland captain to a switch to France’s Top 14 refuses to die down despite confirmation that Toulon are not chasing the lock.

In one brief but ground-breaking announcement from the Australian Rugby Union, George Smith, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell were offered the hope of reviving their Wallabies careers in time for this year’s World Cup.

Former Australia head coach Robbie Deans will oversee the Barbarians for their two fixtures against Ireland and their game against England in May.

Despite all the upheaval, history has shown the Aussies are a resilient bunch.

On another day, Jake Schatz would have been a great story.

Ireland 15 Australia 32

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Peter O’Mahony has come a long way from his first brush with the Wallabies back in 2010.

At the time, Quade Cooper’s omission from the Wallabies squad that faced the British and Irish Lions was painted as a disaster for the series.

Eoin Reddan could be in line for a recall to the Ireland team to face Australia with head coach Joe Schmidt weighing up whether to relegate Lions scrum-half Conor Murray to the bench for Saturday’s Aviva Stadium Test.

Rob Kearney will not be carrying any baggage from his personal Lions disappointments when he finally gets to face Australia on Saturday.

Australian sport is going through a rough time at present, something an ultra-competitive, sports-mad nation is finding difficult to come to terms with.

It’s a brisk but bright November morning in Dublin and Ewen McKenzie is chewing the fat with the Irish media about the need to resurrect his side’s fortunes and the requirement that he do it with a certain panache as well.

Forget the poor reviews that follow the Australian pack whenever they play, Ireland will have to up their game at scrum-time when they lock horns with the Wallabies on Saturday, warns Irish forwards coach John Plumtree.

Australia 14 Argentina 13

The lack of Irish coaches operating at the summit of the professional game here should not be a cause for concern, according to Leinster’s new Australian head man.

New Australia coach Ewen McKenzie has no concerns over playmaker Quade Cooper’s ability to perform under pressure ahead of his likely Test return against the All Blacks next month.

Ewen McKenzie is targeting Bledisloe Cup success after being installed as the new Australia coach yesterday.

Ewen McKenzie has been confirmed as Australia’s new head coach following Robbie Deans’ resignation.

Australian rugby chiefs are to fire national coach Robbie Deans and replace him with Queensland’s Ewen McKenzie following the Wallabies’ series loss to the British and Irish Lions.

Robbie Deans has been sacked as Australia head coach following the Wallabies’ Test series defeat to the British and Irish Lions, according to reports in the Australian press.

Agony or ecstasy, there really is nothing in between. So said Warren Gatland an hour after Saturday night’s captivating third Test in Sydney, and how right he is.

Before this Test series even began, Australia coach Robbie Deans predicted the contest would come down to a battle of wills between his Wallabies and the British & Irish Lions.

Twelve years ago George Smith was gearing up for the Wallabies’ crunch third Test with Graham Henry’s Lions outfit in Sydney’s magnificent Olympic Stadium.

Australia coach Robbie Deans has promised his team will play its best rugby of the series tomorrow when the Wallabies face the British and Irish Lions in the decisive third Test at ANZ Stadium.

Australia coach Robbie Deans is surprised by Brian O’Driscoll’s omission from the British and Irish Lions team for Saturday’s deciding Test at ANZ Stadium.

Flanker George Smith has been recalled to the Australia team to face the British and Irish Lions in the third and final Test in Sydney.

Warren Gatland has come out fighting ahead of the British & Irish Lions’ series decider with Australia, questioning whether the Wallabies can reach the necessary emotional peak for Saturday’s third Test.

Australia head coach Robbie Deans insists having captain James Horwill available for the final Test will not give his side an edge but admits his players have received a massive boost after the skipper’s stamping acquittal was upheld.

Australia captain James Horwill watched the Tour de France during a sleepless night spent agonising over whether he would be permitted to lead the Wallabies in Saturday’s series decider against the British and Irish Lions.

Australia captain James Horwill has responded to an appeal hearing’s decision to clear him to play in Saturday’s deciding Test against the British and Irish Lions by declaring he had been “vindicated”.

The haunted look on Brian O’Driscoll’s face at the final whistle said it all.