The prospect of an agreement to save the Heineken Cup looks bleak after the two warring sides fired public broadsides at each other over their behaviour during the past four days.

Having hosted the inaugural Heineken Cup final, there are fears Cardiff could now host the last after winning the right to stage next year’s showpiece.

The pool draw has today been made for the 2012/13 Henieken Cup.

With two finals on their doorstep and not an Aviva Premiership team in sight, the natives are getting restless

It’s been 12 years since Ulster’s Heineken Cup success, and the same since they made the knockout phase of the competition. Too long, says the province’s stalwarts. Brendan O’Brien took the temperature ahead of Sunday’s clash with Northampton

OPPOSITION to the dreaded vuvuzela is beginning to escalate in England but sporting organisations here in Ireland are, in general, taking a more laissez-faire reaction to the ear-splitting plastic airhorn that provided the soundtrack to the first African-hosted World Cup.

THE external bruises from his date with the Cardiff Blues were there for all to see, steri-strips acting as a poor camouflage for yet another cut and bloodied right eye.

Marcus Horan has offered a passionate defence of Irish rugby following a trio of sobering results in Europe.

Marcus Horan has offered a passionate defence of Irish rugby following a trio of sobering results in Europe.