Paul O’Connell has lost his battle with injury to miss out on the Munster 26-man squad for the Heineken Cup Semi Final against Biarritz in San Sebastian on Sunday.

Alan Quinlan will find out if he can tour with the Lions next week

AFTER a lack-lustre football decider the week before and all the hype created by the Heineken Cup semi-final, this epic Allianz National League final in Thurles yesterday was just what hurling and the GAA needed to reclaim the feelgood factor.

Around 81,000 fans are descending on Dublin today for the Heineken Cup semi-final.

LEINSTER rugby supporters are turning blue in the face trying to come up with strategies to cope with red-eye effect.

Munster's Paul O'Connell says he is trying to avoid the hype in the build-up to the Heineken Cup semi-final against Leinster at Croke Park on Saturday.

LET’S put the scale of Saturday’s Heineken Cup semi-final into perspective. The Champions League final featuring Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow last season attracted an audience of 67,310.

Alain Rolland has been replaced by Alan Lewis for the Heineken Cup semi-final match between London Irish and Toulouse at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, April 26.

THOUGH the prognosis is positive and the picture will be a lot clearer tomorrow, novenas are already being offered around Munster for Ronan O’Gara’s knee injury, and the hope that it will clear up sufficiently for the province’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Saracens on Sunday week.

Gloucester 3 Munster 16

Ireland will have a central presence in the Heineken Cup semi-finals when international referees Alain Rolland and Alan Lewis take charge on 21 and 22 April.

NEW GAA president, Nickey Brennan has pledged to “make his feelings known” to rugby authorities over the weekend fixture clash when he meets IRFU chiefs for the first time.

ENGLAND head coach Andy Robinson faces a potential front-row crisis for the summer tour of Australia following the loss of Matt Stevens.

Munster lock Paul O'Connell has said his side will not be worried about yet another away Heineken Cup semi-final if they beat Leicester in the quarter-finals.

Nottingham Forest are interested in staging rugby's Heineken Cup semi-final between Leicester and Llanelli.

Munster prop Peter Clohessy believes the Heineken Cup semi-final clash with Stade Francais will be decided in the scrum.

Stade Francais' Heineken Cup semi-final with Munster will take place in Lille on Saturday, April 21.