Twickenham is a strange mix of the magnificent and the meh.It’s an oddly unloveable place but maybe that’s just down to experience, writes Brendan O'Brien.

Donal Lenihan gives his personal reflections on Munster’s first CEO and his friend, Garrett Fitzgerald.

Robin McBryde thinks Ireland’s hammering at Twickenham last August will make life easier for Andy Farrell when the team returns to London on Sunday.

It was a bit early in Andy Farrell’s tenure to be talking about a must-win game, but it was hard to escape the pivotal nature of Saturday’s tasty Six Nations encounter against Wales.

It was a bit early in Andy Farrell’s tenure to be talking about a must-win game, but it was hard to escape the pivotal nature of Saturday’s tasty Six Nations encounter against Wales, writes Donal Lenihan.

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.

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.

With the nightmare of the World Cup in Japan finally consigned to history as the Andy Farrell era of Irish rugby got underway, it is somewhat ironic that the new boss’s very first tournament will have a direct influence on Ireland’s next World Cup campaign in France in three years’ time.

Andy Farrell warned his Ireland players they will need to sharpen up if they are going to keep “cock-a-hoop” Wales at bay in Dublin on Saturday.

Simon Easterby knows what it is to be dropped in at the deep end.

Shaun Edwards played his only game of Rugby Union for England so long ago that Ollie Campbell’s goals had just made Ireland joint champions of the Five Nations.

On the face of things, the similarities are unavoidable.

Shaun Edwards’ decision to join France’s new-look coaching set-up after the World Cup was rumoured for so long that it was far from a surprise when it was finally confirmed. But it still raised a few eyebrows.

When Wayne Pivac sat down with his Wales squad to outline his expectations for the 2020 Six Nations this week, he did so with the Championship’s trophy alongside him.

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

IRELAND’S implosion at the World Cup sent ripples in all sorts of directions.

Canterbury Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has again gone overseas to complete his coaching group.

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

Robin McBryde was a baby at birth in Bangor...

Andy Friend’s Connacht can knock down another barrier in Gloucester tomorrow and in the process take a big step towards a new milestone as they continue to grow impressively under the Australian.

Sometimes it's the words that don't pass a player's lips that stand out.

Love them or loathe them, Saracens have played a big part in Munster’s celebrated European journey.

Rory Best says he hopes to play in the Barbarians’ next two games after captaining the side on his debut at Twickenham on Saturday.

Johann van Graan said from the outset that when it comes to European pool campaigns every minute of every game is crucial.

As if we ever needed reminding, Saturday’s World Cup final highlighted that so much of modern-day sport is played out in the head.

Donal Lenihan outlines where the game will be won and lost.

There is no escaping what the symbolism of Siya Kolisi lifting the Webb Ellis Cup could mean for South Africa, given his well-documented story of poverty to success.

The candidates to succeed Ireland and Joe Schmidt as World Rugby Team and Coach of the Year have been announced.

Eddie Jones and Rassie Erasmus were both celebrating at full time when England and South Africa last contested a World Cup final, at the Stade de France 12 years ago.

Battered and bruised and ultimately beaten, Wales and Warren Gatland’s World Cup dream ended at the hands of a giant South African outfit for the second successive tournament.

With the cream having risen to the top and the four best sides left standing in the tournament providing two contrasting semi-final shootouts, we are left, with a potentially explosive final with rugby north and south of the equator set for a fascinating head to head.

Our columnist Donal Lenihan gives his reaction from today's semi-final and looks ahead to the final.

Wales coach Warren Gatland admitted his side paid the price for conceding too many penalties as they suffered an agonising 19-16 defeat to South Africa in their World Cup semi-final.

This World Cup serves to remind us that previous form or results counts for little. The fact that Ireland had won two of their previous encounters against New Zealand only handed Steve Hansen and his coaching staff a template to beat us when it mattered most.

On the eve of Wales’ final Pool D clash with Uruguay – a game for which head coach Warren Gatland rested his first choice stars – Alun Wyn Jones was still determined not to let his standards drop.

Donal Lenihan on the three areas Ireland need to master in today’s World Cup quarter-final

Donal Lenihan speaks to former Wales and British and Irish Lions forward Martyn Williams.

The top eight teams in the world rankings will contest the World Cup quarter-finals in Japan this weekend.

Wales secured a World Cup quarter-final clash against France next Sunday – but they ended their Pool D campaign with an unconvincing 35-13 victory over Uruguay.

Tadhg Furlong likes a bowl of ramen or a parcel of gyoza as much as the next man, but there comes a time when this son of Wexford farming stock hankers for a bit of beef, and he sated that appetite in some style in Fukuoka over the weekend.

Since the advent of professionalism and the rise in the status of the Rugby World Cup after its rushed introduction in 1987 against the wishes of the four unions in Britain and Ireland, the sport at international level now tends to operate in four-year cycles.

That breathless Wales-Australia World Cup classic this morning had enough about it to turn Saturday’s Shizuoka shocker into the realm of a bad dream.

Covering the Wales rugby side is never dull, but the start of the team’s World Cup campaign in Japan saw them breach already lofty standards of controversy.

Michael Cheika picked a fight with the World Cup organisers yesterday over their banning of Reece Hodge, adamant that Australia had been singled out for special treatment.