Back line duo Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney have been ruled out of the Leinster’s RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final encounter with the Glasgow Warriors in the RDS tomorrow (7.35pm).

Isaac Boss will partner Jonathan Sexton when Leinster face ASM Clermont Auvergne in Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final in the Stade Chaban-Delmas (3pm Irish time).

Ulster may not have any further interest in the RaboDirect Pro 12 play-offs after Leinster won a tepid affair game at Ravenhill last night, but more worrying was the injuries to Paddy Wallace, Chris Henry and Pedrie Wannenburg ahead of next week’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Edinburgh at the Aviva.

Ulster still have an amount of considerably important business to see to this season but the annual round of farewells that is a part of life at all clubs begins tonight with Leinster’s visit to Ravenhill.

Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt has named a strong starting XV to face Ulster in Friday night’s RaboDirect PRO12 derby against Ulster in Ravenhill (7.05pm) has been named.

Leinster ceased playing catch-up on Munster in Europe when they won their second Heineken Cup last season but that doesn’t mean they can’t still learn a thing or two from their southern brethren.

Leo Cullen captains a familiar looking Leinster team to face the Cardiff Blues in Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter final in the Aviva Stadium (5.45pm).

Jamie Heaslip will captain the Leinster team to face Munster in Saturday night's RaboDirect PRO12 encounter in Thomond Park (7.30pm).

This was supposed to be about the return of Brian O’Driscoll and Leo Cullen from injury.

Rewind a few weeks and there wasn’t a whole lot to sell tonight’s game.

Brian O’Driscoll will make his return to the Leinster team when they take on the Ospreys in Friday night's RaboDirect PRO12 clash in the RDS (7.05pm).

Brendan Macken was the star of the show at Anglesea Road yesterday with a hat-trick as Leinster A, on World Cup-winning All Black Brad Thorn’s debut, comfortably dispatched Connacht A.

SUNDAY’S World Cup final was a pleasure to behold for many reasons, not least the honesty of endeavour and the sportsmanship on display from both sides.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry today named an unchanged team for Sunday’s World Cup final against France at Eden Park.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named an unchanged team for Sunday’s World Cup final against France at Eden Park.

MATCH-WINNING Australia flanker David Pocock has laughed off suggestions he is a cheat in the wake of his dominant World Cup performance against South Africa.

A STONY-FACED Graham Henry drew a line under reports All Blacks had been drinking in the build-up to yesterday’s World Cup quarter-final, saying he had “dealt with it”.

GRAHAM HENRY will take charge of his 100th All Blacks Test match when New Zealand conclude their World Cup Pool A campaign against Canada in Wellington tomorrow (3.30am Irish time).

PLAYING old rivals France in a World Cup clash at Eden Park is the perfect scenario to become the first All Black to win 100 caps, New Zealand captain Richie McCaw said last night.

FIRST, something we expected — a New Zealand win.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry has announced his 30-man squad for the Rugby World Cup with no place for quintet Sitiveni Sivivatu, Wyatt Crockett, Liam Messam, Jarrad Hoeata and Hosea Gear.

New Zealand have restored hooker Keven Mealamu to their starting line-up for Saturday’s potential Grand Slam-clinching clash with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

New Zealand have made five changes from the side which inflicted a 49-3 humiliation on Scotland last week for Saturday’s clash with Ireland.

WITH a year to go to Rugby World Cup 2011, tournament organisers in New Zealand says preparations are well on track, despite last week’s earthquake near Christchurch.

Canterbury fly-half Colin Slade has won the battle to be Aaron Cruden’s back-up for New Zealand’s final Tri Nations match against Australia in Sydney on September 11.

GRAHAM HENRY expects his New Zealand side to face a much-changed South Africa one when the two countries meet in the Tri-Nations on Saturday.

NEW ZEALAND have made three changes to the side that hammered Australia 49-28 in Melbourne on Saturday for this weekend’s return match in Christchurch.

New Zealand have made three changes to the side that hammered Australia 49-28 in Melbourne on Saturday for this weekend's return match in Christchurch.

SOUTH AFRICA lock Victor Matfield was yesterday despairing at the way Irish referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland have policed the breakdown, following his side’s second successive Tri Nations defeat to New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA out-half Morne Steyn insists there will be no knee-jerk reaction to last week’s Tri Nations destruction at the hands of the All Blacks when the sides meet again in Wellington tomorrow (8.35am).

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.

BALANCE.

NEW ZEALAND yesterday filed an official complaint over what they believe was an eye-gouge on prop Tony Woodcock following their crushing win over France in Marseilles on Saturday.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry has made five changes and two positional switches to his starting line-up for the dead rubber Tri-Nations match against Australia in Wellington.

SOUTH Africa coach Peter de Villiers has described Morne Steyn as a match winner after calling up the fly-half to replace the injured Ruan Pienaar for Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test match with New Zealand.

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.

TOBY FLOOD steps into the number 10 limelight vacated by Danny Cipriani at Twickenham on Saturday determined to make some publicity of his own.

GRAHAM HENRY expects “the kitchen sink” from Wales on Saturday when they attempt to derail New Zealand’s potential grand slam tour.

Wellington scrum-half Piri Weepu will captain New Zealand for the first time against Munster at Thomond Park.

Beaten semi-finalists New Zealand and France have taken vastly different approaches to Thursday’s World Cup third-place play-off.

Hosts and defending champions Australia take on the mighty All Blacks in the first of the World Cup semi-finals today in Sydney.

New Zealand’s coaching team John Mitchell and Robbie Deans today warned the All Blacks will need to up their game or be sent packing by Australia in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final.

New Zealand coach John Mitchell today named an unchanged starting line-up for Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against Australia.