France secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a 23-21 victory over Tonga at the Kumamoto Stadium.

Your round-up of the stories behind the headlines from Day 14 of #RWC2019

France run out 23-21 winners over spirited Argentina side

He's not the only big name to miss out in a reshuffled squad.

With question marks hanging over both provinces heading into their respective Champions Cup semi-finals, the likelihood of an all-Irish European final appeared distinctly unlikely in advance of the weekend’s action.

Leinster refuse to be a team that limits their eggs to the one basket.

All things — good and bad — come to an end. So it was, on the first Saturday in April, six days after they had defeated Racing 92 in the Champions Cup quarter-final, by a single point and with 14 players, Toulouse’s record-breaking unbeaten domestic run finally hit the rocks, against Toulon.

Last week’s epic defeat of Clermont Auvergne has solidified the sense that Toulouse are back at their rollicking, unpredictable best.

Toulouse joint-coach Regis Sonnes said that the manner in which they came from behind to oust Clermont Auvergne 47-44 in a 10-try thriller at Le Stadium sets them up perfectly for a crack at Leinster next weekend.

Italy's losing sequence in the Guinness Six Nations extended to a record 22 matches but France were pushed all the way before prevailing 25-14 at the Stadio Olimpico.

Packing down in France’s ProD2 is a rite of passage for forward play. Little wonder it’s delivering readymade talent for the national side, says James Harrington.

Jacques Brunel believes France can exploit “weaknesses” in Ireland’s game in Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash in Dublin.

France international centre Gaël Fickou admits victory over a weakened Scotland has restored “a little confidence” in their under-fire squad, but Sunday’s clash with Ireland in Dublin will be a “step up” in class.

Joe Tomane will make his first European start for Leinster against Toulouse in Sunday's Heineken Champions Cup clash.

The prospect of a shock victory was but a false promise when Ireland took a 12 points lead into the break in the opening match of the World Rugby U-20 Championship in Perpignan.

Thousands of Irish kids could relate to Harry Byrne’s youthful admiration of Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara but Ireland’s U20s out-half had another role model to emulate much closer to home.

Romain Ntamack, son of former French star Emile, led the way as France opened their Six Nations campaign with a win but only after they held off a spirited Irish recovery.

A stirring second-half fightback from the Ireland Under-20s fell short as fortune favoured France in a 34-24 Six Nations win for the hosts in Bordeaux.