Andy Farrell is unequivocal in his belief Ireland can still find a way to win this year’s Six Nations, but there remain several other questions about his squad he will have to address in the coming days.

If Joe Schmidt could get a mulligan for one moment of what turned out to be a fairly average 2019 for Ireland, you’d guess it would be the first 20 minutes of the Six Nations campaign.

Jordan Larmour will tell you it wasn’t bothering him but then it was him who brought it up first.

If last week was flat then this was full on.

Whichever way you viewed Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations opening-round win over Scotland seven days ago, there is little arguing with the verdict that Andy Farrell’s players simply have to do better this afternoon against Wales.

It was only last week that Andrew Conway was asked whether, in light of the changes in the Ireland coaching ranks and the different lessons for players to learn, you could teach old dogs new tricks.

After 12 years and 151 tests in charge of Wales, Warren Gatland’s Super Rugby coaching career with the Chiefs began with a remarkable comeback victory over the Blues in Auckland.

One of the strengths that Niall Quinn brings to his new role as FAI Interim Deputy Thingummyjig is that he reminds many people of one of the happiest moments of their lives.

Don’t mention the war? It would be nice not to have to but Ireland’s Six Nations opener takes place in the engorging shadow of last autumn’s ill-starred Asian campaign. Yes, we won’t be forgetting the debacle in Vietnam – sorry, I mean Japan – any time soon. The horror, the horror remains fresh in the memory.

ANDREW CONWAY is getting his due and it has been a long time coming.

For all the elements that make up this brave new world for Andy Farrell and the Ireland team as they head into the 2020 Guinness Six Nations, it is one of the fundamental lessons from the disappointments of 2019 that will register the strongest on matchday one.

On the face of things, the similarities are unavoidable.

Fifteen weeks had passed since Ireland were turfed out of the World Cup by the All Blacks by the time Jordan Larmour sat down today wearing his IRFU gear.

But imagine, in the context of what we saw late last year in Japan, had Ireland gone and won those hosting rights.

When Rory Best blamed Joe Schmidt for taking too much control in 2019 — he inadvertently heaped pressure on the class of 2020. With the Kiwi out of the loop now that excuse no longer exists.

A new-look team was unveiled yesterday as the national team head coach showed his hand for this Saturday’s 2020 Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Scotland

Saturday’s Six Nation’s opener between Ireland and Scotland brings together two coaches at different stages of their journey. Both will be feeling the pressure, but for different reasons, writes Donal Lenihan

"Pete's been absolutely sensational since I gave him the news yesterday."

Andy Farrell has handed Leinster No.8 Caelan Doris a Test debut against Scotland this Saturday at the expense of Peter O’Mahony.

So here we are again, on the cusp of another championship, the first of the decade.

DAN McFarland was looking forward to a day of watching rugby on the couch yesterday as the extent of the challenge awaiting Ulster in the spring slowly unfolded in front of his eyes.

Bob Paisley didn’t want the job of Liverpool manager in 1974.

Andy Farrell believes he will be leading Ireland into a new era with a squad for the upcoming Guinness Six Nations he believes has got the lot.

Andy Farrell's first squad was not one named for shock value, though the omissions are as notable as the new additions.

The coaching group have also named four development players who will train with the squad.

There are three key metrics that Munster can use to measure progress, writes Owen Harrison.

Before Ulster start getting ahead of themselves with giddy thoughts about a home quarter-final in the Champions Cup this season, beware the Clermont back three.

The official changing of the guard from Joe Schmidt to Andy Farrell took place in Abbotstown on the Sunday before Christmas.

The Leinster wing was among the 45 players invited to the national team’s gathering at the new training base at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown last week

It’s the end of the year, and hopefully says you, the end of the end of year awards.

The 23-year-old made his Irish debut just over a year ago against the USA but his hopes of pushing on from there were dashed when he fractured his leg against Connacht on the opening weekend in January.

Andy Farrell has plenty of challenges ahead of him as he embarks on his tenure as Ireland head coach but dealing with the criticism that is bound to come his way sooner or later is not one of them.

Josh van der Flier says that Joe Schmidt always reminded his Ireland players that they were in the presence of greatness.

There's no room for Rob Kearney, Seán Cronin, Jordi Murphy, Jack Carty, John Ryan or Kieran Marmion – with newly eligible Jamison Gibson-Park jumping ahead of the Connacht man at scrum-half.

Joe Schmidt has refuted Rory Best’s suggestion that the Ireland head coach didn’t trust his players enough during the World Cup. And he says Best has since texted him to explain he spoke ‘inadvertently’.

The IRFU performance director delivered his report yesterday into how and why Ireland underperformed in Japan

There was never going to be a single reason for Ireland’s World Cup no-show, but the IRFU’s report into yet another failure at rugby’s biggest tournament will not sit well with former head coach Joe Schmidt.

With his globetrotting Barbarians adventures concluded, and his first week of retirement finally upon him, Rory Best could easily have put on his slippers and emptied his mind of all rugby thoughts.

The IRFU’s report into Ireland’s World Cup failure in Japan will not be a comfortable read for former head coach Joe Schmidt.

It is all but impossible to imagine how Dublin football manager Jim Gavin’s successor might emulate his record five-in-in-a-row All Ireland titles.

Joe Schmidt says former Leinster captain Isa Nacewa sent him a text to row back on his critical analysis of the head coach's approach to his final year in charge of Ireland.

The veteran Leinster lock had been one of the cornerstones of Ireland’s successes during Schmidt’s six-year reign as Ireland boss

Joe Schmidt pinpointed a failure to prioritise last season’s Six Nations as a mistake that sowed the seeds of Ireland’s World Cup disappointment nine months later.

Rhys Ruddock bore the air of a man intent on looking straight ahead as he spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup opener against Benetton.