Sean Cronin stares into the dregs of his Americano and up at the ceiling of the café in Clonskeagh as his thoughts slosh around and he struggles with a definitive answer.

Jamie Heaslip’s disinterest in any rugby match in which he isn’t taking part is well-known, but the Leinster number eight couldn’t ignore last year’s Heineken Cup final between Toulon and Clermont Auvergne.

Paul O’Connell issued a downbeat assessment of Munster’s chances of a Heineken Cup quarter-final victory over French giants Toulouse, saying his province should not be favourites at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Welsh official Nigel Owens will take control of Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final with Toulouse, with tournament organisers ERC appointing England’s Wayne Barnes as referee for Leinster’s trip to Toulon.

Rob Kearney is confident that the current Ireland team can avoid the same sort of slump in form that kicked in after the Grand Slam title was won five years ago.

Plans are believed to be afoot to launch a third-tier competition comprising low-ranked national teams and club sides in a move that could help solve the European rugby union crisis.

Accumulated profits at the firm owned by Leinster and Irish rugby star Jamie Heaslip last year topped €60,000.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt hopes Johnny Sexton comes through Racing Metro’s Top 14 tussle with Toulouse unscathed, after confirming Keith Earls is a serious RBS 6 Nations doubt.

Scarlets 20 Harlequins 22

Munster 38 Edinburgh 6

Munster motored their way to a home Heineken Cup quarter-final as they brushed Edinburgh aside 38-6 at Thomond Park.

Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons has warned his in-form players to beware a backlash from a revenge-seeking Munster side in tomorrow’s Heineken Cup Pool 6 finale at Thomond Park (12.45pm).

HEINEKEN CUP POOL 6:

Heineken Cup. France. Must-win.

While it’s customary to reflect on rugby events at this time of year, I no more than you have an appetite for that.

At the time, he was one of Ireland’s own harshest critics.

Northampton Saints must suffer deja vu from last week, not last year, according to Leinster fly-half Ian Madigan.

Peter Stringer is poised to write his name into the history books as only the third player to secure 100 caps in European competitions should he get the nod to start in Bath’s Amlin Challenge Cup game against Rugby Mogliano tomorrow.

Northampton 7 Leinster 40

Leinster captain Leo Cullen is relishing a repeat of the 2011 Heineken European Cup final, when Leinster clash with Northampton Saints in the next round of pool games this weekend in Franklin's Gardens.

Racing Metro have signed Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Racing Metro have signed Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Paul O'Connell, Sean O'Brien and Jonathan Sexton are all expected to start the November international against Australia on Saturday.

Johnny Sexton was not the only recipient at the annual Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Awards, held in Dublin last night.

Tomás O’Leary produces an infectious smile when he emerges from the physio’s room at London Irish’s training base. It might be his 30th birthday, a milestone which often signals the onset of autumn in a professional rugby player’s career, but after a spell ravaged by injury, the Corkman has a fresh outlook.

Progress has been made “on a number of issues” in the ongoing tussle surrounding European club competitions, independent mediators Graeme Mew and Stephen Drymer said on Thursday.

Summit talks to try and reach a new agreement on the future of the Heineken Cup were set to continue in Dublin today as stakeholders in the European competition digested the implications of the Welsh regions backing the proposed breakaway Rugby Champions Cup.

Wales’ four regional teams have pledged “full support” for the proposed Rugby Champions Cup mooted by England and France next season.

For three seasons Leinster agonised over an itch that they just could not scratch.

Quick. Off the top of your head: which is the bigger game? Munster v Leinster tomorrow in the RaboDirect PRO12 at Thomond Park or Ireland’s November Series opener against Samoa at the Aviva Stadium.

Munster coach Rob Penney believes there are plenty of positives to take from last season’s Heineken Cup to give his side the belief they can go even further this year.

It took a bit of time, but the Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italians have come out fighting in a bid to cut renegade English and French clubs off at the pass.

Ireland, Wales, and Scotland have all made clear statements that they will not take part in the new European rugby competition planned by English and French clubs.

New Ireland rugby head coach Joe Schmidt has enjoyed getting settled into his new role and is relishing his first set of test games this autumn.

Premiership Rugby and its French counterparts have been accused of showing a lack of respect during an increasingly bitter row over the Heineken Cup’s future.

European Rugby Cup has appointed an independent mediator in their attempts to thrash out a new tournament agreement for the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup competitions.

European Rugby Cup chairman Jean-Pierre Lux has described the ramifications of a proposed Anglo-French tournament as “detrimental” to the world game.

Leinster’s Darragh Fanning believes there are plenty like him playing club rugby who are ready, willing and more than able to do a job for any of the four professional provincial sides.

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray has vowed that English teams will be prepared to carry out their threat to pull out of the Heineken Cup.

Scarlets 19 Leinster 42

Last Friday’s 21-13 defeat by Northampton Saints in Donnybrook was Leinster’s final pre-season fixture before the start of their RaboDirect Pro12 campaign this coming Friday, but for international scrum-half Eoin Reddan it represented his first piece of on-field action since breaking his leg against France in the RBS Six Nations on March 10.

If pre-season training is a bit like going back to school, it was fitting that Fergus McFadden was continuing his Leinster preparations on the pitch where it all started a little more than 15 years ago.

The lack of Irish coaches operating at the summit of the professional game here should not be a cause for concern, according to Leinster’s new Australian head man.

The group fixtures for this year's Heineken Cup have been announced.