Harlequins’ continuing efforts to keep their top players for next season’s National Division One campaign have met with further success.

LIONS captain Brian O’Driscoll yesterday hailed the addition of Jonny Wilkinson to the touring party as a “big boost” to his side’s chances of glory in New Zealand.

NEC Harlequins have turned to veteran Tony Diprose to lead their challenge against Munster at Twickenham tomorrow (1pm).

NEC Harlequins will have three Irish men, Andrew Dunne, Simon Keogh and Gavin Duffy in their starting 15 and Munster old boy Jeremy Staunton on the bench when they entertain Alan Gaffney's men at Twickenham on Saturday.

Harlequins 23 Castres 23

FLAT. A word that can be used to describe Belgium, bitter, Kate Moss and the Thomond Park crowd last Saturday — not to mention the Munster backline.

Coach Alan Gaffney “gleefully accepted” Munster’s 15-9 Heineken Cup Pool Four triumph over the Zurich Premiership’s bottom side Harlequins despite a scoreless second half from the Irish province.

KEITH WOOD will be one of the most interested spectators for this afternoon’s Heineken Cup Group Four clash of Munster and Harlequins in Thomond Park.

THE EARLY season skirmishing has ended and the business end of the season has arrived.

French Grand Slam stars Oliver Magne and Damien Traille will both line up for the Barbarians against Wales at Ashton Gate on Wednesday night.

London Irish face a testing Parker Pen Challenge Cup trip to Narbonne tomorrow, with coach Gary Gold admitting: “We have made life a bit difficult for ourselves.”

Former Scotland skipper Budge Pountney, ex-Wales captain Scott Quinnell and South Africans Andre Vos and Josh Kronfeld have been ruled out of the Barbarians side to face England at Twickenham on Sunday through injury.

Former Scotland skipper Budge Pountney, ex-Wales captain Scott Quinnell and South Africans Andre Vos and Josh Kronfeld have been ruled out of the Barbarians side to face England at Twickenham on Sunday through injury.

Percy Montgomery is set to continue a Springbok exodus by joining Newport next week.

Harlequins welcomed former South African skipper Andre Vos to the Stoop today but waved farewell to England back-row Steve White-Cooper.

Former South Africa captain Andre Vos has left South Africa in search of a new home in England after retiring from international rugby last week.