Gareth Southgate has completed his formal interview to become England’s next manager and could be appointed by the end of the month.

It may may go unnoticed as a footballing landmark, but this week marks the halfway point between the controversial awarding of the World Cup to Qatar in December 2010, and the tournament kicking off in the tiny but wealthy Arab state in November 2022.

Ireland may be on the rise but Jamie Heaslip has warned his side face another massive challenge when Australia come to the Aviva Stadium this Saturday.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Garry Ringrose won’t need the benefit of any DVD to remember just how punishing Saturday’s bruiser was.

Joe Schmidt will today assess his injured players and walking wounded as he prepares for Saturday’s Test with Australia, the final game in this month’s Guinness Series.

Ireland 9 New Zealand 21: Perhaps feeling battered, bruised and not a little hard done by is a sign Ireland have finally arrived on the world stage as a force to be reckoned with.

Not even the bulldog on a trampoline in the John Lewis ad can match the robin as an object of affection at Christmas, writes Terry Prone

John Gasson falls in love with Italy’s blissful, rustic Aeolian Islands, from the fertile soils of Panarea, through to Lipari, the largest of the archipelago, and onto Salina.

When you’ve locked horns and beaten women’s rugby giants New Zealand and World Cup champions England in the recent past, taking on highly-ranked Canada isn’t quite the frightening prospect it could be.

Three years on and Aaron Cruden is returning to the scene of the crime.