“This isn’t just throwing someone in and hoping to get the best out of it. I think he’s deserved it a little bit but also there’s obviously an eye on (the future)."

After a month off, Ulster will host Leo Cullen's side on Friday night. 

Eileen Gleeson's side take on the hosts in the first leg in Cardiff on Friday night. 

Jack Crowley, who started the defeat to the All Blacks, and the win over Argentina, had been expected to come back in for the clash with Joe Schmidt's Wallabies, but is instead named on the bench. 

Liverpool made it five wins from five Champions League games with victory over the Spanish side. 

This Liverpool team is already looking the real deal but a late injury to the influential Ibrahima Konate is a cloud on an otherwise sunny day for the club. 

Joe Schmidt's evolving Australia side will round out their tour in Dublin on Saturday. 

Taking a left-field look, Mullins is also asked if he could offer any advice to Pep Guardiola as his Manchester City team struggles to maintain its position atop the football world

They’ve already sold out their gigs for next summer, signed a record deal, and been named RTÉ 2FM’s rising stars. Meet Amble, the folk band building a loyal following at home and abroad

The Liverpool star will come up against her housemate when Ireland face Wales in the Euro playoff. 

World Cup in Saudi just another indicator that a great big stitch-up is going on.

The former Canadian international was in the Tallaght Stadium stand in February when her Dragons slayed Ireland 2-0 in a friendly.

The All Blacks have won the last two tests against Ireland.

Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly, Liam Coombes and Thaakir Abrahams all came through a full training session on Tuesday. 

Denis Leamy pens new two year deal with Munster but has ruled himself out of the head coach role. Mike Prendergast also signed new deal but remains a contender for the top job.

Five years after his Ireland departure, Joe Schmidt's legacy is still felt and appreciated by players and coaches. 

“He’s very detailed. All the coaching staff are. They’ve done a really good job with preparing us every week."

“That’s probably the biggest thing I learned from him, the language was very … repetitive is the wrong way, but you weren’t hearing the same thing different ways. It was very clear on what was expected of you as a team and also in your position."

Concerns around match-fixing are usually confined to the professional game but the FAI have laid down the law by imposing an eight-month ban on a player involved in the amateur sphere.

It will be a strange country indeed where an alliance of the centre-left does not include some representatives from the party with the most robust environmental credentials