Racing 92’s head coach Laurent Travers is readying his side for a proxy European Cup knockout dogfight this weekend describing tomorrow’s clash as a “last-16 match”.

As we cast about for signs ahead of this evening’s replay, Michael Moynihan suggested a face-off between Castleknock’s Colin Farrell and Fossa’s Michael Fassbender, seeing some eerie omens for each county in their film roles.

A look at the Republic of Ireland's player performances against Bulgaria tonight.

Unlike John Egan and Enda Stevens, who both made it to Croker on Sunday, Darren Randolph watched proceedings on television and, as one goalkeeper observing another, was much taken with the performance of the Dublin netminder Stephen Cluxton.

Mick McCarthy's men face Switzerland in a "huge" Euro2020 qualifier on September 5 before a friendly with Bulgaria five days later.

Darragh McElhinney produced an outstanding performance to smash the Irish U20 5000m record in Oordegem, Belgium on Saturday, the Glengariff 18-year-old becoming the first ever Irish junior to break 14 minutes with his clocking of 13:54.10.

Spoiler alert for Mark Travers and, more particularly, the other Irish players who will spend part of their day off from training tomorrow by taking to one of the Algarve’s innumerable golf courses.

That Irish ’keeper Mark Travers played in midfield and upfront as a youngster before opting to go between the posts is now standing to him in his burgeoning top-flight career.

Ronan O’Gara is at the centre of a TOP14 battle for his services next season between La Rochelle and former club Racing 92.

Shane Long was a new injury casualty for Mick McCarthy yesterday, the Southampton striker having to withdraw from the Irish squad with a groin strain.

Also included is Aston Villa's Glenn Whelan, who was expected to have played his last game for Ireland after captaining the side in a 36-minute ceremonial cameo against Northern Ireland in November.

The only vague surprise about France coach Jacques Brunel’s decision to keep faith with the 23 players who beat Scotland for Sunday’s Six Nations match against Ireland was that it was the first time he has named the same side for consecutive matches since taking the job in January 2018.

As everyone’s favourite nanny returns to screens, UK children’s laureate Lauren Child talks to Hannah Stephenson about the iconic character’s reboot

The Nenagh man accompanied co-coach Laurent Travers and captain Yannick Nyanga to yesterday’s media event and found himself facing 50% of the enquiries from the floor.

Donnacha Ryan likes to lose himself in Paris when he isn’t doing his day job with Racing 92.

Donal Lenihan examines the decisive factors today at the San Mamés Stadium

Johnny Sexton waited almost a decade to experience the satisfaction of playing a central role in an Ireland Grand Slam success, but he will try not to scratch a similar itch when Leinster contest their first Champions Cup final in six years in Bilbao today.

There’s nothing worse than the chaotic airport scenes that invariably follow these painful European exits.

It will take just over an hour by air for the Racing 92 players to fly to Toulouse for Sunday’s important Top 14 game at the Stade Ernest Wallon, writes Ronan O’Gara.

It’s all happening for the firm behind the first accurate breast milk flow monitor, writes Trish Dromey.

Ciara Mageean made it through to this evening’s European Indoor 1500m final but it was far from pretty.

AIB says it has approved over €300 million in loans to the hotel sector in 2016.

Leinster 25 Munster 14: However preoccupied the coaching staff at Racing 92 may be as they deal with the fallout from leaked positive dope test results, a look at the tape of Munster’s defeat in Dublin will provide an altogether more welcome shot in the arm.

A woman charged with murdering her colleague by driving him into a harbour, where he drowned, told a paramedic that “he shouldn’t have been there. I drove the car into the water,” her trial has heard.

The Sunday World has apologised, and agreed to pay undisclosed damages, to a Bank of Ireland employee under a settlement of his legal action alleging defamation in an article concerning a €7.6m tiger kidnapping heist in Dublin.

A Bank of Ireland employee was warned by an armed gang that there would be “blood on your hands” if he did not co-operate during a €7.6m ‘tiger-kidnapping’ heist in Dublin, the High Court has been told.

Fionnuala McCormack cruised to a facile win at the Spar Great Ireland Run in Dublin yesterday, the 31-year-old taking her first victory in the 10km race in 33:30 ahead of Deirdre Byrne and Maria McCambridge.

A controversial sitcom set around the Great Famine will not make it to TV screens, it was confirmed yesterday.

American Pharoah produced a dazzling performance to make history in becoming the first Triple Crown hero to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic as he led his rivals a merry dance at Keeneland on Saturday night.

Ronan O’Gara’s Racing have a new name this season, and a new look to their backline following the departures of Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Roberts over the summer.

I was talking to the assistant manager from my local bank the other day. Very bright lad, sharp as a tack, the sort who could accurately count your lodgement just by having a quick glance at the size of it out of the corner of his eye.

The President of the High Court has said it is “hard to understand” how Dublin Bus drivers are expected to deal with problems among passengers as well as heavy traffic and taking fares.

Some six years after the idea of junior cycle reform was floated, there has finally been an agreement, writes Education Correspondent Niall Murray

Further strikes or mass demonstrations at the Department of Education could be staged in the next school year if the junior cycle row remains un-resolved, a union leader has warned.

New assessment methods for junior cert students are to be covered in training which Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan plans to take place next month despite an ongoing union ban on 27,000 teachers attending.

School-based assessments of junior cycle students will be valued by teachers and parents more than exams over time, the country’s top schools inspector predicts.

Mark English is through to tomorrow’s 800m final at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Prague.

A request by teacher unions to have training on the new junior cycle suspended has been rejected by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan.

Teachers should be allowed give their views on the final junior cycle reform plans instead of their union leaders vetoing them, Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has said.

The executive councils of the ASTI and TUI will meet later to decide how to respond to a compromise plan for reforming the Junior Cycle.

Mark English wrapped up his preparations for Prague 2015 by taking the Glo Health national indoor 800 meter title in Athlone I.T today.