WASPS director of rugby Tony Hanks was delighted with the pay-off for the hard work which ensured yesterday’s Heineken Cup clash with Newport Gwent Dragons went ahead.

Wales 25 New Zealand 37

LEE BYRNE left no doubt where the buck must stop following Wales’ latest painful failure to capture a coveted Tri- Nations scalp.

THE Scarlets ended Cardiff Blues’ unbeaten home six-match run in a gritty, stop-start Welsh Magners League derby at Cardiff City Stadium last night.

LEICESTER director of rugby Richard Cockerill praised the intensity of his side’s performance after they hammered the Scarlets at Welford Road to take control of Heineken Cup Pool 5.

Scarlets 32 Glasgow Warriors 37

MARTIN JOHNSON hailed England’s 30-17 Six Nations victory over Wales as a major step forward in the development of his team.

WALES’ greatest Test match kicker Neil Jenkins led the applause after Shane Williams and company did their utmost to prove running rugby is not extinct.

ALL BLACKS star Dan Carter has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle on Wales scrum-half Martin Roberts during Saturday’s Test match.

THREE penalties from James Arlidge were enough to earn the Dragons a valuable Magners League victory in Edinburgh.

Irish pair, Keith Cronin (Cork) and his Limerick co-driver, Greg Shinnors (Mitsubishi) have won the British Rally Championship triumphing on the final round, the International Rally Yorkshire.

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS got their Magners League season off to a flying start with a three-try victory over a poor Ulster at Rodney Parade.

TOMMY BOWE won more than the man-of-the-match award in Durban on Saturday – he also cemented his place for Saturday’s first test against South Africa in Durban.

Scarlets 29 Newport Gwent Dragons 24

There was a dramatic finish to the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland where Eamonn Boland (Subaru WRC) reeled in long time leader, Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) to take his third straight victory in a round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac series.

BERNARD JACKMAN insists the appointment of Munster coach Declan Kidney as Ireland coach was a “no-brainer”.

LLANELLI Scarlets leapfrogged the Cardiff Blues into second place in the Magners League with a bonus-point victory following a hard-fought derby clash at Stradey Park last night.

EXPERIENCED half-back pair Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel are in line to start against Italy a week on Saturday after coming off the bench to guide Wales to victory over Scotland.

JERRY FLANNERY isn’t one to run away from a challenge, but he felt like doing so at Stradey Park after 50 minutes of last week’s Heineken Cup clash with the Scarlets.

Perpignan 23 Newport Gwent Dragons 19

THE Welsh Rugby Union acted swiftly and decisively to sack head coach Gareth Jenkins less than 24 hours after Wales crashed out of the World Cup after defeat to Fiji.

Wales 72 Japan 18

JAMES HOOK grabbed all 19 points as the Ospreys maintained their Magners League title hopes and all but ended those of the Scarlets.

HEINEKEN CUP hero Andy Goode has revealed a secret of treble-chasing Leicester’s success – fighting in training.

TOP Munster players, captain Paul O’Connell, Peter Stringer, David Wallace, Shaun Payne and Alan Quinlan are all ruled out of Saturday’s Magner’s League clash with Llanelli at Musgrave Park (7.30).

Italy 23 Wales 20

CONNACHT coach Michael Bradley has made three changes to the team which played Ospreys two weeks ago for tonight’s Magners League clash with Border Reivers at Galway Sportsground (6.30).

England face a France side gunning for the Grand Slam, after they followed up away victories over Italy and Ireland with a come-from-behind 32-21 win over Wales at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Wales were looking to upset the form book in their RBS 6 Nations Championship clash with France tonight.

ALAN QUINLAN’s return will be a major boost for Munster when they take on Border Reivers at Netherdale tonight.

Wales 9 Ireland 12

Perfect conditions greeted RBS 6 Nations favourites Ireland as they launched they title challenge with a tricky opener at the Millennium Stadium.

Llanelli Scarlets 20 London Irish 16

ULSTER continue their search for the form that will take them to the knock-out stages of Europe after going down to a tense 21-15 defeat at Llanelli last night.

LLANELLI survived a rousing second-half fightback from London Irish to open their Heineken Cup campaign with a maximum five-point haul at the Madejski Stadium.

IT wasn’t pretty but Munster coach Declan Kidney was delighted after his side sneaked to the narrowest of Magners League wins over Border Reivers at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

WITH new Australian signing Tim McGann making his debut, Declan Kidney is looking for a stronger effort from his Munster charges when they take on Border Reivers in the Magners Celtic League at Thomond Park tonight (7.30).

Derek McGarrity and co-driver, Diarmuid Falvey (Subaru WRC) have won the Kelso based Jim Clark International Rally - a counting round of both the Irish and British Rally Championships.

WALES brought Scotland crashing back down to earth with an emphatic reminder of why they are the defending Six Nations champions and why, despite losing to England last week, they are bent on retaining their title.

England 47 Wales 13

Newport Gwent Dragons 8 Munster 24

Newport Gwent Dragons 11 Sale Sharks 38

Leinster 33 Dragons 14

MUNSTER’S Celtic League clash with Llannelli, fixed for Thomond Park on September 23, will be moved to Cork as the Limerick venue has been deemed unplayable for at least a month after 3000 sods of turf were dug up by vandals.