LONDON (AP) — Two rounds into the Six Nations, only two teams remain unbeaten. And they meet next.

England ensured the showdown with Wales in two weeks in Cardiff will be extra spicy by crushing France 44-8 at Twickenham on Sunday.

Coach Eddie Jones promised England would be even ...

EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Ireland kept alive its Six Nations title defense at Murrayfield by grinding down Scotland 22-13 on Saturday.

After being crunched by England on the opening weekend in Dublin, Ireland had to rebound far from home against a Scotland side confident it had the steel ...

LONDON (AP) — The British and Irish leaders were looking to mend fences after a week of Brexit tensions at a dinner in Dublin Friday. But Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his U.K. counterpart, Theresa May, sought to dampen expectations of a breakthrough on the thorny issue of the Irish ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland hopes No. 8 CJ Stander will be available to return for the last two rounds of the Six Nations after suspected facial fractures.

Ireland expect Stander to be sidelined “for up to four weeks” after he was injured early in a collision with England flanker Tom Curry but ...

England is back and its reputation restored after upending Ireland 32-20 in the defending Six Nations champion’s Lansdowne Road stronghold on Saturday.

Following its worst championship finish in 31 years, England opened this campaign an eight-point underdog to the mighty Irish, but subdued ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Coach Joe Schmidt insists there isn’t much of a difference between his Ireland side and England.

Yet there is a difference.

The main one is possession. The Irish hog the ball and the English wish they could.

Thanks to overwhelming ball control, Ireland has won ...

ENGLAND

COACH: Eddie Jones

2018 SIX NATIONS: 5th

BEST SIX NATIONS RESULT: Champion 2000, ’01, ’03, ’11, ’16, ’17

OUTLOOK: The storm has seemingly passed for Eddie Jones following the toughest period of his tenure as England rugby coach. His team had a positive set of ...

LONDON (AP) — Eddie Jones couldn’t help himself. As the England rugby coach passed Joe Schmidt in a hallway, he warned the Ireland coach, “I’ll find another couple of grenades to throw in.”

He was only half-kidding at the posh Hurlingham Club during the Six Nations launch on Wednesday. The ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Video review is being fast-tracked into the Champions League this season.

People with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that UEFA’s executive committee is set to approve video assistant referees from the round of 16 in February. The people spoke on ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Frustrated at seeing the Netherlands paired again with Germany, Ronald Koeman was candid.

“I wasn’t happy because they are strong,” the Netherlands coach said at the 2020 European Championship qualifying draw on Sunday. “Germany is also not happy with Holland I ...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has offered a sunny assessment of where his squad stands less than a year out from a Rugby World Cup in Japan, where the All Blacks will be trying to win the Webb Ellis Trophy for the third straight time.

Hansen has hailed ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Mick McCarthy has returned for his second stint as Republic of Ireland coach, replacing Martin O’Neill, who left Tuesday after five years in charge.

The Football Association of Ireland said Sunday that McCarthy would stay in charge for two years, and that Stephen Kenny, who ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland showed off its deep talent pool when its second-stringers absorbed a strong United States start then smashed the Eagles 57-14 at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Ireland made 14 changes after beating New Zealand last weekend, and found itself in a match when the U.S. ...

GENEVA (AP) — With the inaugural Nations League program ending Tuesday, the 2020 European Championship is up next for the continent’s national teams.

All 24 places at Euro 2020 are up for grabs when qualifying starts in March, although the Nations League helped shape the draw that will be ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Beating world champion New Zealand gave Ireland “reassurance,” lock Iain Henderson said on Monday.

Two days after toppling the All Blacks 16-9 for the first time at home, Henderson said the team’s prime motivation was not to be a one-win wonder. The Irish downed the All ...

Ireland is No. 1.

At least to New Zealand coach Steve Hansen.

His All Blacks, the undisputed No. 1 for nine years, lost to the Irish 16-9 on Saturday for the first time in Dublin. Hansen immediately dubbed Ireland the favorite for the Rugby World Cup next year.

Ireland coach ...

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has wound up pressure on his New Zealand-born Ireland counterpart Joe Schmidt ahead of Saturday’s test in Dublin between rugby’s top-ranked teams, arguing the winner will be indisputably the best in the world.

The All Blacks have enjoyed an almost unbroken ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland brought in lock Devin Toner and fit-again backs Rob Kearney and Garry Ringrose to play New Zealand on Saturday at Lansdowne Road.

