Matt Williams: Ireland’s emotional force must reawaken, or the Empire will strike back
Andy Farrell’s players can’t afford to turn up at Twickenham in the same mental state they did in Paris
Matt Williams: Moaning suggests Ireland is a nation deluded about its rugby reality
Ireland fans need to keep their entitled arses on the seats on Saturday and help create an atmosphere that will empower their team against Italy
Matt Williams: French flair is a myth, it was high-level rugby IQ that left Ireland for dead
Ireland’s humiliation on the opening night of the Six Nations was vast
Matt Williams: Weakened Ireland will need help from the rugby gods to stop mighty France
With a canny manager, a formidable scrum and the ingenious Antoine Dupont, Les Bleus are red-hot favourites to win the opening game of the Six Nations
Matt Williams: Ireland must realise imagination – not statistics – is what really counts
Rugby needs less regurgitation and more imagination as an epidemic of copy-and-paste coaching spreads across the world
Matt Williams: If Leinster can fix one glaring defensive flaw, they will be unstoppable
They have the quality to win the Champions Cup but need to have open and honest discussions about their defence
Matt Williams: Leinster’s clash with La Rochelle has big implications for next month’s Six Nations
Leo Cullen’s team have been effective in winning six on the spin, but they must find new levels against La Rochelle
Matt Williams: Remember to get your best wins in before full-time
Watching the latest instalments of old rivalries in cricket and rugby reminded me that the results of such matches don’t really matter much
Matt Williams: As news of the horrors at Bondi broke, I was frantically calling my daughter
Many brave Australians ran towards the gunfire and paid dearly for it. I have known Peter Meagher since my playing days, and he was murdered in cold blood by cowards
Matt Williams: This is not a game – Ireland must match Australia and stand up for children
Across the world young people’s health is being damaged by a scourge that is luring them away from sport and other invigorating pursuits. It’s time to tackle it
Why rugby’s darkest ‘dog acts’ like eye-gouging must be punished severely
Eben Etzebeth’s actions serve as a warning of the consequences that await any player who gouges a fellow player’s eyes
Matt Williams: Scrum laws must change for the good of the game
As entertainment, last Saturday was a disaster ... the ball hardly reaches any backline player from setpieces
Matt Williams: The mighty Springboks have one weakness that Ireland can try to exploit
Despite South Africa’s silky running skills, the heart of this side’s attack remains their pack
Matt Williams: Ireland may be at a low ebb, but Australia look like all hope is lost
Joe Schmidt must put faith in his only world-class attacking weapon if Wallabies are to have any chance
Matt Williams: Entitled fans must stop whinging about Ireland’s defeat to New Zealand
Price of Irish dominance in Lions team over summer meant November would always be tough