Sixteen seasons of professional rugby. A grand total of 286 games for Leinster, Leicester and Ireland. The only man to captain three Heineken Cup-winning teams. Take a bow, Leo Cullen.

His passing went largely unnoticed, even within the rugby family, which was strange, given how he shaped the careers of so many promising players in their formative years.

The mother of a woman shot dead by police after a car chase that began when she tried to breach a barrier at the White House said her daughter suffered from post-natal depression.

The top US military commander in Europe has said that several Nato countries are working on contingency plans for possible military action to end the two-year civil war in Syria.

All they can do now is wait for 6pm.

Republicans have lost two seats in the Senate, boosting Democratic prospects for keeping control of the upper chamber.

Bob Casey announced today that he will retire from professional rugby at the end of the season.

Munster and Ireland second row Donnacha Ryan admitted he considered parting ways with his home province when Aviva Premiership giants Northampton Saints expressed interest in him.

While the overriding feeling among the Irish camp after Sunday’s 17-17 draw was frustration, injured captain Brian O’Driscoll has praised the resilience of his teammates in stopping France from winning the game.

IRISH rugby star Jamie Heaslip said a visit to Kolkata in India, as part of a Goal project, was the toughest manual labour he has ever undertaken.

DESPITE a spate of discouraging economic reports, US President Barack Obama insisted yesterday he is not afraid of the country slipping into a double-dip recession. But at the same time he displayed impatience, saying the pace of the recovery has “got to accelerate”.

Former US senator Rick Santorum has confirmed he is running for president, joining a crowded field of Republicans looking to challenge Barack Obama in next year’s election.

IF things had turned out differently, Alex Corbisiero might have been rivalling Cian Healy for a place in Ireland’s front row rather than opposing him in an England jersey this weekend.

LOSING this afternoon’s final Heineken Cup game of the season at home to London Irish is not an option.

FORMER Ulster and Ireland underage out-half Gareth Steenson has revealed he has been sounded out about the possibility of playing for England.

London Irish 13 Toulon 19

DONNCHA O’Callaghan is under no illusions about the size of the task facing Munster and the province’s supporters at Thomond Park.

Frankie Sheahan attempts to answer some of them.

AFTER only a few minutes of Saturday’s Heineken Cup contest at the Madejski Stadium, it became abundantly clear just why we love this tournament so much.

KEITH EARLS’ return to Munster colours for the first time since May could give just the boost required by the Irish province to kick off the new Heineken Cup campaign with a victory at London Irish today (5.45pm).

Ireland’s Keith Earls will start for Munster against London Irish in the Heineken Cup at Wembley on Saturday evening (5.45pm).

BACK in November 1967 The Beatles released yet another hit album, the Magical Mystery Tour, which summed up precisely where they were at, at that point in time.

Clarke Dermody has been appointed London Irish captain for the new season.

AND then there were eight.

LONDON IRISH have it all to do when they face Heineken Cup champions Leinster in a decisive Pool Six showdown at Twickenham today.

AS CARLOS TEVEZ has shown us this week, when players return to face their former clubs, it can leave a bitter taste.

London Irish have recalled the twin threat of wings Topsy Ojo and Sailosi Tagicakibau Saturday's Heineken Cup final pool six match with Leinster at Twickenham.

THE Scarlets hoodoo has left London Irish needing to do a demolition job on defending champions Leinster at Twickenham on Saturday if they are to qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals in April.

DECLAN KIDNEY is the type of rugby man who would have taken almost as much satisfaction from Ireland’s victory in the Churchill Cup in the USA as he did from the Grand Slam heroics in the Six Nations Championships.

MARCUS HORAN will not be seen in competitive action again until the New Year at the earliest.

The two Ireland squads for next weekend's internationals against Tonga and Australia have been named today.

LEINSTER and Ireland flanker Shane Jennings was hit with a 12-week ban after being found guilty of an eye-contact offence during last Friday’s Heineken Cup clash against London Irish.

LEINSTER back row Shane Jennings has been cited for “contact with the eye/eye area” of opponent Nick Kennedy in his side’s defeat last Friday at the hands of London Irish in the RDS – but the Premiership side’s captain, Bob Casey, has weakened the case against Jennings, admitting yesterday that Kennedy “overreacted” to the incident.

IT was what Leinster feared all week long, being the hunted rather than the hunter. So a stirring triumph over old rivals Munster in the dress rehearsal for this opening game in their defence of the Heineken Cup meant absolutely nothing; the champions fell victim to a sucker punch in the dying stages of a vigorously contested but disappointing match at the RDS last night.

Leinster 9 London Irish 12

London Irish captain Bob Casey is relishing the prospect of tackling Heineken Cup holders Leinster in Dublin tonight.

MIKE ROSS has been around long enough to know tonight’s opening Heineken Cup clash at the RDS (8pm) between Leinster and London Irish won’t be easy. But he does have the jump on some of his colleagues.

THEY come to Dublin tonight with a reputation as the game’s Great Entertainers but Michael Cheika has warned that London Irish are as likely to bludgeon a side to death up front as they are cut them apart out wide.

London Irish coach Toby Booth has rotated his entire front row for three of the five changes he has made for tomorrow’s opening Heineken Cup fixture with Leinster in Dublin.

GET ready to rumble. The Heineken Cup reopens for business this weekend and the tie of the round may well have come and gone by Friday evening when Leinster welcome London Irish to the RDS.

London Irish captain Bob Casey is looking forward to tackling his old province Leinster in the Heineken Cup on Friday night.

LEINSTER captain Leo Cullen could hardly be blamed if he was still up in the clouds after his team’s Magners League demolition of Munster at the RDS on Saturday.

MUNSTER back-row forward Nick Williams faces at least six weeks out following knee surgery, but the Magners League champions will still have something to smile about for then new season.

Captain Bob Casey will travel, but not play, with the London Irish squad to play Leinster at Donnybrook on Friday.