Ireland

Rob Kearney is "more than happy" to chase peak match sharpness and start Ireland's World Cup clash against Romania at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Ireland got their World Cup campaign off to a flying start with a dominant, eight-try display in Cardiff that saw them run rampant over Canada, 50-7.

Robbie Henshaw will miss Ireland's World Cup opener against Canada after suffering a hamstring injury.

Ireland have received a significant World Cup boost with prop Cian Healy passed fit to start after neck surgery.

Richardt Strauss believes the wake-up call of two Test match defeats will be enough to shock Ireland back into top form at the World Cup.

Joe Schmidt fears Canada could prove "an incredible banana skin" for an Ireland side chasing their best-ever World Cup return.

England will enter the World Cup armed with a confidence-enhancing 21-13 victory over Ireland but will know they should have emerged more convincing winners over the RBS 6 Nations champions in their final warm-up game.

Ireland will wheel out all available big guns for their final World Cup warm-up match against England at Twickenham on Saturday, except Cian Healy and Rob Kearney.

Andrew Trimble has been omitted from Ireland's World Cup squad.

Ireland captain Paul O'Connell wants it to be a case of business as usual when he makes his Dublin farewell as a Test match player on Saturday.

Wales flanker Dan Lydiate believes that Saturday's Dublin appointment with reigning RBS 6 Nations champions Ireland is "brilliant preparation" for the World Cup.

Wales star George North will set a new world record when he makes his rugby comeback in Saturday's Test match against Ireland.

George North returns to rugby's international stage on Saturday with Wales coach Warren Gatland underlining that player welfare will always be paramount.

Les Kiss has admitted the clock is ticking on Cian Healy's battle for Rugby World Cup fitness.

Ian Madigan hopes reiterating his ability to boss a Test match backline in Saturday's 28-22 victory over Scotland can boost his World Cup selection claims.

Scotland prop Ryan Grant's World Cup appears under threat due to an ankle injury suffered in 28-22 defeat in Ireland.

Any team that enters this year’s Rugby World Cup has but one initial goal – emerge from the group stages and qualify for the quarter-finals.

While Scotland spent a week in the Pyrenees at the hands of a hostage negotiator and England decamped to Denver's Rocky Mountains, Ireland stayed at home.

Leinster Flanker Jack Conan will make his Test debut in Ireland's World Cup warm-up clash against Scotland in Dublin on Saturday.

Ulster hooker Rob Herring and Leinster centre Noel Reid have been dropped from Ireland's World Cup training squad.