Bryan Habana and Victor Matfield have been ruled out of South Africa’s World Cup clash against Fiji in Wellington on Saturday.

Fourie du Preez and Heinrich Brussow have been recalled to the South Africa starting line-up for the first time in 21 months for Saturday’s Tri Nations clash with Australia in Durban.

IT was nail-biting stuff on Saturday as Ulster drew first blood in dispatching Bath at Ravenhill.

England 11 South Africa 21

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made two changes for Saturday’s Test against England, following last week’s 21-17 defeat by Scotland.

WINGER Bryan Habana’s fractured a bone in his hand during training and will take no further part in South Africa’s tour of Britain and Ireland.

South Africa coach Peter De Villiers has announced his side that will face Ireland in the opening game of the 2010 Guinness series at the Aviva stadium on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA have been hit with further worries as they prepare to head to Dublin for this Saturday’s Test with Ireland.

SPRINGBOK coach Peter de Villiers has named 11 uncapped players in his preliminary 39-man training squad for their Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

Full-back David McIlwaine will make his Heineken Cup debut for Ulster against Biarritz Olympique in France on Sunday.

SOUTH AFRICA lock Bakkies Botha has apologised to his team-mates after being banned for his head-butt on New Zealand scrum-half Jimmy Cowan.

WHILE the Super 14 is more commonly associated with dazzling backs and fingertip handling, it’s the forward-oriented pursuit of the lineout that is the primary focus at international level as the 2010 Tri Nations hovers into view.

FRANCE coach Marc Lièvremont blamed his team’s horrific opening 20 minutes for their 42-17 loss to South Africa in Cape Town on Saturday.

Stephen Ferris and Rory Best return to the Ulster side for the Magners League fixture against Cardiff Blues in Wales tomorrow night.

STADE FRANCAIS seized the initiative in Heineken Cup Pool Four with victory over Ulster at Stade Jean Bouin.

WORLD champions South Africa suffered a second successive loss on their northern hemisphere tour as France triumphed in Toulouse last night.

South Africa’s big names are back in the starting XV for the Test match against France on Friday.

LATE scores by Tim Visser and Phil Godman ensured Edinburgh claimed their first win of this season’s Heineken Cup campaign as they came from behind to deny Ulster.

THERE was little to suggest there will be any change in the traditional Irish pecking order as Ulster easily accounted for Connacht last night.

AS Leinster bring back some heavy hitters for Friday’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium, it’s fair to assume defence coach Kurt McQuilkin has put the players through the wringer this week.

SHANE HORGAN is adamant that winning the Heineken Cup has not diluted his, or Leinster’s, appetite for success and that everyone in the provincial setup is desperate to replicate their Murrayfield milestone.

ANY hopes Munster may have harboured of star signing Jean de Villiers arriving early in Ireland were dashed in Brisbane on Saturday as Australia recorded a remarkable 21-9 Tri-Nations win over South Africa.

THE Tri-Nations tournament is South Africa’s to lose after Peter de Villiers’ side racked up their fourth straight win with a 32-25 victory over Australia in Perth on Saturday.

Ruan Pienaar was today handed a surprise recall to the starting line-up for South Africa’s Tri-Nations encounter against Australia in Perth on Saturday.

VICTOR MATFIELD believes the last two weeks which have produced back-to-back Tri-Nations victories over New Zealand will count for nothing when South Africa run out against Australia in Cape Town.

NEW ZEALAND were left to lament costly errors after going down 28-19 to South Africa in the Tri-Nations match in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers has backed Jaque Fourie to fill the void created by the loss of centre Adi Jacobs for the Springboks’ Tri-Nations opener against New Zealand on Saturday.

IRELAND full-back Rob Kearney, who realised a lifetime ambition when coming on for the Lions at Kings Park on Saturday, believes a Test series victory is still possible.

Heinrich Brussow has walked straight into South Africa's starting line-up for the first Test against the British and Irish Lions in Durban on Saturday.

PETER DE VILLIERS yesterday named two uncapped players in the South Africa squad to face the Lions in a three-match Test series to be played in late June and early July.

WYNAND OLIVIER has been named in the Bulls starting line-up for the Super 14 final against the Chiefs on Saturday, despite having yet to recover from a hip injury that kept him out of the semi-final last week.

GORDON D’ARCY’s slim Lions prospects were eliminated yesterday when head coach Ian McGeechan confirmed he would not be calling up a replacement for the injured Tom Shanklin.

ROB KEARNEY makes a timely comeback from illness for Saturday’s Magners League clash against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade (5.30pm), but will be under pressure to produce a top-class display to win his place in the Leinster Heineken Cup final team.

PAUL O’CONNELL will captain Munster’s final away game of the season against the Cardiff Blues, in the Arms Park this Sunday at 4.35pm.

ANDREW TRIMBLE will miss Ulster’s Magners League clash with Connacht at the Sportsground (7pm) on Friday as Paddy Wallace fights for fitness.

IRELAND flanker Stephen Ferris says it is an awesome feeling to be selected to travel with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa in the summer.

IRELAND A lock Ed O’Donoghue drops to the bench for the first time this season as Ulster coach Matt Williams makes four changes for the Magners League clash against the Glasgow Warriors at Firhill this evening.

IRELAND hooker Rory Best will lead Ulster in Sunday’s Magners League clash with Leinster at the RDS.

CONNACHT will face Samoa skipper Filiso Levi in their Magners League clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday (2.15pm).

ALL BLACK fly-half Dan Carter has been ruled out of Perpignan’s European Cup game against Leicester on Saturday despite starting a six-month contract for the French side yesterday.

South Africa captain John Smit will lead a star-studded Barbarians side against Australia in Wednesday’s Olympic centenary clash at Wembley.

ULSTER smoothly moved into the Magners League mid-table after a seven-try blitz against Connacht at Ravenhill last night.

ALL BLACKS captain Richie McCaw has delivered an emphatic message to the critics who question his style of play.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made two changes to the team which beat Scotland last weekend for the season-ending Test against England at Twickenham on Saturday.