ERIC ELWOOD has backed former Ireland U20 Grand Slam-winning full-back Felix Jones to be a success at Munster.

Gloucester have swooped to sign Carlos Spencer – just four days after he left their Guinness Premiership rivals Northampton.

RIKI FLUTEY has faced three of the best centres in world rugby over the past two months for England but has his sights set on gunning down another in Brian O’Driscoll.

Leinster supporters will have the opportunity to get a glimpse of new signing Isa Nacewa when the Auckland Blue lines out for the Classic All Blacks against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on Sunday.

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.

HEINEKEN CUP hero Andy Goode has revealed a secret of treble-chasing Leicester’s success – fighting in training.

Wasps 30 Northampton 13

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.

Raphael Ibanez has declared Wasps’ Heineken Cup semi-final clash against Northampton tomorrow as a “time to deliver” in the pursuit of another European title.

Leicester are still sweating on the availability of prop Marcos Ayerza for tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Llanelli Scarlets.

Biarritz 6 Northampton 7

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.

Northampton 8 Biarritz 17

NORTHAMPTON boosted their hopes of earning a quarter-final place in the Heineken Cup with a solid bonus-point triumph over struggling Borders in a match switched from storm-lashed Netherdale to Murrayfield at short notice.

Border Reivers 19 Northampton Saints 29

Munster star Peter Stringer believes the Heineken Cup holders face a tougher task trying to retain their European title than when they won it in unforgettable fashion last season.

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 30 Northampton 3

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.

BATH are hoping that history can repeat itself after setting a blistering pace in the race for this season’s Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

TWO weeks ago, with the All Blacks due to fly out for Cardiff the next morning, Nick Evans was resigned to spending the month back home on the Otago Peninsula engulfed in his other great sporting love, fishing.

Bristol 36 Northampton 28

ENGLAND captain Martin Corry has underlined his desire to lead Leicester against Northampton today - despite the player availability row between Guinness Premiership clubs and Twickenham chiefs.

FEW members of the British & Irish Lions squad returned from New Zealand with their reputations enhanced after the 3-0 whitewashing at the hands of the All Blacks.

Munster 20 Northampton 18

WHEN Mick O’Driscoll re-signed for Munster recently after two years with Perpignan, some fans suggested it was a detrimental step for the province.

A JUDGEMENT on just how good this New Zealand side is will have to wait until the forthcoming Tri Nations series.

New Zealand’s Andrew Mehrtens is heading to Britain after signing a two-year deal with Harlequins.

IN a game billed as an unofficial “fourth Test”, the Lions faced their first real challenge of the tour on Saturday and were found wanting.

NZ Maori 19 Lions 13

NOW we’re getting serious. British and Irish Lions head coach Clive Woodward underlined the view that tomorrow’s meeting in Hamilton with New Zealand Maori is the unofficial fourth test of this 2005 series by naming his strongest side to date yesterday.

Malcolm O’Kelly has been forced to withdraw from the Lions’ opening tour match against Bay of Plenty after suffering a recurrence of his abdominal strain.

Gareth Thomas’ chances of featuring for the Lions in the first Test against the All Blacks are receding by the day and it is becoming a cause of increasing frustration to head coach Sir Clive Woodward.

England 39 Barbarians 52

All Blacks and Auckland Blues number eight Xavier Rush has confirmed he is to move to Wales to join Cardiff Blues.

Eleven current or former All Blacks including Carlos Spencer have been named in the New Zealand Maori squad for matches against Fiji and the British and Irish Lions next month.

LIONS captain Brian O’Driscoll yesterday hailed the addition of Jonny Wilkinson to the touring party as a “big boost” to his side’s chances of glory in New Zealand.

The worst kept secret in New Zealand rugby was finally laid to rest when Carlos Spencer confirmed his move to Northampton Saints.

Northampton have admitted they have made an offer to Carlos Spencer in the hope of luring the All Blacks fly-half to Franklin’s Gardens.

The British and Irish Lions will face the "strongest-ever" New Zealand Maori team in Hamilton in June.