MARIO Rosenstock’s grandparents had an extraordinary war.

Germans sleep better, Bismarck once said, when they don’t know how sausages and laws are made.

One person has died, two others suffered burns and more than 4,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes today as a wildfire fanned by strong winds devoured hillsides around the luxurious southern Mediterranean resort city of Marbella.

Victor Matfield admits the recent spate of injuries that has struck South Africa is far from ideal, but is adamant the squad has enough depth to overcome Ireland.

Gary Megson has finally been booted out of Bolton – the only surprise being he lasted as long as he did.

IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll dismissed claims his team will have an advantage in freshness and enthusiasm over the Springboks at Croke Park this afternoon.

BIGGER THAN the Lions, and bigger than the Tri-Nations decider. That’s how the visiting World Cup champion Springboks are looking at tomorrow’s clash with Ireland in Croke Park, according to assistant coach Gary Gold, who said yesterday that he “had not encountered anything as big as the build-up to Saturday . . . the pressure and expectations are bigger than they were before the first Lions Test in Durban or that final Tri-Nations clash in Hamilton.”

SOUTH AFRICA captain John Smit may return to the middle of the front row for his side’s visit to Dublin to take on Ireland next weekend.

IF THIS was supposed to be a step up in class, then the British & Irish Lions coped with it admirably. They met fire with fire, kept their try-line intact for the first time on tour and strode majestically forward towards next week’s first Test at the same venue.

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.

Jannie du Plessis will make his South Africa debut against Australia on Saturday in the Tri-Nations encounter in Sydney.

SPANISH student Maria Arroyo gave the higher level paper an emphatic thumbs up when she left the exam hall at St Augustine’s College in Dungarvan yesterday evening.