MUNSTER SELECTION

This weekend, Geordan Murphy and Leicester travel to Thomond Park to face Munster — coached by his old team-mate Anthony Foley — before he gets down to some pressing family matters...

Anthony Foley will send his under-fire Munster players out at Thomond Park this evening confident in their abilities to be all right on the European night after two poor league returns.

Anthony Foley has warned his Munster squad they cannot afford to be as wasteful with the ball as they have been in recent weeks when they go head-to-head with possession kings Leicester Tigers at Thomond Park tomorrow night.

Everyone’s been spending a disproportionate amount of time talking about the Ireland centres during this World Cup. I’m wondering why that is.

Isa Nacewa has failed in his attempt to bring ‘the next Joe Schmidt’ to Leinster.

Isaac Boss and Mils Muliaina go back a long way, 15 years at the very least, so there are few men better qualified than the Leinster scrum-half to judge just what the All Black legend brings to his new home in Connacht.

Johne Murphy has quashed any suggestions Munster will struggle once the province’s ‘golden era’ retires.

IRELAND scrum coach Greg Feek was set to turn full circle today when the Ireland squad pitches up at New Plymouth Boys’ High School for their final training session before Sunday’s World Cup opener against the USA.

TOULOUSE have lost the services of one of their major strike forces, wing Yves Donguy, ahead of their Heineken Cup quarter-final with Stade Francais.

Ospreys 17 Leicester 12

England scrum-half Paul Hodgson believes London Irish face “a truly monumental task” to keep alive their Heineken Cup dream at Twickenham tomorrow.

Leicester 47 Viadana 8

Clermont Auvergne 40 Leicester 30

South Africa captain Chiliboy Ralepelle admits the team’s new players will have to learn the harsh lessons of international tours after their humbling by Guinness Premiership champions Leicester.

LEICESTER boss Richard Cockerill watched the injury-ravaged Tigers earn a pulsating Heineken Cup draw with the Ospreys and hailed: “You can buy a team but you can’t buy spirit”.

Leicester 32 Ospreys 32

MUNSTER’S Doug Howlett is believed to be one of three overseas New Zealand players on the radar of the All Black selectors when planning for their 2011 World Cup begins after this year’s Tri Nations.

MURRAYFIELD isn’t where they would have chosen to meet their destiny – they’ve had too many unnerving moments at Scottish headquarters for their liking – but it’s the stadium in which Leinster intend to put their many demons to rest in this evening’s Heineken Cup final against Leicester.

How come so many Irish gems end up at Welford Road? EDWARD NEWMAN discussed the connections with Leicester’s chief scout Dusty Hare and ex-Lion Eric Miller

Leicester’s Scott Hamilton is after a rare double of Super 14 and Heineken Cup medals in consecutive years. He compared rugby in both hemispheres with Edward Newman

LEICESTER coach Richard Cockerill yesterday hailed the leadership of Geordan Murphy, the Leinster man on the cusp of captaining the Tigers to a third domestic and European double.

THE day of reckoning has finally arrived. After 14 seasons toiling largely at the business end of European rugby, Leinster have a golden opportunity to become the ninth side to win the Heineken Cup.

JERRY FLANNERY and Ronan O’Gara will be cheering on their biggest rivals in the Heineken Cup final, claiming that a Leinster victory would put the seal on a season when Irish rugby ranked alongside the best in the world.

IRELAND’s Bob Casey will lead London Irish into battle against Harlequins warning that defeat would conclude a season of failure at the Madejski Stadium.

Tom Shanklin anticipates a nervous month in the build-up towards this summer’s British and Irish Lions tour.

TOBY FLOOD believes Leicester’s presence at the business end of the Heineken Cup has more than justified his move from his beloved Newcastle Falcons.

LEICESTER head coach Richard Cockerill is unconcerned about his side being underdogs for Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Cardiff Blues at the Millennium Stadium.

BATH boss Steve Meehan has thrown down the gauntlet to French giants Toulouse ahead of tomorrow’s s Heineken Cup showdown, declaring: “They should be very concerned.”

Leicester 52 Treviso 0

RIKI FLUTEY has faced three of the best centres in world rugby over the past two months for England but has his sights set on gunning down another in Brian O’Driscoll.

Leicester 38 Perpignan 27

IF there is one thing more difficult than becoming an All Black, it is staying an All Black. No-one knows that better right now than Conrad Smith.

Declan Kidney believes Ireland will face the “Tiger Woods” of rugby in Saturday’s clash with New Zealand at Croke Park.

THERE IS something about the All Black jersey that immediately catches your attention.

Graham Henry insists his team is not obsessed with winning the World Cup but concedes the New Zealand public may be.

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

Leicester 25 Leinster 9

Edinburgh 17 Leicester 12

Fabien Pelous hopes Leicester will feel the heat when they take on Toulouse in a crucial Heineken Cup clash tomorrow.

Leicester 14 Toulouse 9

NEW ZEALAND will monitor Dan Carter’s fitness closely after selecting him for Saturday’s World Cup clash with France in Cardiff.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry claimed his side will need to improve before the World Cup quarter-finals despite their impressive form in the pool stages.

New Zealand 85 Romania 8