Rob Kearney deserves the chance to prove himself fit for the Lions tour, believes Leinster and Ireland team-mate Brian O’Driscoll.

Waratahs captain Phil Waugh has confirmed he will retire from rugby union at the end of the year to pursue a business career.

Australia centre Matt Giteau has been ruled out of tomorrow's Cook Cup clash with England after failing to overcome a hip injury.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has not given up hope of keeping Rocky Elsom at Leinster for another 12 months even if, ironically enough, the iron man from Melbourne might feel there’s little point in staying now simply because it’s a case of mission accomplished.

SOMETIMES in this journalistic game you look back upon things you wrote years earlier and wonder how you could possibly have got it so wrong.

THE Irish International Rules team will play the Australian Gaelic football champions, New South Wales GAA, in Sydney in addition to their clashes with the cream of Australian Rules in the international series itself.

MICHAEL Cheika last night insisted he is “committed” to Leinster despite strong speculation in Australia linking him with the position of New South Wales Waratahs head coach from next season.

New South Wales avoided a series clean sweep by edging Queensland in a tense third State of Origin clash at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday.

THE Hamilton streaker, well, the semi-streaker Lisa Lewis, who showed off her designer bikini during the first test between Ireland and New Zealand is under threat of a court injunction.

Morgan Turinui is determined to cement his place in the Australia team after earning a call-up to face England at Twickenham on Saturday.

The HSBC Waratahs have moved swiftly to secure the outstanding player of the NSW Development Tour of Argentina.

Ireland will face 10 of the New South Wales side they defeated on Sunday in the Schools rugby test match next Thursday.

Ireland Schools just about held on their unbeaten record with a 14-5 win over New South Wales Schools in the Double Bay suburb of Sydney.

New South Wales coach Phil Gould and legendary stand-off Brad Fittler bowed out of representative rugby league football as winners today as the Blues beat Queensland 36-14 to retain the State of Origin series.

Morgan Turinui, a try-scorer in yesterday’s 34-13 victory over Scotland, has been dropped from the Australia squad to take on England in next Saturday’s World Cup final rematch.

Head coach Matt Williams today admitted Scotland face a “massive task” in Sunday’s first Test against Australia in Melbourne but backed his players to rise to the challenge.

As much as he tried, Matt Williams could not deflect the attention away from himself in the build-up to Scotland’s tour match against the NSW Waratahs today.

NSW Country 10 Scotland 48

DESPERATE to find game-breaker Mat Rogers a starting position, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is considering him at full-back for Australia’s opening World Cup clash with Argentina.

Veteran flanker Owen Finegan was the biggest omission from Australia’s World Cup squad announced in Sydney today.

John Mitchell returned to his strongest possible line-up for New Zealand’s twin assault on the Bledisloe Cup and the world number one ranking this weekend.

New South Wales clinched the 2003 State of Origin series with a 27-4 demolition of Queensland in the second game in Sydney today.

ENGLAND coach Clive Woodward says his side is not in Melbourne for their Test match against Australia to entertain, it’s here to win.

IRELAND’s forgotten man, Jonathan Bell, last night paid tribute to coach Eddie O’Sullivan for encouraging him as he battled a frightening injury jinx.

Australia flanker George Smith will miss the Wallabies‘ Tests against Wales and England over the next two weeks after sustaining nerve damage to his neck during their 45-16 victory over Ireland in Perth on Saturday.

FORMER NSW turned Ireland flanker Keith Gleeson says the Irish are ready to match it with the rugby powerhouses of the southern hemisphere.

Teams for Australia versus the Lions, second Test, Colonial Stadium, Melbourne, tomorrow, kick-off 10am (Irish time).

Lions 41, NSW Waratahs 24

The Lions - NSW Waratahs game has just kicked off in Sydney.

Teams for New South Wales versus the Lions, Sydney Football Stadium, tomorrow, kick-off 10.30am (Irish time).

Mike Catt is out of the Lions tour to Australia and will be replaced by Wales centre Scott Gibbs.

The Lions have been backed to make a swift recovery after losing their first non-Test match in Australia since 1971.