Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline.

Ulster finished their disappointing European Champions Cup season in downbeat fashion as Bordeaux-Begles secured a hard-earned but deserved 26-22 victory at the Kingspan Stadium.

The prospect of missing out on qualification for next season’s European Champions Cup looms larger than ever for Munster after Glasgow Warriors’ win over the Newport Gwent Dragons on Thursday. That result drops Munster to eighth in the Guinness Pro12 table with only the top six assured of Champions Cup action.

Munster 18 Benetton Treviso 13: The consolation on a less than satisfactory Guinness Pro12 performance at Musgrave Park on Saturday night was the win, four points in the bag, that puts Munster in a much healthier position than at the same stage last season when they lost first time out to Edinburgh.

Gloucester 45 Munster 8

Former Ulster Director of Rugby David Humphreys yesterday broke his silence about his move away from Ravenhill to Aviva Premiership side Gloucester.

Wasps boss David Young has underlined a need for watertight discipline in tonight’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final showdown with Leinster.

Toby Flood will be named in England's RBS 6 Nations squad today after a citing for an alleged tip tackle was dismissed at a Rugby Football Union hearing.

Chris Ashton is back to play Australia after being recalled to the England side for Saturday’s Cook Cup showdown at Twickenham.

South Africa 14 England 14

England will field a completely changed side in their tour match against South Africa’s Southern Barbarians in Kimberley on Wednesday.

England 30 Ireland 9

Owen Farrell has retained the England fly-half jersey for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France, despite the return to fitness of Charlie Hodgson.

Owen Farrell will start at fly-half for England in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations game against Wales after Charlie Hodgson failed to recover from a finger injury.

Italy 15 England 19

England’s interim head coach Stuart Lancaster will name at least eight uncapped players in his 22-man squad to face Scotland in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown.

France 19 England 12

MARTIN JOHNSON believes any one of seven teams can win the Rugby World Cup — and he places England right at the heart of the pack.

Toby Flood will start at inside centre alongside fly-half Jonny Wilkinson in England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France.

Delon Armitage will start on the left wing for England in place of Mark Cueto in Saturday’s decisive Rugby World Cup Pool B showdown with Scotland.

England 67 Romania 3

HT England 34 Romania 3

Lewis Moody has returned from injury to captain an England team featuring nine changes for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup clash with Georgia.

Lewis Moody has returned from injury to captain an England team featuring nine changes for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup appointment against Georgia.

England were today considering whether to appeal against Courtney Lawes’ two-match ban for recklessly striking Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma with his knee.

Ireland 9 England 20

Ireland 9 England 13

MARTIN JOHNSON views today’s Ireland game as the perfect launch-pad for England’s campaign in New Zealand, which begins against Argentina on September 10.

England’s back row resources have been stretched before they even depart for the World Cup after Tom Wood was forced to pull out of tomorrow’s final warm-up international against Ireland.

ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody will be given every chance to prove his fitness for the World Cup after suffering a mild ligament strain in his right knee. Moody’s leadership is seen by the England management as “vital” and they have not ruled out naming him in their final 30-man squad on August 22, even if he is not 100% fit.

Matt Stevens’ return from the ignominy of a drugs ban continued today when he was confirmed in England’s 45-man Rugby World Cup training squad.

Harlequins 19 Stade Francais 18

IRELAND’S incredible record of achievement in the Heineken Cup is set to continue with Leinster being offered a tantalising opportunity to reverse last years painful semi-final defeat at the hands of mighty Toulouse.

HARLEQUINS will provide the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final opposition for Munster should they prevail in Brive today, after the English side won a London derby with Wasps 32-22 at The Stoop last night.

BIG games, big clashes and a big prize at the end of it all — the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals look set to provide some classic contests right out of the top drawer of European action.

THERE are plenty of lazy comparisons to draw between Brive and Munster — both former European champions keen to restore former glories, and both call small, rugby-mad provincial centres home — but what’s less obvious is that the French side found inspiration in Limerick not so long ago.

ENGLAND have always been a team that prides itself on doing the rugby basics well.

England 17 France 9

FRANCE centre Yannick Jauzion is determined to take his chance in today’s Six Nations showdown and put “arrogant” England in their place.

JULIEN BONNAIRE has promised there will be no fear in the France ranks when Marc Lievremont’s troops run out at Twickenham tomorrow.

France tonight suffered a blow to their preparations for Saturday’s clash with England when full-back Maxime Medard was ruled out.

England manager Martin Johnson is still haunted by the memories of last year’s defeat to France in Paris – and he wants revenge.

Julien Bonnaire has promised there will be no fear in the France ranks when Marc Lievremont’s troops run out at Twickenham on Saturday.

England manager Martin Johnson has named an unchanged team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy at Twickenham.

Mike Tindall believes Friday night’s victory over Wales could go down as one of the seminal moments in England’s development towards the World Cup and beyond.

Wales 19 England 26

WALES’ coaching staff held a “long debate” about handing James Hook the fly-half playmaker’s role for their RBS 6 Nations showdown against England at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow night.

Wales international James Hook has confirmed he will join French club Perpignan next season.

Louis Deacon has been recalled to the England squad for the RBS 6 Nations as a replacement for banned Gloucester lock Dave Attwood.