CARDIFF BLUES are set to pay as much as €100,000 compensation to Ulster after Xavier Rush completed his transfer U-turn. The former All Black signed a two-year contract with the Irish province back in February but has now opted to stay at Cardiff.

INJURIES and rich Super 14 form have prodded All Blacks coach Graham Henry into picking three new caps for the starting team for the Irish Test on Saturday, along with three more on the reserves bench.

Former North Harbour lock forward Bernie Upton has joined Michael Bradley's Connacht.

CIARÁN RUDDOCK has been installed as captain for the Ireland U20s’ pivotal Pool A clash against holders, New Zealand, in the world junior championships at Nagoya, Japan today (11am Irish time).

IN-FORM Bulls’ centre Wynand Olivier will be back to give the Waikato Chiefs an even harder time in the New Zealanders’ first Super 14 final in Pretoria tomorrow (Sky Sports Xtra, 4pm)

Connacht have captured New Zealand second-row forward Bernie Upton on a two-year contract.

TOMÁS O’LEARY’s meteoric rise from Munster’s bench to a first international start against the All Blacks is certainly uplifting but it pales into comparison against the story of the man wearing the other number nine shirt tomorrow.

Michael Bradley has hailed Munster’s achievement after they were crowned European champions for a second time in three seasons.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll has hailed Munster’s latest Heineken Cup triumph – and admitted he is “very envious” of their achievements.

WHEN HE arrived, the first cameo only painted a fragment of the complete Lifeimi Mafi.

New Zealand flanker Jerry Collins has set his sights on a switch to Europe.

DANNY CIPRIANI has made no secret of his desire to become “the best in the world” when he lines up for England on Saturday against Scotland.

ALL BLACKS coach Graham Henry has re-applied for his job following the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) decision to make the position contestable after the team’s failed World Cup campaign.

THE battle to be Peter Stringer’s deputy at September’s World Cup in France is set to intensify during Ireland’s two test tour of Argentina, which kicks off at Santa Fe on Saturday.

NEW Zealand rugby selectors picked scrum-half Brendon Leonard and prop John Schwalger for the first time and omitted winger Rico Gear for the All Blacks’ final matches before the World Cup.

WALLABIES winger Wendell Sailor has requested that the B sample of his drug test be analysed by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, in the hope that the findings will clear his name.

NEW Zealand provincial powerhouses Wellington Hurricanes and Canterbury Crusaders have staked early claims to this year’s Super 14 rugby title.

USED to be there was only one boss in the Irish senior rugby set-up. Move over Eddie, make room for another.

NEW ZEALAND centre Conrad Smith expects little-known teenage All Black Isaia Toeava to begin his path to super-stardom at Murrayfield on Saturday.

WINGER Sitivei Sivivatu, hooker Derren Witcombe and lock James Ryan will make their test debuts for New Zealand against Fiji on Friday after the trio were confirmed as starters in a new-look All Blacks side.

London Irish have signed a new fly half and scrum half.

Leinster confirmed the shock news that Kiwi David Holwell will return to his homeland when the season comes to an end.

SUPER 12 champions ACT Brumbies came back well to defeat New Zealand rivals Canterbury Crusaders at home on the opening weekend of the competition.

ULSTER have got a new boss - Isaac Boss, the Irish qualified scrum-half from Wellington Hurricanes.

Ulster have won the race to sign Waikato's Isaac Boss.

Ulster are closing in on Waikato half-back Isaac Boss. The Kiwi is eligible to hold an Irish passport.

WORLD CUP winner Mike Tindall has insisted England must forget the past when they take on Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry today named two new caps in the side to face Wales in Saturday’s Test at the Millennium Stadium.

Former England coach Clive Woodward praised Leinster lock Malcolm O’Kelly, as his Lions watching brief saw him take in the Irish province’s 30-11 Heineken Cup Pool 2 defeat of Bath at Lansdowne Road tonight.

ALAN GAFFNEY has shouldered part of the responsibility for Munster’s poor Celtic League opening but believes his side can set the record straight against Connacht at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Leinster have signed Wellington Hurricanes out-half David Holwell on a one-year deal from the Southern Hemisphere franchise.

Ulster coach Mark McCall will make his first signing tomorrow when Campbell Feather will move from The Borders.

THE big guns of New Zealand rugby were way off target in the opening round of the Super 12 competition, but new All Black coach Graham Henry believes it is early days in the competition and there is no need to panic.

JONNY WILKINSON insists he will bounce back “stronger and fitter than ever” from the shoulder injury which has ruled him out of the 6 Nations championship.

THE Super 12 final tomorrow is a lineup of the great constellations for rugby fans — a dream-like test of brawn and brilliance under Eden Park’s bright lights.

The Barbarians have named a strong line-up from their star-studded squad for the opening match of their Lloyds TSB tour against England at Twickenham on Sunday.

WITH just three days to go to the Heineken Cup final, the failure of either Munster or Leinster to emerge from their respective semi-finals takes greatly from the event. I sincerely hope, both for the sake of the competition and for the ability of Ireland to host a major European sporting event that the Dublin public turns up in large numbers.

NEW ZEALAND’S dominance of the Super 12 series is showcased this weekend with three out of four Kiwi teams in a semi-final line-up being billed as a trial for All Blacks World Cup places.

DUNEDIN’S House of Pain awaits to derail the ACT Brumbies’ push for a semi-finals’ berth in this week’s Super 12 rugby feature match.

TOULOUSE'S hopes of beating Munster in the semi-finals of the European Cup next week suffered a double injury scare at the weekend when two of their key players limped off the field in the French championship play-offs.

JONAH LOMU and his Wellington Hurricanes team-mate Tana Umaga have been dropped from the New Zealand squad named yesterday for the opening Tri-Nations clash of the season against Australia.

Former London Irish full-back Jarrod Cunningham has been diagnosed as suffering from motor neurone disease.

New Zealand are going to unleash Jonah Lomu on Ireland - but only from the bench.

New Zealand are going to unleash Jonah Lomu on Ireland - but only from the bench.