It’s been a season almost devoid of moments to savour for Leinster fans, despite today’s presence in Europe’s last eight, so it is hardly stretching the bounds of reason to suggest that yesterday’s team announcement may rank up there among the best days.

Matt Banahan insists there will be no mental hangover for Bath’s England quartet as they return to the Aviva Stadium five weeks after their Grand Slam hopes went up in smoke.

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.

England have recalled lock Courtney Lawes and full-back Mike Brown for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland.

Courtney Lawes will make his England return in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland emboldened by a glowing reference from forwards coach Graham Rowntree.

Ronan O’Gara says Ireland could have kicked a lot more against England, and chose not to.

England 47 Italy 17

Wales star and qualified doctor Jamie Roberts believes the fallout from the George North concussion controversy will contribute towards making rugby union a safer sport. 

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has all but confirmed Chris Robshaw will be his captain at the 2015 World Cup with the intervention of injury the only threat to his position.

Taulupe Faletau insists there is “still a chance” that Wales can be crowned RBS 6 Nations champions this season.

Wales 16 England 21: RBS Six Nations: If England do go on to do something rather special in 2015 then we may look at this as the moment when Stuart Lancaster’s men came of age.

Wales 16 - England 21: Despite injuries England came from 10 points down to record a famous victory in Cardiff. The Millennium Stadium was enthralled as the 2015 RBS 6 Nations began with a blood and thunder collision.

England have named Danny Cipriani and Nick Easter on the bench for Friday night’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff.

Dave Attwood insists England must not allow themselves to be "dazzled by the starlight" when they open their RBS 6 Nations against Wales on Friday night The injury-ravaged 2015 World Cup hosts face a side packed full of British and Irish Lions knowing that defeat would leave them with an uphill struggle to claim a first title under Stuart Lancaster.

England 28 South Africa 31

It is a sign of England’s growing maturity that the talk in the gym ahead of their game against New Zealand today has been of ‘Dad Strength’.

Gloucester have identified the individual who threw a plastic bottle at referee Tim Wigglesworth in Saturday’s stormy west country derby against Bath as a schoolboy.

Leinster captain Jamie Heaslip knows they can use their big-game Heineken Cup experience to underpin a demanding quarter-final mission against reigning European champions Toulon on Sunday.

The last 20 minutes of England’s defence of their Twickenham fortress on Saturday was fascinating.

Toulon full-back Delon Armitage has been slammed by former and current players for his behaviour during Saturday’s Heineken Cup final win over Clermont.

England’s interim head coach Stuart Lancaster will name at least eight uncapped players in his 22-man squad to face Scotland in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown.

EVERYTHING in the Leinster garden looks rosy following a superb Heineken Cup victory over one of England’s finest on a night when 46,000 came to the Aviva Stadium to boost the balance sheet.

Leinster 52 Bath 27

Bath have announced the signing of Ireland international lock Ryan Caldwell.

Bath have announced the signing of international England lock Dave Attwood on a two-year contract from their Aviva Premiership rivals Gloucester.

IRELAND’s Tommy Bowe believes Declan Kidney’s men are “looking good” as they look to repeat their historic Grand Slam of 2009 in the upcoming Six Nations Championship.

Louis Deacon has been recalled to the England squad for the RBS 6 Nations as a replacement for banned Gloucester lock Dave Attwood.

WALES and Cardiff scrum-half Richie Rees looks set to miss the entire RBS 6 Nations campaign after being handed a 12-week ban by an independent European Rugby Cup disciplinary panel for making contact with the eye of Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley in a Heineken Cup match last month.

England and Gloucester lock Dave Attwood has received a nine-week ban after being cited for stamping on La Rochelle prop Petrisor Toderasc during an Amlin Challenge Cup game last month.

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

MUNSTER 15 GLOUCESTER 10

Tom Voyce, Scott Lawson and Will James all make their first starts of preseason for Gloucester against Munster at Musgrave Park on Friday evening.

Steve Borthwick’s hopes of forcing his way back into the England squad for the autumn internationals have suffered an early setback.

Two stamping charges against England lock Dave Attwood were dismissed on procedural grounds this morning, the Australian Rugby Union have confirmed.

England lock Dave Attwood has been cited over two alleged stamping incidents in today’s 28-28 draw with the Australian Barbarians.

England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has played down concerns over his fitness and says he will be ready for the tourists’ first Test against Australia in Perth a week on Saturday.

England 35 Barbarians 26

Newport Gwent Dragons 23 Gloucester 32

Glasgow 33 Gloucester 11

Former Leinster hooker David Blaney has signed a new two-year contract with Guinness Premiership high-fliers Bristol.