Irish Examiner view: Sport full of plot twists on and off the field 

We must be vigilant as politics increasingly encroaches into the sporting arena

Peter O'Mahony of Ireland breaks past New Zealand's Aidan Ross during the Steinlager Series match in Dunedin, New Zealand. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Just last weekend, we were wondering whether there was some cunning Northern Hemisphere plot on the rugby fields to lull the big beasts of New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia into a false sense of security ahead of the World Cup.

Three clashes with leading lights of our Six Nations tournament led to three defeats at the hands and boots of the southerners.