There isn’t a club in Europe that can match Toulouse for tradition and history but the French giants travel to Limerick this week weighed down by the woes of the current generation rather than the haul of silverware that once made them the most feared side on the continent.

So much has changed since Munster set out on their inaugural fixture in this season’s Champions Cup campaign that it’s difficult to grasp that they now sit just 80 minutes away from an appearance in the semi-final stage of the tournament.

Toulouse captain, Thierry Dusautoir, says they will be striving to erase the bad memory of their last visit to Thomond Park, in 2014. They are returning to Limerick to face Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

The Ireland Women’s rugby squad to play England women in a historic first Autumn International match has been named.

The Heineken Cup as we know it has just seven games to run. When it is consigned to history at the end of the season in favour of its successor, the proposed new European Champions Cup, we will look back with fond memories on the last 19 seasons of memorable European action and the joy the tournament brought for rugby supporters across the competing nations.

Scotland suffered last-gasp heartache as France snatched a 19-17 RBS 6 Nations win after Jean-Marc Doussain kicked the winning penalty at Murrayfield with just 90 seconds left.

Saracens were a north London parks team playing in front of the proverbial two men and a dog when Guy Noves began building the Toulouse empire 20 years ago.

There are more Samoan, Tongans and Fijians living in New Zealand than in their home islands — but that’s not what makes them dangerous.

AS the most decorated club coach in world rugby, Guy Noves has become an old hand at the verbal exchanges in the lead-up to a big must-win game.

France coach Marc Lievremont has kept faith with the squad which lost to England at Saturday for Les Bleus’ next RBS 6 Nations game in Italy on March 12.

RUGBY bosses should not have become involved in politics in the way they did by holding a press conference to oppose plans to show matches on free-to-air TV, according to Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny.

THE waiting is over.

A WEEKEND pregnant with promise and expectation for Irish rugby was terminated brutally and conclusively in north-eastern Spain yesterday.

France coach Marc Lievremont today named an unchanged squad for the RBS 6 Nations game against England.

Stade Francais last night demanded England release flanker James Haskell immediately so he can play in Saturday’s clash with Toulouse.

SOUTH AFRICAN prop Tendai Mtawarira’s participation in tonight’s Test against France in Toulouse is in doubt due to ongoing confusion surrounding his citizenship.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made no changes to the starting XV that lost to Wales for Saturday’s final RBS 6 Nations game against France.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett has called uncapped Franco Sbaraglini to replace injured Fabio Ongaro for tomorrow’s Six Nations game against Scotland.

Italy will be boosted by the return of lock Marco Bortolami and centre Andrea Marcato for their RBS Six Nations game in Scotland on February 28, but will be without Andrea Masi after the full-back received a three-week ban today.

Italy will be boosted by the return of lock Marco Bortolami and centre Andrea Marcato for their RBS Six Nations game against Scotland in Edinburgh on February 28.

THEY’RE a special team and a special club, Toulouse, and will be right up there with the likes of Munster, Wasps and Clermont at the business end of the Heineken Cup next year.

STADE TOULOUSAIN are proud of their traditions and expect them to be respected and passed on.

Frederic Michalak will return to Toulouse from the Natal Sharks at the end of the Currie Cup in October on a three-year contract.

Italy welcome back Gloucester lock Marco Bortolami for the RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in Cardiff on February 23.

Italy coach Nick Mallett believes the Azzurri will have to significantly raise their game when they meet England in the RBS 6 Nations Championship this weekend.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has put his faith in experience for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations opener with Ireland at Croke Park.

FORMER France captain and flanker Jean-Pierre Rives has described Argentina as “the last of the romantics” and is delighted at the Pumas’ success so far at the Rugby World Cup.

ENGLAND flanker Lewis Moody is “devastated” to be missing the rest of the RBS 6 Nations Championship through injury.

TREVOR Brennan yesterday secured an interim injunction in the High Court restraining the management of the European Rugby Cup from conducting a disciplinary inquiry today into alleged misconduct at a Heineken Cup match earlier this month.

DIEHARD Munster rugby fans are fuming that thousands of tickets for tomorrow’s Heineken Cup quarter-final at Lansdowne Road have ended up in the hands of the corporate set.

France centre Benoit Baby insists he has learned his lesson from his four-week suspension.

THE Munster Branch of the IRFU were last night locked in contract discussions with coach Alan Gaffney.

FRANCE COACH Bernard Laporte has made four changes to the starting line-up from the one that beat England 18-17 for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Wales in Paris.

WALES have been given a major boost ahead of their opening Six Nations clash against world champions England with former skipper Martyn Williams declared fit to start.

FRENCH centre Damien Traille was forced out of Saturday’s Paris Test against Australia with an ankle injury.

TEST centurion Jason Leonard last night admitted the prospect of spending a month away from his family during England’s tour to New Zealand and Australia was reason behind his decision to quit international rugby.

FRANCE winger Vincent Clerc is intent on making an immediate impact when he returns to the France squad for the Six Nations opener against Ireland, after being snubbed by Bernard Laporte for the World Cup.

France winger Vincent Clerc is intent on making an immediate impact when he returns to the France squad for their RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland tomorrow, after being snubbed by Bernard Laporte for the World Cup.

MUNSTER’S fifth round Heineken Cup game against Benetton Treviso will not be available on any of the usual television outlets in this country.

PLEASING and fulfilling as it undoubtedly is to be coach of a squad as magnificent as Munster’s, there are aspects of Alan Gaffney’s job which he could do without — such as having to tell players they aren’t required for a match as big as Saturday’s Heineken European Cup semi-final against Toulouse at the Stadium de Toulouse.

COMPARISONS with greatness are second nature to Stade Toulousain. After all, they have been winning since their formation as a club in 1907 with great teams forged from each generation.