CONTROVERSIAL centre Mathieu Bastareaud has been given his chance in the starting line-up for France’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Scotland on Sunday.

IT’S 25 years since Ireland entered the RBS Six Nations as reigning champions, and all of 62 years since they defended a Grand Slam.

NORTHAMPTON were crowned Challenge Cup champions after surviving a ferocious assault from French bruisers Bourgoin at Twickenham Stoop last night.

Northampton 15 Bourgoin 3

NORTHAMPTON captain Bruce Reihana has warned Bourgoin the Saints’ “killer instinct” will be razor sharp in tonight’s European Challenge Cup final at The Stoop.

Bourgoin 22 Worcester 11

Australia 40 France 10

Gloucester 51 Bourgoin 27

Bourgoin 7 Gloucester 31

Bourgoin 24 Ulster 17

Bourgoin 24 Ulster 17

Ospreys 22 Bourgoin 15

New Zealand 61 France 10

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has made six changes to his starting line-up for the second Test against France in Wellington on Saturday.

France head coach Bernard Laporte insisted form and injuries had dictated his decision to select an experimental line-up for Saturday’s Six Nations Championship opener against Italy in Rome.

Geoffrey Messina has been drafted into France’s truncated RBS 6 Nations championship squad as coach Bernard Laporte tries to come to terms with an injury list that is seriously hampering his preparations for the competition.

MUNSTER’S Heineken Cup opponents, Bourgoin, produced one of the shock results of the French Championship weekend when defeating champions Biarritz 9-0 at Stade Pierre-Rajon on Friday night.

PAT HOWARD has urged his Leicester team to find the finishing touch when they embark on a Heineken Cup bonus-point mission against Bourgoin today.

LEICESTER blew a disjointed Bourgoin side away in the first half to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive.

MUNSTER are unlikely to take their eye off the ball with the likes of Declan Kidney and Paul O’Connell at the helm.

Munster 41 Bourgoin 23

It will come as no shock to see Alan Quinlan settle into the Munster back row in place of the injured Anthony Foley before the visit of Bourgoin in the Heineken Cup at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Bourgoin 5 Cardiff Blues 13

FRANCE coach Bernard Laporte has recalled hooker Dimitri Szarzewski to his 22-man squad to play England in the Six Nations tournament at the Stade de France on March 12.

FRANCE coach Bernard Laporte has his sights set on glory in this year’s RBS 6 Nations before looking ahead to making the most of home advantage at the 2007 World Cup.

FRANCE have recalled skipper Fabien Pelous for their Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 5.

France have opted to keep faith with the majority of the squad that did so well during the second half of 2005 as they go in search of glory at the RBS 6 Nations.

Bourgoin 30 Leinster 28

LEINSTER, and their front five in particular, are bracing themselves for a bruising Heineken Cup encounter in the Stade Pierre Rajon against hosts Bourgoin tomorrow.

Leinster 53 Bourgoin 7

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has targeted two wins from their back-to-back Heineken Cup duels with Bourgoin.

Bourgoin 16 Glasgow 3

France coach Bernard Laporte has been dealt a double injury blow ahead of the autumn internationals.

Ireland A 15 France A 9

France team manager Jo Maso knows Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with Ireland will not be the easygoing fixture it used to be in the days when Ireland were seen as one of the tournament’s makeweights.

FRONT row brothers, Simon and Rory Best have been called into the Ulster panel for Friday’s Celtic League match against Edinburgh at Ravenhill.

Bourgoin 23 Leinster 26

Bourgoin 18 Gloucester 37

Bourgoin 17 Munster 18