Toner has swapped positions with Iain Henderson, who has gone to the reserves after starting in the 28-17 win over Argentina last ...

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — To kick off “Mingle with Engel” is an image of a golden, spinning globe throwing off city names like Hong Kong, London, Dublin, Cairo and Seoul into space.

Then comes the introduction and it’s clear the show is from nowhere near those locations around the world. It’s ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland brought back all of its big guns to play Argentina at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, and kept Jordan Larmour as fullback.

Larmour was one of only three starters retained from the 54-7 beating of Italy in Chicago last weekend. The others were inside center Bundee Aki and ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Pope Francis issued a sweeping apology Sunday for the “crimes” of the Catholic Church in Ireland, saying church officials didn’t respond with compassion, truth or justice to the many children and women who were abused over generations.

Francis was interrupted by applause from ...

DUBLIN (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis’ trip to Ireland (all times local):

11 p.m.

Pope Francis is facing a lukewarm reception and scattered protests on his trip to Ireland.

Even his vow to rid the church of the “scourge” has been dismissed as a disappointment by some of ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Pope Francis faced a lukewarm reception and scattered protests Saturday on his trip to Ireland, with even his vow to rid the church of the “scourge” of sexual abuse and his outrage at those “repugnant crimes” dismissed as a disappointment by some of Ireland’s wounded ...

DUBLIN (AP) — A prominent Irish survivor of priestly sexual abuse told a Vatican-sponsored conference Friday that the Holy See must put in place “robust structures” and strong sanctions to hold accountable bishops and Vatican officials who fail protect children from predator priests.

Marie ...

DUBLIN (AP) — An international research group launched a database Monday of Irish clergy convicted or credibly accused of sexually abusing children in hopes of pressing Pope Francis to disclose the names of all the priests and brothers deemed guilty by the church.

BishopAccountability.org ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The archbishop of Dublin said Sunday he hopes Pope Francis will speak frankly about the “darkness” of priestly sex abuse during his upcoming visit to Ireland, which has been clouded by new revelations of misconduct in the U.S. Catholic Church.

Archbishop Diarmuid ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Monday accepted the resignation of an Australian archbishop convicted in criminal court of covering up the sexual abuse of children by a priest, taking action after coming under mounting pressure from ordinary Catholics, priests and even the Australian prime ...

LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of well-wishers turned out to catch a glimpse of Prince Harry and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle, as they made their first overseas walkabout in Dublin Wednesday.

Students and tourists flocked to the Irish capital’s Trinity College, screaming and shouting ...

LONDON (AP) — Irish authorities have imposed a ban on watering lawns and gardens in the Dublin area as a country famous for its rain-soaked green landscape experiences a rare drought.

The Irish weather service Met Eireann says parts of the country are undergoing drought, defined as 15 ...

DUBLIN (AP) — Rohit Sharma’s swashbuckling 61-ball 97 and 74 from Shikhar Dhawan set up India’s 76-run victory against Ireland on Wednesday in the first game of a two-match Twenty20 series.

The two batsmen compiled an opening partnership of 160 as the touring team chalked up 208-5 after ...

LONDON (AP) — The former Meghan Markle visited Britain’s Royal Ascot for the first time Tuesday, receiving a rapturous welcome as she and Prince Harry joined Queen Elizabeth II for the opening day’s carriage procession.

Thousands of race-goers cheered from the stands as the royal family ...

BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe’s diplomatic row over who should take in a rescue boat with hundreds of migrants onboard has drawn fresh attention to glaring gaps in the European Union’s asylum rules.

The so-called Dublin Regulation, a key component keeping Europe’s passport-free travel area open, ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — An international family rally the Catholic Church is hosting in Ireland will feature workshops on hot-button issues facing Catholic families, including protecting children from clergy sexual abuse, weathering divorce and ministering to lesbian and gay faithful.

Pope ...

DUBLIN (AP) — The Latest on reaction to the Irish abortion referendum result (all times local):

1:45 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron says that Ireland has made history with its abortion referendum in which voters chose to abolish a ban on terminations.

Macron

DUBLIN (AP) — Irish Catholics attending Sunday Mass were disappointed with the result of a referendum in which voters opted to legalize abortion and think it reflects the weakening of the Church — a situation that was unthinkable in Ireland a generation ago.

There was no mention of the ...