Veteran number eight Louis Picamoles included in France’s World Cup squad

Francois Cros, Felix Lambey and Romain Taofifenua among those to miss out

Townsend admits Scotland have ‘a lot of work to do’ after French mauling

Ireland’s World Cup Pool A opponents on the end of five-try hammering in Nice

Yoann Huget brace clinches Top 14 glory for Toulouse in Paris

Winger’s two tries the difference against Clermont Auvergne to claim 20th league title

Clermont Auvergne see off La Rochelle to take Challenge Cup

Greig Laidlaw kicks 18 points as Clermont lift trophy for a third time at St James’ Park

Unchanged French side slightly unnerving for Ireland

First France coach to name the same team for successive Tests since 2012

France stick with the same team that beat Scotland

Jacques Brunel has retained the same French matchday 23 for the trip to Dublin

No shortage of advice for Brunel as he juggles his options again

Critics claim France coach’s chopping and changing means he is unsure of his best backline

Jacques Brunel and France turn to youth for visit of Scotland

Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack in the halfbacks with Parra and Lopez dropped

Wales and North take advantage as France lose all direction

Warren Gatland’s side take French gifts and turn round a 16-point half-time deficit

Six Nations: Logic points to Welsh win but doesn’t apply to France

Unpredictable les bleus will fired up and keen to redeem themselves after Fiji upset

Ireland face the unknown in Six Nations opener with France

Brunel's wunderkind Matthieu Jalibert could cause an upset against Schmidt’s side

Gerry Thornley: History suggests Ireland's odds are far from generous

Back-to-back champions England entitled to be favourites to retain the trophy

Can Jacques Brunel fix France’s ‘mess’ before Ireland clash?

Les Bleus enter contest on back of seven winless matches but are boosted by new coach

Gerry Thornley’s Champions Cup state of play

European rugby returns for the key pre-Christmas double-headers

Gerry Thornley: November gives way for intriguing Six Nations

Scotland’s arguably made the most impressive strides of all during the autumn internationals

Saracens defend Champions Cup title at Murrayfield

Clermont Auvergne’s wait for European glory continues as Mark McCall’s side triumph

European Player of the Year to be given new Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy

EPCR announce new trophy has been commissioned in tribute to late Munster great

Gordon D’Arcy: Leinster have game-changers - Munster must develop some

Munster lacked impact off their bench and squad depth to cope without Conor Murray

Gerry Thornley: Leinster will rue this one that got away

‘We feel very frustrated . . . but there is a lot more to come from this team,’ says Cullen

So close but so far as Clermont end Leinster’s European dream

Leo Cullen’s side flirt with famous comeback but Camille Lopez drops French into final

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

The Irish Times ePaper

Election 2024

Full general election coverage including analysis and results for all 43 constituencies

Common Ground

How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands