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During the week I looked back over my match notebooks - I had a moment that almost made me blush. At half time in the French game at the Aviva, with Ireland leading 19-0, I wrote "Back in the groove - woo hoo" - ahem!
Incoming Ireland head coach Andy Farrell will be hoping it is a case of home comforts when he takes over from Joe Schmidt for next year's Six Nations.
Andy Farrell's first game as Ireland head coach will be against Scotland at the Aviva Stadium in the 2020 Six Nations.
Apart from a potential end-of-season mini-camp, Joe Schmidt won't get his hands on his players for four months when the end game of his tenure with Ireland begins in earnest.
While it wasn't a great Six Nations for most teams, one thing that's now for sure is that Wales have to be seen as World Cup contenders.
Stuart Lancaster has ruled himself out of contention for a position in Andy Farrell's new-look Ireland coaching team following the World Cup.
Adam Griggs called on World Rugby to look at the balance of the Women's Six Nations as the Ireland head coach reflected on a disappointing campaign.
Ireland could do nothing to stop Wales completing the Grand Slam on Saturday as they went down 25-7 in Joe Schmidt's final Six Nations game in charge.
At the conclusion of a Six Nations campaign to forget, Ireland coach Joe Schmidt was left to hope it's been a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.
Ireland skipper Rory Best says his side must get back-to-basics before the World Cup after having his Six Nations farewell spoiled by the 25-7 thumping by Wales on Saturday.
Eddie Jones has revealed he brought off Owen Farrell at a critical phase of Saturday's remarkable 38-38 draw with Scotland at Twickenham due to England's captain losing his "edge".
Ireland finished this Six Nations as they started: a very poor imitation of the team that dominated last year's tournament.
England collapsed in spectacular fashion but Scotland were still unable to register their first victory at Twickenham since 1983 as the Guinness Six Nations climaxed in a remarkable 38-38 draw.
Joe Schmidt has insisted Ireland will be at their best for this year’s Rugby World Cup after his men were comprehensively beaten by Grand Slam winners Wales.
Rory Best's Six Nations send-off is one he will hope to forget as Ireland were bested in all areas by Grand Slam winners Wales in Cardiff to finish a disappointing Championship.
It's the stuff of dreams really.
A grandstand finish fitting for the Grand Slam champions.
Alun Wyn Jones says it would be good to send Warren Gatland out of the Six Nations arena exactly how he entered it with Wales - as a Grand Slam winner.
Ireland skipper Rory Best is set for a bittersweet farewell to the Six Nations in Cardiff this afternoon.
Given the seemingly remote chances of today ending with him lifting the Championship trophy aloft for the fifth time, Rory Best's Six Nations farewell is unlikely to have a fairytale finish but the Ulster hooker admits he'll be looking to soak up every minute of the occasion and has called on his side to produce the best performance of the Joe Schmidt era against Wales in Cardiff today (2.45pm kick-off).
Eddie Jones has taunted Scotland on the eve of Saturday's Calcutta Cup showdown by responding to their failure to win at Twickenham since '83 with the quip - "1883?"
The next eight months will feel like an awful long time for the Ireland women's team, unless they can finish their Six Nations campaign with a strong winning performance against Wales tomorrow.
Joe Schmidt was born in Northland, New Zealand in 1965. Warren Gatland arrived two years earlier in Hamilton on the same North Island.
A grandstand finish fitting for the Grand Slam champions.
Ireland have requested that the Principality Stadium roof stay open for tomorrow's Six Nations finale against Wales, ignoring weather warnings related to the arrival of Storm Gareth to the Welsh capital.
Joe Schmidt has raised hopes that Iain Henderson's latest injury will not rule him out of playing in Ulster's crunch European Champions Cup quarter-final with Leinster.
All winning streaks have to come to an end.
Two years ago, the majority of the current Ireland Under-20s team were losing 17-0 at half-time to Wales, before a stunning revival saw them turn things around and win 19-17.
Five Six Nations games, five different second-row combinations. If Joe Schmidt wanted to build depth throughout the tournament ahead of the World Cup, then he has certainly managed to do that in the engine room.
Ulster lock Iain Henderson will miss Ireland's final Six Nations game at Wales on Saturday after being ruled out with a knee injury sustained in the win over France.
Liam Williams has recovered from injury and will start for Wales in Saturday's Six Nations Grand Slam clash against Ireland.
When Rory Best sat in Murrayfield after his captain's run for the round two clash with Scotland a little over a month ago, he was asked about his side's second-row options.
Ulster star Iain Henderson is set to miss Ireland's Six Nations finale against Wales on Saturday after suffering a knee ligament injury and will be a doubt for his province's Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster in Dublin at the end of the month.
If women's international rugby in this country is to stand a realistic chance going forward, it needs people like Lindsay Peat to continue to stick their head above the parapet.
On a few occasions during this Six Nations Championship, Joe Schmidt has either been asked about or referenced the mass exodus that occurred in the closing minutes of the opening round defeat at home to England.
An hour after the 15-15 draw in the deciding Test in Auckland in the Lions series against the All Blacks and Warren Gatland arrives to the press conference wearing a clown's red nose.
Ireland v Wales in Cardiff for round five of the Six Nations, one side with a Grand Slam on the line, the other still maintaining slim Championship hopes.
Ireland star Johnny Sexton says the side want to make the most of skipper Rory Best's remaining days in a green jersey.
There's something special about a Six Nations afternoon in Cardiff.
Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier will miss this week's final Six Nations game against Wales in Cardiff after being withdrawn from the squad with a groin injury.
Their second-row partnership has been something of a slow burner, but all the signs suggest that James Ryan and Iain Henderson are ready to peak by the time they arrive in Japan.
Joe Schmidt has challenged his Ireland team to replicate the levels of intensity they produced against France for 80 minutes in Cardiff on Saturday.
In addition to the four tries they got against France, you couldn't help but feel that Ireland left a few out there as well.
With his Ireland exit now only around eight months away, there aren't too many boxes left for Joe Schmidt to tick in this part of the world.
Maro Itoje has conceded defeat in his battle to be fit for the climax to England's Guinness Six Nations against Scotland on Saturday.
Ross Moriarty says Wales are "ready to go again" for the final push of their Guinness Six Nations title and Grand Slam bid.
Second-rower James Ryan has warned Ireland that fear over their future will not distract Grand Slam-chasing Wales two weeks in a row.
On a day when the Dublin weather squeezed a few seasons into one afternoon, the Ireland team did the same in beating an abject France to maintain hopes of retaining their Six Nations crown.
Ireland's Six Nations win over France proved a significant afternoon for some of the squad.
Ireland saw off France with a bonus point win on Sunday to keep their hopes of landing the Six Nations title alive.
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