Ireland’s nemesis Mike Phillips aims to return to haunt Declan Kidney’s men at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

1 Can Declan Kidney turn the tactical tide on Warren Gatland?

As far as Rory Best is concerned, revenge is a dish best served at home.

CONOR O’DWYER, whose record at Cheltenham is winning two Gold Cups and two Champion Hurdles, could be on the trail of the great Festival again next month.

In an alternate universe somewhere, Cian Healy is preparing for the London Olympics right now and not the Six Nations.

Andrew Trimble knew when Declan Kidney hadn’t pulled him aside for a quiet word on Tuesday he stood a better-than-evens chance of being named on the wing to face Wales.

One thing players can’t throw at referee Alain Rolland — what would you know, you never even played the game. The former scrum-half talks Warburton, crooked scrums and respect with his former international colleague.

IT was the image of the World Cup: Sam Warburton peering down helplessly as Vincent Clerc fell dangerously back to earth following the Welsh captain’s tackle.

The eve of the championship. Whichever sport is your passion, the coming of a new season is a heady mix of emotions.

They may be the new boys in the Six Nations coaching club but for Philippe Saint-André, Jacques Brunel and Stuart Lancaster that is where the similarities end.

It doesn’t seem long ago but it’s more than a decade all the same. Paul O’Connell, raw and big-boned, was 21 when I first set eyes on him. It wasn’t long before I wanted to throttle him.

Don Revie would have loved modern professional sport. It seems remarkable now, in these days of hi-tech performance analysis data, that the late Leeds United manager was derided in the 1960s and 70s for preparing his dossiers on opposition teams.

Harry Redknapp fought back tears in court as he fiercely denied telling his tax evasion trial “a pack of lies”.

Jonny Sexton does not expect the great Irish fly-half debate to stop any time soon but for now, as the incumbent, he is going to enjoy being on the right side of the argument.

WALES are continuing to play a waiting game with their injured players ahead of Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin.

Top referee Alain Rolland has thanked Wales captain Sam Warburton for his public backing in the wake of the World Cup sending off that derailed the Welsh challenge in New Zealand last October.

Brian O’Driscoll has not ruled out the possibility of playing at the next World Cup in 2015, aged 36.

Keith Earls would have had a spring in his step anyway as he celebrated becoming a father for the first time.

Louis van Gaal has been disappointed with Angel di Maria’s first year at Manchester United but still expects the British record signing to stay at Old Trafford this summer.

Injury curtailed Stephen Ferris’s rugby career but the former Ulster star is far from bitter, writes Michael Moynihan