Summary: The week before the 6 Nations might be the most enjoyable week of the entire tournament – before your team starts losing, and before you remember that for all the pageantry, and all the brilliant occasions, the rugby can sometimes be pretty soporific. Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley are optimistic about Ireland’s chances of sustaining our interest right to the end, and injured lock Donnacha Ryan talks to us about getting back in time to take part in the drama this year. Bernard Hopkins is 49 years old, a world champion, and still one of the most entertaining boxers in the game. We speak to him about defying medical logic, unifying the belts in time for his 50th birthday next year, and being an alien. The interminable Gatland-O’Driscoll ‘feud’, Copernicus, and national anthems all in the mixer too...
