Whatever about the short-term objectives of winning a Test series in Australia, Saturday’s decider offers Ireland an excellent dry run for a potential World Cup quarter-final in Japan next year.

Robbie Henshaw believes Ireland can make a serious statement ahead of next year’s World Cup by closing out their Test series with Australia in Saturday’s series decider.

With equestrian sport’s world championships, the World Equestrian Games, less than three months away, Irish eventing was boosted at the weekend by a number of stellar performances at the four-star German meeting at Luhmühlen.

Egypt boss Hector Cuper has kept Russia guessing over whether or not he will be able to unleash “one of the best players in the world” on them in St Petersburg tonight.

The possession football championed by coaches like Pep Guardiola is supposed to produce aesthetically-pleasing goals. Against strong defences and world-class goalkeepers, sometimes you need to go back to basics.

Senegal will draw on the spirit of the late Bruno Metsu, the maverick French coach who led them to the 2002 quarter-finals, when they face Poland today in their first World Cup match in 16 years.

Germany weren’t just shocked by Mexico on Sunday, they were just pipped by Galway too. And Roscommon.

The IRFU has promised to do everything in its power to extend Joe Schmidt’s tenure as Ireland head coach beyond next year’s World Cup.

Gareth Southgate believes England’s players are as prepared, focused and ready as they can be for their eagerly anticipated World Cup opener against Tunisia.

Brazil 1 Switzerland 1: Steven Zuber denied Brazil victory in their opening game of the World Cup last night, as Switzerland fought back to snatch a famous 1-1 Group E draw in Rostov-on-Don.

Panama coach Hernan Dario Gomez isn’t in the business of sugarcoating the truth before his team makes history by playing in its first World Cup.

I’m not sure if I ever noticed before that Father’s Day falls around Bloomsday.

It is the exhaustive work required to secure those points, with tries even harder to come by, that leave Ireland exposed, says Donal Lenihan.

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt has thrown down the gauntlet to his Six Nations champions to emulate the heroes of 1979 by winning a Test series in Australia when they face the Wallabies for a third and decisive time on Saturday.

World Rugby U20 Championship: Ireland 39 - Japan 33: Irish coach Noel McNamara believes that many of his squad will go on to professional careers and represent the national senior side despite a miserable fortnight at the World Rugby U20 Championship.

Argentina 1 Iceland 1: The interval was almost upon us at Spartak Stadium and Jorge Sampaoli’s stress levels had long since moved beyond critical. That’s actually where they started.

The 2018 World Cup is barely up and running but already we know that the 2026 edition will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, writes Liam Mackey

Cork City will continue to look over their shoulders as Dundalk produced another demolition of Derry City at the Brandywell, the Lilywhites rarely moving into top gear to remain one point adrift at the business end of the Premier Division.

The lads from Sky, who landed on a mercy mission Thursday, reminded me why I’ll never go to a World Cup, writes Larry Ryan