British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland was scheduled to sit down with Brian O’Driscoll at Carton House last night for a first-hand update on the Ireland centre’s fitness.

Leinster 34 Stade Francais 13

Leinster and Ireland forward Jamie Heaslip has been nominated for the 2013 European Player of the Year award.

Sergio Parisse readily accepts that Stade Francais are underdogs for tonight’s Amlin Challenge Cup final against Leinster in Dublin.

The ink had hardly time to dry on Brian O’Driscoll’s new one-year contract yesterday when Joe Schmidt was asked if there was any chance of the 34-year-old being persuaded to double the duration and play on through to the 2015 World Cup.

Concerns over Brian O’Driscoll’s fitness heading into a Lions summer were reduced yesterday following Joe Schmidt’s assertion that the centre is expected to be fit for Leinster’s RaboDirect PRO12 final against Ulster tomorrow week.

He may have signed a new one-year deal this morning, but Brian O’Driscoll has been ruled out of the Amlin Challenge Cup final between Leinster and Stade Francais in Dublin tomorrow night.

Brian O'Driscoll has signed a new one year deal with the IRFU that will keep playing for club and country until next June.

Mike Ross spoke yesterday of his disappointment at being left out of the Lions squad but insisted he hasn’t given up hope of being handed a belated opportunity to make a mark in Australia.

Jamie Heaslip or Toby Faletau?

A recurrence of his calf injury has ruled Leinster centre Gordon D’Arcy out of Friday night’s Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Français in the RDS (8pm).

Brian O’Driscoll is expected to overcome injury in time for Leinster’s Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais on Friday night, butGordon D’Arcy’s season looks to be all but over.

Brian O’Driscoll is likely to be fit for Friday’s Amlin Challenge Cup final despite being told to stay in bed for 48 hours to rest his injured back, according to Lions Head Coach Warren Gatland.

Leinster 17 Glasgow 15

Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt felt that his side delivered one of their best displays of the year as they booked their place in the Amlin Challenge Cup final with a 44-16 romp over defending champions Biarritz.

Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Harlequins will be played at The Stoop.

Heineken Cup champions Leinster will earn another big pay day when they play French rivals Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium.

Dublin will be the epicentre of European club rugby next year with the finals of both the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup set to take place in the Irish capital in May 2013.

Leinster Number eight Jamie Heaslip, flanker Sean O’Brien and full-back Isa Nacewa have been shortlisted for the European player of the year award along with Northampton prop Soane Tonga’uiha.

Twickenham has been confirmed as the host of next season’s Heineken Cup final after European Rugby Cup revealed the tournament structure today.

ONE OF the more bizarre yet intriguing aspects of the Heineken Cup over the years has been the ambivalent relationship between the tournament and the French sides.

Raphael Ibanez runs the rule over the tournament newcomers –- Aironi Rugby, Racing Metro 92 and Toulon.

Former Munster prop Timmy Ryan has made the replacements bench on the Toulon squad to play Cardiff Blues in the Amlin Challenge Cup final in Marseilles tomorrow.

PREVIEW: Cardiff Blues v Munster, tomorrow 6.15pm (Cardiff City Stadium)

Fluent French speaker Alain Rolland has lost out on the Heineken Cup final to Englishman Wayne Barnes.

Wasps 15 Cardiff Blues 18

Connacht 12 Toulon 19