It didn’t take the hurlers of Dublin, Tipperary, Clare and Galway long to discover Boston’s list of priorities last Friday when they landed for the Fenway Classic Super 11s.

Are our hearts truly in these inquests any more, asks Larry Ryan.

There was a time, not so long ago, that Darren Sweetnam was questioning whether he had made the right move in forsaking an inter-county career with the Cork hurlers for the pipedream of professional sport.

Antonio Conte believes Chelsea must win every remaining Premier League game to beat Manchester City to the title.

If ever there was going to be a calming influence in the aftermath of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off calamity, there was always a possibility it might come from Chris Hughton, a man who has built his successful managerial career on the kind of understated common-sense approach which encourages a steady ship.

Joe Schmidt knows the risks he is taking by selecting such an inexperienced side to face Fiji this evening but if it means Ireland are better prepared at the 2019 World Cup then the end will have justified the means.

Peter McNamara rounds off the World Cup play-off inquest with Larry Ryan and Martin Claffey of the Irish Examiner and Danish journalist Morten Glinvad.

I wish to demur from what is supposed to be grave national insult and disappointment that Ireland was not awarded the 2023 Rugby World Cup. 

Here's your morning news bulletin...

If you were merely bored during the international break, you were one of the lucky ones.

It’s not good when people who are investing trust in you feel they are out of the loop, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Martin O’Neill is far from a one-trick pony but his team is, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Gavin Moynihan didn’t want to watch.

Five races in this season’s F4 British Championship powered by Ford EcoBoost have whetted Lucca Allen’s appetite to make it to the top table of motor racing: Formula 1.

The opportunities are dwindling to expose Ireland’s less experienced Test players and build strength in depth ahead of the next World Cup.

Brewing giant Heineken is toasting a multimillion-euro refurbishment which has transformed its historic Irish corporate headquarters into one of the funkiest office spaces in the country.