Ireland

Ireland overpower France to top Six Nations

Ireland, who last year beat all three southern hemisphere giants but suffered a surprise defeat in Scotland in their opening game of the championship, went ahead after 29 minutes through a converted try from halfback Conor Murray.

First-five Johnny Sexton, returning to the side after a spate of injuries, gave Ireland a 10-point lead with two penalties and a drop goal early in the second half.

The loss left France, on five points, in the bottom half of the table where they have finished every Six Nations championship for the past five years.

Three-try Woodman helps Black Ferns to big rugby win over Ireland

Centre Portia Woodman scored a hat-trick of tries as the Black Ferns eased past Ireland 38-8 in their rugby international in Dublin to complete their season unbeaten.

Fullback Selica Winiata also scored two tries and first five-eighth Kelly Brazier one in the Black Ferns' comfortable six-try win to make it three wins from three on their northern tour.

Prior to the tour-ending Dublin international, the Black Ferns had also beaten world champions England 25-20 in London and Canada 20-10 in Dublin.

Autumn internationals: Ireland 27-24 Australia

Tries from Iain Henderson and Garry Ringrose helped the hosts to a 17-0 lead but the Wallabies fought back with three touchdowns to move into the lead.

Keith Earls' score proved decisive but it was the Irish forwards who laid the platform in a breathless encounter.

The result ended Australia's hopes of a Grand Slam over the home nations.

They had defeated Wales, Scotland and France and will face England in the final match of their northern hemisphere tour next week.

All Blacks will be 'fully loaded' says Ireland coach

The two side's play each other again in Dublin on Sunday.

The All Blacks will expect to provide Ireland with instant payback after their recent 40-29 shock loss in Chicago, their only defeat to the Irish in 111 years.

The All Blacks will have lock Brodie Retallick back and Schmidt expects his side will face the toughest of tests if they are to emulate South Africa's side of 2009 by beating the All Blacks for a second time in two weeks.

High five for All Black conquerors Ireland

Having had the wind blown out of their sails by Ireland in Chicago, New Zealand’s near seven-year reign at the top of the World Rugby Rankings is not looking quite so secure.

The All Blacks conceded 40 points for only the fifth time in history as the inspired Irish recorded their first-ever win over the All Blacks in 111 years of trying.

In what was a superb advert for the game, Ireland blazed into a 25-8 half-time lead following tries for Jordi Murphy, CJ Stander and Conor Murray, before the All Blacks threatened to pull off one of their infamous second-half comebacks.

Ireland beats New Zealand at rugby for first time in 111 years

New Zealand rallied from 30-8 down after 47 minutes to close within four points at 33-29 when center Robbie Henshaw broke their line for Ireland’s fifth and match-winning try in the 76th minute.

Three years ago in Dublin, the All Blacks broke Irish hearts when they rallied from 19-0 down - the biggest comeback in their history - to deny Ireland an historic win with an injury-time try and conversion.

'They've done it!' - World reacts to Irish win

"History in Chicago. The long wait is over." That is how the Irish Independent reported the win, splashing the result large on its website.

"Ireland's class of 2016 stamped their names into the history books as Joe Schmidt's side dispatched New Zealand 40-29 in Chicago," wrote the Irish Times just after the win.

The ABs themselves were gracious in defeat.

And the mood back in Ireland itself was clearly riotous.

Irish fans at a Wellington pub were in an understandably celebratory mood after the match.

Lukas Podolski out of Germany's final Euro 2016 qualifiers

The German football federation (DFB) says Podolski travelled with a swollen ankle from his club Galatasaray and was diagnosed upon arrival in Frankfurt with "a painful capsule irritation of the left upper ankle joint."

The DFB says Podolski left the German team's base Tuesday and was returning to his club for further treatment.

Coach Joachim Loew still has 22 players in his squad, though Bayer Leverkusen winger Karim Bellarabi was laboring with a shoulder problem.

VIDEO: Rugby World Cup 2015 - Sunday highlights

The Irish won the game 16-9.

Over in Pool C, Flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez guided Argentina to a 45-16 five-try victory over Tonga, setting them firmly on course for a place in the quarter-finals.

The bonus-point win in Leicester lifts Argentina to second place in the pool.

The Corrs are back with new album

Even Jim's involved.

The Irish four-piece will return with new album White Light on November 27, before kicking off a headline arena tour of the UK and Ireland in the New Year.

The Corrs have spent most of 2015 in London working on their new record, which will be the follow-up to 2005's Home.

The band's new tour will start at Birmingham's Genting Arena on January 19, and finish up at Belfast's SSE Arena.