Glasgow Warriors reclaimed top spot in Conference A of the Guinness PRO14 with a fantastic five-try 39-24 win over fellow table toppers Leinster at the RDS.

Finn Russell had read Joey Carbery’s intention as clearly as if it were laid bare on the giant screen above them at Murrayfield. The Scotland fly-half took full advantage of the situation to intercept the replacement’s pass and make the break, offloading from the deck after Keith Earl’s last-ditch tackle to hand Sam Johnson his 28th-minute try, a score that cut the visitors’ lead to two points.

It is not often you can regard a championship Test match as a dress rehearsal. After all, this is the big one, the Guinness Six Nations, rugby’s greatest championship say the marketing men, who for once, may just be right, and certainly the oldest and revered.

Quite what impact Saturday’s Murrayfield result has on the next time Ireland meet Scotland in September’s key opening World Cup pool game in Yokohama remains to be seen but, right now, Joe Schmidt has more immediate problems to address, writes Donal Lenihan.

Joe Schmidt hopes Johnny Sexton will shake off a head injury in time for Ireland's Guinness Six Nations trip to Italy.

Here's how both teams rated as Ireland defeated Scotland 22-13.

Ireland bounced back from their painful home defeat to England as they got their Guinness Six Nations title defence back on track with a much-needed victory at Murrayfield.

Gregor Townsend’s side got their Six Nations tournament off to the perfect start.

Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend believes his side will have to play even better against Racing 92 if they are to repeat last week’s historic win.

Winger Tommy Seymour ran in four tries for Glasgow in a 33-25 victory over Leinster on Scotstoun's new artificial pitch.

Not the start the defending champions would have wanted.

Motorsport

REPUBLICANS seeking to defend US President George W Bush’s troop build-up in Iraq tapped military veterans among their own ranks to lead the debate yesterday as Democrats relished likely victory in their fight for a resolution opposing Bush’s policy.