Self-preservation or team cohesion?

Italy's losing sequence in the Guinness Six Nations extended to a record 22 matches but France were pushed all the way before prevailing 25-14 at the Stadio Olimpico.

Of all the theories put forward for Ireland’s Six Nations wobble the suggestion that Jonathan Sexton’s bark has bitten into the team’s morale seems to be the biggest stretch.

Rob Kearney has dismissed the suggestion that Jonathan Sexton’s fits of temper are having an adverse effect on the Ireland squad.

Simon Lewis Ireland may have collected five points following a 26-16 bonus-point victory over Italy, but the post-match dressing room described by Dave Kilcoyne spoke of a disappointment akin to defeat.

Every Six Nations weekend generates a blizzard of statistics, come hail or shine, writes Peter Jackson.

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.

It has all been about records this season in European football: records broken and records that remained tantalisingly out of reach.

And so the 2018 Champions League final will be contested by Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Here’s four major talking points ahead of tonight’s Champions League semi-final clash.

Jurgen Klopp will be without his trusted lieutenant Zeljko Buvac as the Liverpool manager prepares for a “massive” week.

The club have become increasingly frustrated with the lack of detailed arrangements, it's understood.

The Italian press believes Roma are capable of pulling off yet another "extraordinary" comeback to overturn a three-goal deficit and knock Liverpool out of the Champions League semi-finals.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists their duel with Roma for a place in the Champions League final should not be seen as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The France midfielder scored twice as United beat Manchester City to delay the champions being anointed, but was underwhelming in a 1-0 loss to West Brom which gifted City the Premier League title.

Liverpool have only good memories of Rome and the Stadio Olimpico, starting with that night in May over 40 years ago when Bob Paisley celebrated his return to the city he had helped to liberate in 1944 by securing their first European title.

Charlie and his appearances on the Champs Elysee in 1987 and at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico three years later, writes Brendan O’Brien. 

Joe Schmidt declared rookie Leinster star Jordan Larmour ready for Test rugby as he backed the 20-year-old to thrive off the bench in Ireland’s push for tries in Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Italy.

Eddie Jones insists the vision of Owen Farrell and George Ford acts as the catalyst for England’s “collective talent” to flourish.

England’s quest for an unprecedented hat-trick of Six Nations titles was launched by a 46-15 victory over Italy that produced a late flurry of tries.

Ben Te’o has been instructed to go “fox-hunting” when England launch their NatWest 6 Nations title defence on Sunday.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend says Chris Harris has earned his place in the starting line-up of their NatWest 6 Nations opener in Cardiff.

Josh Adams admits it is “a surreal feeling” to have realised a rugby dream and be picked for Wales.

England have received a significant injury boost ahead of their NatWest 6 Nations opener against Italy after a trio of players rated doubtful were passed fit.

Should both countries qualify, Ireland and Spain are set to meet in the group stages of the multi-city Euro 2020 Finals.

Roma 3 Chelsea 0: Chelsea crumbled last night as Roma moved to the top of Champions League Group C with a 3-0 victory at Stadio Olimpico last night.

Chelsea crumbled as Roma moved to the top of Champions League Group C with a 3-0 victory at Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday night.

Alvaro Morata has insisted he is committed to Chelsea and is happy in London.

The president of Lazio football club has promised a new anti-Semitism campaign after fans plastered Rome's stadium with stickers of Anne Frank wearing city rivals Roma's team shirt.

Ciara Mageean has qualified for August’s World Athletics Championships in London, by dipping well inside the IAAF qualifying standard for the 1500m at tonight’s Golden Gala Diamond League meeting in Rome.

Liverpool 3 Middlesbrough 0: When the two minutes of injury-time were up, Jurgen Klopp stood slowly, grinned, hugged every man on the Liverpool bench, and then went and casually but earnestly shook the hand of Steve Agnew, the Middlesbrough caretaker manager.

Joe Schmidt may wait until after training this morning at Carton House before finalising his Ireland team to face France in Dublin on Saturday.

HOW coincidental my exasperation on these pages at the fading art of kicking should be followed last Saturday by the wayward clearance that may define this season’s Six Nations championship, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Italy boss Conor O’Shea insisted there are still big days ahead for his current squad, despite the 63-10 hammering they took at the hands of his native Ireland in Rome on Saturday.

RBS Six Nations

Joe Schmidt insists Paddy Jackson has done enough to ensure Johnny Sexton will not be an automatic selection for Ireland's RBS 6 Nations clash with France.

Ireland are facing a mental, as much as physical, test, writes Donal Lenihan.

Niall Scannell’s readiness for Test rugby got the Ireland management’s seal of approval last night as the uncapped Munster hooker prepared to stand in for sick captain Rory Best against Italy this afternoon.