The latest on the Airbus A320 crash in France, a cocaine seizure in Cork, and a look at what it’s like to be a man in 2015 are all part of our lunchtime briefing on the latest and most read content on irishexaminer.com today.   

After last weekend, the World Cup just can’t come soon enough. 

Munster head coach Anthony Foley is banking on Paul O’Connell seeing out his contract until the end of next season.

England have missed targets and finished an unacceptable second in the RBS 6 Nations once more, but Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie has confidence in head coach Stuart Lancaster ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Barry Geraghty’s hopes of making the Punchestown Festival rest on a meeting with his surgeon in four weeks’ time.

Willie Mullins intends to enter his Champion Hurdle big guns at the Aintree Grand National meeting.

What is RTÉ at? Love him or hate him George Hook is one of the most original pundits on RTÉ. He has a contract to continue up to the end of the Rugby World Cup for which they must pay him, but RTÉ has decided he must go now.

Touring with Hozier gave James Bay a glimpse of ‘the next big thing’ status that awaited him, writes

The latest on the Airbus A320 crash in France, advice to the jury at the Graham Dwyer trial and an upcoming announcement from Henry Shefflin are all part of our evening briefing on the latest and most read content on irishexaminer.com today.   

The latest on the Airbus A320 crash in France, quick-thinking firefighters became temporary midwives in Dublin and Yvonne Keating’s take on her divorce from Ronan are all part of our lunchtime briefing on the latest and most read content on irishexaminer.com today.   

A round-up of this morning’s top news.

Thierry Henry has said he was treated like he had "killed someone" in the aftermath of the handball that ended Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

Top of the Six Nations table and still the highest-ranked northern hemisphere team in the world, but the debate over whether Ireland boasted the best player over the last two months will drag on a while longer yet, writes Brendan O'Brien.

For all we now hear that sportspeople have no obligation to be role models, our rugby players and coaches are.

Darren Clarke believes Rory McIlroy has a Masters in his sights, even if a Green Jacket does not come his way next month at Augusta National.

Ireland’s World Cup to do list:

Tom Tierney predicts a huge future for women’s rugby in Ireland following the latest Six Nations triumph in Scotland on Sunday and hopes to see the game strengthen further if a bid to host the 2017 World Cup succeeds.

Dawn broke yesterday morning and with it the realisation there are still up to 10 weeks of club rugby to be negotiated before Ireland’s Six Nations champions and their contemporaries around the provinces can clock off for a summer break.

The FA will push English clubs to unearth their own Harry Kane next season by making it harder for foreign players to secure work permits this summer.

Apart from Sunday’s crunch game in Dublin, football fans might be forgiven a small yawn at this week’s European Championship qualifiers.