BEFORE we move onto the mouthwatering prospect of a spectacular season finale in Thomond Park on Saturday, I have to go back to what proved a truly absorbing contest in Cardiff last weekend.

IT IS a measure of the Irish impact on the Heineken Cup that Leinster’s appearance in the decider in Cardiff on Saturday marks the seventh by an Irish side in the competition’s 16-year history.

All eyes are now firmly on the prize as the season reaches its zenith over the next few weeks, writes Donal Lenihan

Donal Lenihan looks at the Irish powerhouses and sees one squad primed to build on European success, while the other requires major surgery as cracks start to show.

Where the clash will be won and lost

IT is hard to believe that four months ago I had to brace myself for a difficult landing with a foot of snow on the edge of the runway at Bristol airport en-route to the Liberty Stadium for Munster’s Heineken Cup game with the Ospreys.

WITH Alan Quinlan, one of the great modern characters and indeed one of the most influential players of the professional era, set to retire from rugby next month it is interesting to take stock of a new trend in the international game and one that is a cause for concern.

FOR some time now, the fortunes of the Irish rugby team can be directly aligned to the wellbeing of Munster and Leinster.

Donal Lenihan on where the three Irish teams can prosper