The British and Irish Lions will welcome back tour captain Sam Warburton from injury on Tuesday when they take on the Highlanders in Dunedin.

Northampton Saints 21 Connacht 15: He came into the post-match press conference in charge of Connacht for the last time and less than 10 minutes later Pat Lam departed as the new coach of Bristol.

Eddie Jones will send England out against Australia with orders to “break them mentally and physically” in Saturday’s climax to the autumn at Twickenham.

Here’s the lowdown on four big games across Europe...

Chris Ashton and Danny Cipriani have failed to make the cut for Eddie Jones' 45-man provisional England squad for the forthcoming Autumn series.

CHAMPIONS CUP: YOUR TEAM-BY-TEAM WEEKEND GUIDE

England have selected Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph as their centre pairing for Saturday’s World Cup warm-up game against Ireland at Twickenham.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has admitted to shedding tears over the selection of his 31-man World Cup squad.

England have selected Luther Burrell and Jonathan Joseph as their centres for Saturday’s World Cup warm-up against France in Paris. 

Dylan Hartley believes Northampton are better equipped than ever to win European club rugby’s biggest prize – but now must prove it.

Stuart Lancaster has urged Twickenham to will England to victory tomorrow evening as he prepares to order his RBS 6 Nations title hopefuls to carry the game to France.

Stuart Lancaster has no qualms about picking Anthony Watson on the right wing for tomorrow’s QBE International against South Africa and believes he is ready for his first Test start.

AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL:

England have selected David Wilson at tighthead prop and named uncapped fly-half George Ford on the bench for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations match against Ireland.

The Bath playmaker has not been picked on the bench for either of England’s opening two Six Nations games but will be named as Owen Farrell’s understudy by Stuart Lancaster tomorrow.

Scotland 0 England 20

Joe Launchbury has passed a late fitness test and will start for England in their Grand Slam showdown with Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Courtney Lawes is ready to strike fear into the French ‘bully boys’ when he is unleashed from the England back row for the first time.

Wasps flanker James Haskell will make his first RBS 6 Nations start in nearly two years when England tackle Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.

John Afoa is adamant the three components of Ulster’s recent good form must be repeated if the northerners are to achieve the double over Premiership giants Northampton at Ravenhill this evening.

Ulster’s Rory Best remembers the last Heineken Cup clash with Northampton extremely well and wants to wipe away the memory of defeat in the best possible way.

Superstitious Wales skipper Sam Warburton has banned himself from talking about the Grand Slam his World Cup semi-finalists are now favourites to achieve next month.

Owen Farrell will start at fly-half for England in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations game against Wales after Charlie Hodgson failed to recover from a finger injury.

MARTIN JOHNSON believes any one of seven teams can win the Rugby World Cup — and he places England right at the heart of the pack.

Toby Flood will start at inside centre alongside fly-half Jonny Wilkinson in England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France.

MARTIN JOHNSON has demanded England treat tomorrow’s showdown with Scotland as a winner-takes-all battle for Rugby World Cup survival.

Delon Armitage will start on the left wing for England in place of Mark Cueto in Saturday’s decisive Rugby World Cup Pool B showdown with Scotland.

ARGENTINA hooker Mario Ledesma believes England are under-estimating the Pumas ahead of today’s Rugby World Cup clash in Dunedin.

England’s back row resources have been stretched before they even depart for the World Cup after Tom Wood was forced to pull out of tomorrow’s final warm-up international against Ireland.

Martin Johnson has named a new-look midfield of Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Manu Tuilagi for England’s final World Cup warm-up international against Ireland on Saturday.

NORTHAMPTON full-back Ben Foden believes last season’s failure will spur the Saints on in tomorrow’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Perpignan.

ULSTER have grown used to the pain of defeat in the Heineken Cup over the last 12 years, but this quarter-final loss will be excruciating.

NORTHAMPTON maintained their perfect Heineken Cup Pool 1 record in a thriller at the Cardiff City Stadium after the Blues were hit by the second-half dismissal of Xavier Rush.

England 11 South Africa 21

NICK EASTER will captain England in Saturday’s Investec Test against Samoa after manager Martin Johnson made four changes to the team that beat Australia.

IF ever Martin Johnson was going to dash down the touchline, punching the air in celebration like Jose Mourinho it was at Twickenham on Saturday.

Andrew Sheridan will return to the England front row after a 20-month absence for Saturday’s showdown with New Zealand after recovering from shoulder surger

ENGLAND manager Martin Johnson did not once seriously consider his position despite criticism prior to Saturday’s win over Australia in Sydney.

AUSTRALIA scrum-half star Will Genia gets the chance today (11.05am Irish time) to do what he loves doing best – beating England.