Scotland are heading into the Six Nations Championship with the same optimism that usually strikes Caledonia in January but there are reasons to believe this bout will last longer than most examples of the past decade.

Anthony Foley has wasted no time in recalling Ireland’s Six Nations heroes as the province continue to seek the victories required to help them to a top two Guinness Pro12 finish.

Ian Humphreys will again be dictating matters for Ulster when they travel to face in-form Edinburgh at Murrayfield this evening.

Guinness Pro12: A reinvigorated Ulster could not have asked for a better incentive to lift their first silverware for almost a decade when Belfast won the bid stage to host the Guinness Pro12 final at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday, May 30.

Scotland coach Vern Cotter has handed four Edinburgh players their first call-ups after naming his squad for next month’s RBS 6 Nations opener with France.

Connacht coach Pat Lam is taking nothing for granted after victory over Munster, naming virtually an unchanged side for tonight’s visit of Edinburgh to the Galway Sportsground (7.35pm).

Connacht welcome Edinburgh to the Sportsground on Friday night and head coach Pat Lam has made just one change from the side that beat Munster on New Year’s Day.

Ian Keatley will start at out-half for Munster in their Guinness PRO12 opener at home to Edinburgh tonight (KO: 7.35pm) nursing the same injury he had to manage throughout the last campaign.

Edinburgh have issued a worrying decree — Munster will have to fight for a productive result in Scotland tonight.

Munster have made 11 changes to the side that lost to Toulon in the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup for their penultimate league game against Edinburgh.

Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons praised Munster for the way they demolished his side at Thomond Park yesterday.

Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons has warned his in-form players to beware a backlash from a revenge-seeking Munster side in tomorrow’s Heineken Cup Pool 6 finale at Thomond Park (12.45pm).

HEINEKEN CUP POOL 6:

As if Munster needed reminding they have a game on their hands in their final Heineken Cup game on Sunday, Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons has stressed just how important an away victory at Thomond Park would be for the Scottish side.

RABODIRECTPRO12:

Connacht coach Pat Lam admits his side must put on a repeat performance next Saturday if they want to beat Heineken Cup rivals Toulouse for a second time in a week.

Connacht take on Edinburgh this evening desperate to break a losing run of seven RaboDirect Pro 12 fixtures.

Perpignan 31 Edinburgh 14

Tim Visser grabbed a late try for Edinbugh as they registered their first Heineken Cup win in 18 months with a surprise 29-23 victory over Munster.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX:

Munster are confident captain Peter O’Mahony will be fit to lead the province into the new Heineken Cup campaign on Saturday against Edinburgh at Murrayfield.

The fact that Edinburgh will be missing their main play-maker and most lethal finisher tonight will delight Munster as they prepare for the opening round of the RaboDirect Pro 12 at Musgrave Park (7.15pm).

Wales centre Gavin Henson is set to make his return to rugby after accepting an invitation to play for the Barbarians against South Africa at Twickenham in December.

Ian McGeechan will today get down to business of selecting his British and Irish Lions team for the opening Test match against world champions South Africa.

THERE’S been higher profile Irish exports to South Africa, but not many have made as deep an impression as Cork man Barry O’Mahony has in his 16 years in this country.

DONNCHA O’Callaghan isn’t easily knocked for six, but British and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan managed to skittle him yesterday when he appointed him as captain of the team to meet the Southern Kings later today.

Donncha O’Callaghan has described being appointed British and Irish Lions captain as the biggest honour of his life.

MUNSTER Senior and Junior Cup champions Garryowen are favourites to add the AIB All-Ireland Senior Cup to their trophy cabinet against Belfast Harlequins at Dubarry Park, Athlone this afternoon(4pm).

Next Saturday's AIB Cup final will be an Ulster-Munster affair as Limerick stalwarts, Garryowen, meet their northern counterparts, Belfast Harlequins, in Dubarry Park, Athlone for the AIB Cup Final.

Connacht prop Brett Wilkinson has signed a two-year extension to his contract, which will keep him at the Sportsground at least until the summer of 2009.

Belfast Harlequins are still without a Division One win, eight games into the season, after they came a cropper at Deramore Park today.

HE may have reached the ripe old age of 35 this year but David Humphreys is still the cog that keeps Ulster’s wheels turning, according to Leinster coach Michael Cheika.

Connacht have completed the signing of little-known South African prop Brett Wilkinson.

INTERIM USA head coach Peter Thorburn has named a 28-man squad to face Ireland A in California in the opening game of the 2006 Churchill Cup this weekend.

Former Ireland flanker Kieron Dawson is in talks with Ulster rugby over a possible return to the province from London Irish.

Northampton head coach Budge Pountney has today been charged by the Rugby Football Union for bringing the game into disrepute.

Llanelli 20 Northampton 22

SQUAD rotation is the name of the game where the Munster team to face Connacht in the Celtic League at the Galway Sportsground on Monday (kick-off 2pm) is concerned.

GOOD times for Irish rugby, good times for Eddie O’Sullivan.

Former Ulster forwards coach Adrian Kennedy has decided to follow his Alan Solomons out of Northampton Saints.

Northampton have confirmed their former All Blacks forward Andrew Blowers will leave Franklin’s Gardens at the end of this season.

Zurich Premiership team Northampton today parted company with head coach Alan Solomons.