ONE last stand. After ten months of high octane rugby encompassing Magners League, Guinness Premiership, Heineken Cup, Challenge Cup, Autumn Internationals and the Six Nations those who have survived to this point with willing hearts and minds must summon their reserves of pride and energy for one last effort.

FOUR DAYS on, and that defeat in Pretoria is still pretty hard to take, especially from a smug South African support base who are slow to recognise the limitations within their own set up. Let’s face it; the Lions could have done with winning last Saturday or even in the circumstances holding on for the draw which their herculean efforts over the last two weekends have deserved.

BY MAKING five changes to the starting lineup for tomorrow’s second test, the Lionsmanagement have put their hands up andaccepted they got it wrong last weekend. Nowhere is this more striking than in the make-up of the front five who were pummelled in Durban.

GET SET for a rare treat in modern international rugby — a three-test series. The question on everyone’s lips, however, is how competitive will it be and for how long?

THERE is no doubt in my mind that Paul O’Connell should have been handed the national captaincy by Declan Kidney yesterday after five great years of service from Brian O’Driscoll.

NOT so long ago the prospect that Ireland would have twice as many teams in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals as France was unthinkable.

WITH only three teams already guaranteed qualification to the knockout stages, and just one of those assured a lucrative home draw, there is still so much to play for in this weekend’s final round of Heineken Cup pool games.

OVERALL, it was a great year for Irish sport.

THE CONTRASTING fortunes of Munster and Leinster in their respective Heineken Cup pool games last weekend has once again stimulated much debate in the media and among supporters on the respective merits and shortcomings of both sides.

THIS year’s Heineken Cup took off in spectacular fashion last weekend with some outstanding contests, surprise results and cracking atmosphere.