Connacht prop Paddy McAllister will make an emotional return to South Africa for the first time in 11 years to take on the Southern Kings.

What’s motivating Eddie Jones?

The expectation in South Africa is that Felix Jones will continue to work with the Springboks under the new coaching team. As for the man himself, he was tight-lipped on his future yesterday when asked what comes next after his World Cup experience.

The names of literary giants and great philosophers spawn adjectives, ‘Shakespearian’, ‘Marxist’, and ‘Platonic’, for instance. Few scientific celebrities are so honoured, although ‘Darwinian’ has entered the lexicon.

Australia continues to battle “catastrophic” fires as the severe heatwave and bushfire crisis continues.

Australia continues to battle “catastrophic” fires as the severe heatwave and bushfire crisis continues.

An hour's drive north of Yokohama, where tomorrow's Rugby World Cup final will be played, lies the Ajinamoto Stadium.

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

It's been hailed as the best All Blacks performance since the last World Cup. Some are saying it was as close to perfection as you can come in the game of rugby.

Ireland's form has not been comforting through 2019 but they approach Saturday's do-or-die game against New Zealand knowing they have done it before.

The Springboks are used to being the pantomime villains of world rugby. Their bruising style, proclivity for controversy and yes, success, make them a team everybody loves to hate.

Forty-five minutes before kick-off, Joe Schmidt and Gregor Townsend shot the breeze on the side of the pitch while their respective squads warmed up in intense humidity behind them.

Joe Schmidt believes Ireland will have to punch above their weight to knock out South Africa in what is now a likely quarter-final match-up at the World Cup in Japan.

Hard to believe four years have elapsed since Ireland’s painful World Cup quarter final exit at the hands of Argentina in Cardiff. As Joe Schmidt enters the twilight of his spectacularly successful reign at the helm of Irish rugby, the next six weeks will shape the epilogue of a brilliant period for Irish rugby.

Donal Lenihan and Ronan O'Gara join Tony Leen to preview RWC19.

Stephen Larkham has come to Munster with a mission to make a difference as the province looks to make the leap from being merely good to becoming a championship side.

Wallabies legend Stephen Larkham wants to bring a more cutting edge to the Munster attack as he embarks on his new role as the province’s Senior Coach.

A legal row over an allegedly infertile stallion and a claim of a failure to pay out on a €3million insurance policy have come before the Commercial Court.

It’s impossible to get used to -2 degrees in July. Irrespective of how many years a Paddy spends in Christchurch, heading out with a couple of Crusader coaches to a Japanese restaurant dressed like a lagging jacket always seems odd.

It was a bit like the Steve Redgrave moment at the 1996 Olympics Games. Just after the great British oarsman had bagged his fourth gold medal in Athens he told the world they had his permission to “shoot him” if he ever went near a boat again.

A black swan turned up on the west coast of Scotland last month.

Tommy Barker on local property values.

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

With the kids at school on Monday, Jessica and I went walkabout to a spot intriguingly called Taylors Mistake. Apparently, a ship captain with a bottle of rum too many ran aground around Godley’s Head looking for Summer Bay.

For 23 years the name Crusaders was a source of nothing but pride in Christchurch, the uncontroversial identity of a franchise that claims, with some justification, to be the most successful non-national professional rugby team in the world.

Farmers’ loyalty to their local co-ops is being severely tested by the widening gap between the best and worst prices offered for milk supplies, said ICMSA dairy chairman Ger Quain.

Ten years after a first appearance at Thomond Park and Alby Mathewson is keen to enjoy more magical moments at the famous Limerick ground.

You cannot blame Joe Schmidt for trying to keep a lid on expectations after this epic first home victory over the All Blacks, but you pity the futility of the exercise.

Donal Lenihan on what Ireland must do to beat Argentina.

Simon Lewis picks out three players who put their hands up...

Johann van Graan’s bid to get his first full European campaign off to a winning start could not have come in more difficult circumstances, yet the Munster head coach has learned enough in his short time in charge to expect the unexpected on Heineken Champions Cup away days.

A selection of some of the best wines stocked by Whelehans Wines and I would urge you to visit and have a chat with David, Martina or Gavin.

What a tour, what a season, what does it all mean?

“Wouldn’t it be great if it was like this all the time?”

If Ireland were not quite so driven to succeed, every member of the camp from Joe Schmidt down might take a moment’s pause to appreciate all they have achieved this season.

Niall Scannell will be thrust into action from kick-off this morning, as Ireland bid to win a first Test series in Australia since 1979.

Ireland scrum coach Greg Feek believes there is plenty of leadership within the current squad that can make up for the absence of veteran captain Rory Best.

Will Genia has learned to his cost the dangers of underestimating Ireland and the Australia scrum-half believes the next generation of Wallabies are at no risk of making the same mistake as he did at the 2011 World Cup.

The word ‘organic’ has become almost magical, adding a sheen of quality and purity to just about everything. A good winemaker who goes organic should see an improvement in their wine quality but only if they were talented in the first place. Organic vineyards make up less than 3% of the world’s vineyards (Europe has around 8%, Austria can boast 15%) but this figure is growing. Yields will drop by at least 20% (and costs increase proportionally) but grape quality should definitely go up.

Of the four provinces, Leinster should be the one least in need of imported talent.