Full coverage: Rugby

Nienaber against McNamara is the most fascinating coaching subplot of the weekend. The contest that decides the game might well be the one between the South African defensive engineer and the Clare man with the maths degree.

Leinster’s win over Toulon was decisive for long stretches, yet Leo Cullen’s post-match rhetoric and a messy finish ensured the performance sparked more questions than it answered.

Leinster have the strongest squad remaining in this competition. With an international in every position, this is a group of players that should be targeting a club double. With the talent available to Cullen and Nienaber, that is a realistic ambition, not a fanciful one.

There are questions about whether the women's game in Ireland is moving fast enough. Governance, competition structures and funding models all need work.

As Ireland marched towards its modern-day confident self, a rugby club emerged into what is now MU Barnhall. For those who have been there for decades, this year’s Six Nations closed the loop.

France’s record-breaking metrics set a new benchmark. Ireland’s own data told its own story - kicking and scrummaging woes, physical dominance, attacking shortfalls, and fine margins.

Maybe Darcy Graham is right to be bullish. Maybe Finn Russell plays the game of his life in the one city that’s never let him do his brilliant thing. Maybe. But the data, the history, and the venue all point the same way.

Twickenham's glow lasted two weeks. Jack Crowley held all the cards against Wales — and struggled to play the right card.

Twickenham answered lots of questions about this team, and the reaction of the coaching staff showed it. It was Ireland's recalibration. Now comes the test of whether they can sustain it.

From ‘intent’ to ‘keyboard warriors’ in nine days: what attribution theory tells us about recent messaging by Andy Farrell. Meanwhile, unsparing data on the performance of his Irish players presents a different picture.