Gloucester and Sale Sharks are expected to provide a large chunk of England boss Brian Ashton’s South Africa tour squad when it is announced at Twickenham later today.

Calvisano 11 Sale Sharks 29

Sale hooker Andy Titterrell will miss the first month of the new Guinness Premiership season after undergoing neck surgery.

Sale 27 Munster 13

THERE’S €150,000 riding on Mark Cueto’s ability to continue his scoring spree through to the end of the season.

England boss Andy Robinson has named five uncapped players – including New Zealand-born Wasps star Mark Van Gisbergen – in his 30-man squad for the autumn Tests.

GORDON BULLOCH is used to being a member of a minority group on this Lions tour.

YOU could never compare a hooker’s tale to a Cinderella story, but Shane Byrne’s journey from Leinster journeyman to a Lions Test cap comes pretty close.

Gavin Henson had promised to prove a point to Clive Woodward after his omission from the Lions Test squad and he did so in Invercargill today by inspiring the ‘dirt-trackers’ to victory over Southland.

Lions star Gavin Henson put a brave face on his shock omission from Clive Woodward’s first Test plans against the All Blacks.

SHANE BYRNE put himself in pole position for the Lions’ Test hooking spot yesterday with a superb performance as the tourists got back on track with victory over Wellington.

THE PICTURE seems so much clearer now. With two games and six days to go before Clive Woodward’s team for the first Test against New Zealand is revealed, a number of places in the starting XV were signed and sealed following the Lions’ 23-6 victory over Wellington yesterday.

FOUR days on and the sour taste of defeat at the hands of the New Zealand Maori still lingers in the mouths of the British & Irish Lions.

WELLINGTON scrum half Piri Weepu will face the British and Irish Lions for the second time in five days believing the Maori’s victory can help his provincial side.

Martin Corry was called into British and Irish Lions action for his third game of the campaign and captained a side which had a distinct midweek feel about it.

Denis Hickie knows he has got to strike the right balance against Taranaki tomorrow if he wants to impress his Test match credentials upon Lions head coach Clive Woodward.

IN A Lions’ world post-Keith Wood, Gordon Bulloch recognises that Saturday’s tour opener against Bay of Plenty is his chance to make a claim for the Test hooking spot.

Sale romped to victory in the European Challenge Cup final with a one-sided demolition of outclassed Pau at the Kassam stadium.

British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll has been rested for Monday’s Test against Argentina in order to make a symbolic appearance in the first game of the New Zealand tour on June 4.

Sale 59 Connacht 9

Sale Sharks have identified veteran Irish international Eric Elwood as a potential threat to their European Challenge Cup ambitions.

Jason Robinson and 10 other full internationals will make up the majority of the Sale Sharks side that will be hot favourites to overturn Connacht in the first-leg of the European Challenge Cup semi-final the Sportsground on Saturday.

Northern Hemisphere 19 Southern Hemisphere 54

London Irish will be without almost a quarter of their squad for tomorrow night’s tough European Challenge Cup second round tie against Pau in France.

England boss Clive Woodward has decided to rest three World Cup-winning stars for next month’s tour to New Zealand and Australia.

Clive Woodward has made two additions to his squad for their RBS 6 Nations Championship game against Wales at Twickenham on March 20.

WORLD CUP warrior Neil Back is facing a fight to prolong his international career after being left out of England’s RBS Six Nations squad.

World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson will be assessed by England’s medical staff next week – but his chances of making the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Italy appear remote.

Leeds go into a crucial Heineken Cup clash against unbeaten Edinburgh tomorrow, with Tykes boss Phil Davies declaring: “Our European adventure is still alive.”

IN a double boost for Leinster, the Disciplinary Committee of the ERC has banned Sale hooker Andy Titterrell for six weeks for a stamp on Eric Miller during last Friday’s match between the sides, while the province’s second-row Ben Gissing has been cleared of a similar charge.

Sale Sharks’ Heineken Cup hopes have been dealt a blow by a six-week ban imposed on their promising hooker Andy Titterrell.

LEINSTER have cited Sale hooker Andy Titterrell for an alleged stamp on the head of Eric Miller during the sides’ Heineken Cup Pool 3 game at Lansdowne Road last Friday night.

Leinster have cited Sale Sharks' hooker Andy Titterrell for a blatant stamp on the head of Eric Miller and, as expected, Sale have returned this approach by citing Ben Gissing for stamping on prop Andrew Sheridan.

Clive Woodward has described the demise of Six Nations A international rugby as a “backward step”.

CONNACHT must again overcome the challenge of top French side Pau if they want to continue their assault for silverware in this season’s European Challenge Cup second round next month.

ARGENTINA winger Octavio Bartolucci snapped his Achilles tendon in a club match at the weekend and is out of the World Cup.

England forwards Lawrence Dallaglio and Julian White look certain to miss national squad training today after picking up injuries during the latest round of Zurich Premiership action.

Sale Sharks have continued to strengthen their set-up today by agreeing contract extensions with four more players and team manager Steve Diamond.