We had to dog it out and that’s not what you want against the Italians. There was a touch of trench warfare.

JOHN HAYES is set for his first start since April, but there are niggling injury doubts surrounding Keith Wood, Anthony Foley and Gary Longwell as the Irish selectors select their starting 15 for Sunday’s World Cup game against Namibia.

THE early stages of the World Cup will be home-from-home for Ireland flanker Keith Gleeson.

DAVID WALLACE and Ronan O’Gara have thrown their weight behind Munster colleague Frankie Sheahan’s appeal against a doping conviction, to be heard in Dublin next Monday.

Eddie O'Sullivan and the other members of the Irish rugby management will be in attendance as Connacht take on London Irish in a pre-season friendly to mark the official opening of the new Connacht Rugby headquarters at the sportsground this Tuesday evening (kick-off 6.30 pm).

WHEN Frankie Sheahan arrived back at Cork Airport from Australia late last night, he turned his clock back seven hours to comply with local time.

PAUL O’CONNELL’S selection on the replacement bench for Sunday’s Grand Slam decider is testimony to the high esteem in which he is held by Eddie O’Sullivan.

ENGLAND boss Clive Woodward has named an unchanged team for the winner-takes-all Grand Slam showdown with Ireland, and told his players: “We’ve got to front up.”

AUTUMN four years ago and Victor Costello had good reason to be pleased. Didn’t he? National senior shot-putt champion at 16, Olympian at 21, before progress to the Irish rugby team. Twenty two caps before fading from the international scene.

Ronan O'Gara will be included in the Ireland squad for the game against France on Saturday week, when it is announced later today.

THE 22-strong Irish squad for the game against France at Lansdowne Road tomorrow week will be announced today.

THE Irish management team are by no means gloating at the loss of brilliant French scrum-half and captain Fabien Galthie ahead of their RBS 6 Nations clash on March 8.

Although Girvan Dempsey did not take a part in training yesterday, the Leinster full-back is expected to be named in the Ireland side when it is announced later today.

LIKE so many other members of the Irish team, David Humphreys knows a thing or two about being at the wrong end of Murrayfield maulings.

“I WOULD refuse to be drawn into any comment on where players come from. That’s ludicrous,” was Irish manager Eddie O’Sullivan’s caustic reply when asked about Leinster’s many representatives in Saturday’s team to play Australia.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan will name his first side of the season - for Saturday's game against Romania - tomorrow, from the team's training base in Limerick.

Oldham coach Mike Ford looks set to switch link up with new Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan.