The perspective of a Romanian rugby fan might not be easy to understand for an Irishman. 

Just What ‘Class’ is Roy Keane, Then?

Dave Kearney has credited his pre-, pre-season workouts with brother Rob for getting him in the best possible shape to storm into Ireland’s World Cup starting line-up.

France resume their Pool D campaign at the Olympic Stadium against Romania tonight with Johnny Sexton declaring Philippe Saint-Andre’s side “the best they’ve looked in years”.

If you want to be realistic about it, there is little chance of us beating both France and Ireland in the space of five days

A tournament that has already captivated, thanks largely to Japan’s heroics, will hope to plug into the ultimate feelgood sporting event in modern English history when France and Romania meet in the Olympic Stadium’s first pool match this evening.

England have encountered the first major injury problems of their World Cup campaign after it was revealed that Jonathan Joseph and Ben Morgan are doubts for Saturday’s pivotal clash with Wales.

World Cup chiefs have moved to clarify the role of television match officials following the controversial use of replays during the tournament’s opening weekend.

WITH so many talking points from the opening weekend of World Cup action - the vast majority of which were positive - I’m not sure where to start, writes Donal Lenihan.

World Cups can be yawn-inducing events for players who have so much time to kill between their daily duties and Steve Hansen’s All Blacks could do worse than spend an afternoon staring at the walls of their Lensbury Park Hotel.

Young props Tadhg Furlong and Jack McGrath are hoping they get the opportunity to take Romania on in their strongest department at Wembley this Saturday with McGrath warning the Irish pack must be “switched on” to the scrummaging challenge ahead.

Jerome Valcke tried to secure a payoff of several million pounds from Fifa just a week before he was suspended, it can be disclosed.

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

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

New Zealand’s players insist they are not upset by former England scrum-half Matt Dawson’s ’Hakarena’ video, poking fun at traditional war dance the Haka.

A couple of days into the Rugby World Cup schedule in England and the French are already moaning, according to stories hitting the newspapers, one of them in the Guardian and embellished elsewhere.

Jonny Wilkinson has backed the plan to make an example of simulators, after it was announced that players who feign injuries may be sin-binned at the World Cup.

Their time together in the Ireland team may have been limited to just 15 prior appearances but Keith Earls and Luke Fitzgerald will be delighted if tomorrow’s meeting with Canada goes as well as their first joint-venture against the Canucks.

Neil Jenkins believes England will “work ways out” to deal with the pressure and expectation that accompanies being a World Cup host nation.

Sean O’Brien believes Ireland go into their World Cup Pool D opener with Canada tomorrow in a good place and driven on by the bitter experience of their quarter-final exit four years ago.