Munster 33 Northampton 19

Stephen Myler has received a vote of confidence from coach Jim Mallinder to play ahead of Shane Geraghty at out-half for Northampton Saints against Munster in the Heineken Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Brian O’Driscoll has dismissed suggestions that French teams continue to suffer from travel sickness in the Heineken Cup as out of date.

NORTHAMPTON’s return to Limerick in April will also challenge the Saints with preserving English rugby’s self-respect in the Heineken Cup.

AN INEVITABLE result? The Greeks thought only tragedy was inevitable, and they invented the idea.

Munster 12 Northampton 9

Munster coach Tony McGahan hailed his players’ desire and belief after the province secured their passage into the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup for a 12th straight season.

Munster 12 Northampton 9

NO OTHER rugby tournament worldwide can match the drama and excitement of round six of the Heineken Cup. After five intense rounds of competition – encompassing 60 games – only two teams, Biarritz and Toulouse, have officially qualified for the quarter-finals.

Northampton 34 Perpignan 0

Perpignan 29 Northampton Saints 13

IF anything is likely to put a Munster player in bad humour it’s defeat to Leinster. It’s fair to assume, then, that a 30-0 loss in the RDS with a man sent off is likely to conjure up a pretty black cloud of crankiness over training the following week.

THE majority of the Munster team that under-performed so disappointingly against Leinster last week have an opportunity to redeem themselves in this evening’s Heineken Cup opener against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens.

Northampton Saints have selected three Irishmen in centre James Downey, flanker Neil Best and number eight Roger Wilson in their side to play Munster in the Heineken Cup at Franklins Gardens on Saturday.

NORTHAMPTON staged the kind of second-half comeback at Wasps yesterday that their Heineken Cup opponents Munster could have done with in the RDS, but still came up short, losing 20-15.

Northampton boss Jim Mallinder has challenged the Saints to transform a “good season” into a successful campaign by landing the European Challenge Cup.

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.

Northampton 42 Connacht 13

England winger Ben Cohen has gone on strike at Northampton after being overlooked for the club captaincy.

PAUL GRAYSON has paid the price for Northampton’s relegation from the Guinness Premiership by losing his role as head coach.

NORTHAMPTON chairman Keith Barwell has promised there will be no knee-jerk reaction to Saints’ humiliating exit from the Guinness Premiership.

Northampton prop Tom Smith has demanded Saints once again cast aside the shackles of their dismal league form when they meet Wasps in tomorrow’s Heineken Cup semi-final.

Newcastle Falcons boss John Fletcher claims he would have been “a stark raving lunatic” to leave out a fully-fit Jonny Wilkinson for Sunday’s Guinness Premiership clash against title contenders Bristol.

The Barbarians will field a team selected from seven countries, including Ireland's David Humphreys and Bob Casey, when they tackle an England XV in Sunday’s Gartmore Challenge match at Twickenham.

LONDON IRISH held their nerve to win a sensational game of 14 tries, guaranteeing a place in the end-of-season play-offs and destroying Wasps’ 16-month unbeaten home league record.

Ben Cohen has warned England ahead of Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield that Scotland winger Sean Lamont is “already world-class and getting better”.

Connacht kept the pressure on Worcester in Pool 5 with an impressive 43-10 win over Montpellier.

BRISTOL became only the second side to inflict a league defeat on Guinness Premiership leaders Sale Sharks yesterday when they beat them 22-14 at the Memorial Stadium.

Bristol 36 Northampton 28

Munster 20 Northampton 18

England 39 Barbarians 52

Ireland’s Johnny O’Connor has been named in the Barbarians squad for this month’s two-match tour of Britain.

Andrew Baldock

Northampton 33 Glasgow 23

Northampton 33 Glasgow 23

London Irish 21 Northampton 22

Northampton are set to be without six injured internationals for their Powergen Cup tie against neighbours Bedford.

Northampton have confirmed their former All Blacks forward Andrew Blowers will leave Franklin’s Gardens at the end of this season.

Northampton put their domestic troubles behind them to record a second successive Heineken Cup victory and remain firmly on course for the quarter-finals.

Clive Woodward questioned the wisdom of yesterday’s end-of-season Barbarians fixture after watching his scratch England side go down 32-12 at Twickenham.

England 12 Barbarians 32

Wales full-back Gareth Thomas will complete his move to two-time European champions Toulouse tomorrow morning.

French Grand Slam stars Oliver Magne and Damien Traille will both line up for the Barbarians against Wales at Ashton Gate on Wednesday night.