LEINSTER’S ambition of a home Heineken Cup quarter-final spot has been facilitated by another weakened Racing Metro selection for tonight’s final Pool 2 clash at Stade Yves Du Manoir in Paris.

TODAY’S Heineken Cup opener against Racing Metro at the RDS (1.30pm) has proved to be a bridge too far for injured Leinster skipper Leo Cullen, but Jonathan Sexton is back to make his first start of the season.

Lionel Nallet talks to Ian Moriarty about Racing Metro’s ambitions in their first Heineken Cup.

England star Jonny Wilkinson is one of a number of high-profile targets of Racing Metro, the French club have confirmed.

ITALY have never made it through to the last eight of the Rugby World Cup, but now is the hour, believes Roland De Marigny ahead of today’s crucial Pool C match with Scotland in St Etienne.

Italy will be looking to put down a marker ahead of their probable winner-takes-all Pool C match against Scotland when they meet Portugal at the Parc des Princes tomorrow.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier is in confident mood as preparations begin in earnest for the World Cup.

FRANCE are determined to learn from their mistakes of four years ago as they head into their series of warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup.

Fly-half Andrea Scanavacca was the most notable absentee from a 40-man squad named by Italy coach Pierre Berbizier today for the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.

Pierre Berbizier will not extend his current contract as coach of Italy, according to the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR).

Italy captain Marco Bortolami believes the national rugby team players must keep their feet firmly on the ground but can now look to the future with optimism.

Alessandro Troncon claimed that Italy are leaving the 2007 RBS 6 Nations with heads held high despite today’s 51-24 defeat against Ireland in the final match in Rome.

ITALY coach Pierre Berbizier is hoping for another upset in this afternoon’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland in Rome.

ITALY’S Prime Minister Romano Prodi has never been a great football fan, unlike his opposite number Silvio Berlusconi, who is both president and owner of AC Milan, as well as most of the country’s TV stations.

ITALY coach Pierre Berbizier feels the Azzurri are not treated with the same respect as other national teams in the RBS 6 Nations.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier feels the Azzurri are not treated with the same respect as other national teams in the RBS 6 Nations.

IF CONTROVERSY is your thing, last weekend provided enough talking points to keep you going for weeks to come.

Italy centre Gonzalo Canale has been ruled out of Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship game against Ireland.

AFTER Italy’s double in the Six Nations Championship, a country where rugby is definitely a minor sport is looking forward to Saturday’s match against Ireland with unprecedented enthusiasm.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier made three changes to his line-up for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship match with Wales on a day when the Azzurri were upheld as an example for Italian sport by the country’s government.

Italy fly-half Andrea Scanavacca has revealed the Azzurri celebrated for three days after beating Scotland at Murrayfield.

ITALY prop Martin Castrogiovanni will miss the remainder of the RBS Six Nations campaign through injury.

Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni will miss the remainder of his country’s RBS 6 Nations campaign through injury.

ITALY captain Marco Bortolami has admitted he feared the Azzurri might throw away their chance to make history in the RBS 6 Nations Championship against Scotland.

Alessandro Troncon is making the most of his return to the Italian national team following an absence of almost two years.

Scotland 17 Italy 37

Italy captain Marco Bortalami says his team will take renewed confidence from their latest RBS 6 Nations defeat by England.

JOSH LEWSEY has warned a try-hungry Twickenham crowd not to expect sevens rugby when England tackle RBS 6 Nations strugglers and wooden-spoon favourites Italy today.

ENGLAND flanker Lewis Moody is “devastated” to be missing the rest of the RBS 6 Nations Championship through injury.

Italy’s Ramiro Pez admits the team’s injury problems are a “bitter blow” ahead of their Twickenham date with England.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier believes his team only had themselves to blame for their poor showing in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener.

There was an experimental feel to France’s team for their 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Italy at a sun-kissed Stadio Flaminio today.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier will start Salvatore Perugini at prop instead of Andrea Lo Cicero for Saturday’s Six Nations Championship opener against France.

ITALY COACH Pierre Berbizier has queried whether Bernard Laporte can lead hosts France to World Cup glory ahead of their Six Nations opener.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier has issued a scathing attack on France counterpart Bernard Laporte just days before the two meet in the opening match of the RBS 6 Nations Championship in Rome on Saturday.

Italy head coach Pierre Berbizier believes his side are closing the gap on their RBS Six Nations rivals.

ITALY coach Pierre Berbizier has made three changes for tomorrow’s RBS Six Nations Championship clash against Scotland in Rome.

ITALY coach Pierre Berbizier has steeled his men for a Welsh backlash in today’s RBS 6 Nations Championship clash at the Millennium Stadium.

FRANCE coach Bernard Laporte needs his team to put some manners on Pierre Berbizier’s Italians, who have shown up well in their first two matches in the Six Nations despite being on the losing side twice against Ireland and England.

THOMAS CASTAIGNEDE admits it has been hard watching France endure a stuttering start to their RBS 6 Nations campaign as he prepares to make his tournament bow against Italy tomorrow.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier has drafted Bourgoin lock Carlos Del Fava into his first 15 for this weekend’s Six Nations Championship clash with France in Paris.

Italy flanker Mauro Bergamasco believes the Pierre Berbizier factor could weigh in favour of his team in Saturday’s RBS Six Nations Championship clash with France at the Stade de France.

ENGLAND lock Steve Borthwick has a degree in economics and politics from Bath University - so his reputation as a workaholic rugby scholar should be of little surprise.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL’S face told the story of a thousand concerns: on this form, Ireland could be destroyed by France in Paris on Saturday.