PULLING off try-saving tackles should hardly be the responsibility of a second row forward.

WHEREAS Denis Leamy will be available for Munster, their Heineken Cup opponents Castres have a number of injury worries for Saturday’s all-important fixture at Thomond Park.

Castres 19 Munster 12

DOWNHEARTED, yes. Desperate, no.

Former Wasps flanker Paul Volley came back to haunt Munster and help Castres to a 19-12 pool four Heineken Cup win at Stade Pierre-Antoine tonight.

Castres centre Laurent Marticorena ended Munster’s nine-game winning streak and dealt their Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes a blow, kicking four crucial penalties in a 19-12 Pool 4 win at Stade Pierre-Antoine.

Munster coach Alan Gaffney has warned his side to expect a “very tough” match as they step up their bid to secure a place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for the seventh-successive season against Castres tomorrow night.

Castres have dropped veterans Yann Delaigue and Richard Dourthe for their home tie with Munster at Stade Pierre Antoine tomorrow evening.

Montferrand 38 Bath 22

New Zealand 40 France 13

France 41 United States 14

France have taken the unusual step of naming a player in their World Cup team who had not even arrived in Australia when the announcement was made.

French winger Xavier Garbajosa will fly home from the World Cup after failing to recover from a knee ligament injury.

France utility back Xavier Garbajosa could miss the World Cup because of a thigh injury.

EUROPEAN Rugby Cup bosses will seriously consider the introduction of an independent citing system for next year’s Heineken Cup.

Star-studded Montferrand have shown 'no fear' in selecting David Bory, the culprit who went knees in first, on Gordon D'Arcy last Saturday in France.

LEINSTER have decided not to cite Montferrand wing David Bory — but the French international could still find himself in hot water with his club and may yet miss the return Heineken Cup fixture at Donnybrook this weekend.

Rugby officials in Leinster have decided not to pursue action against Montferrand's David Bory for foul play during Saturday's Heineken Cup game in France.

Leinster's Gordon D'Arcy will have to sit out the next few weeks through injury.

A last-gasp try by Denis Hickie earned Leinster a win over Montferrand in France.

France have left out Agen fly-half Francos Gelez from ther side to face Canada at the Stade de France, Paris on Saturday

Saracens‘ Thomas Castaignede will play for France for the first time in two years after being named in the team to face South Africa at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Saturday.

Grand Slam winners France provide just four members of the Zurich Six Nations team of the championship according to the latest world player rankings.

France are 23 to the good against Ireland at half-time in their Six Nations clash in Paris.

Pepito Elhorga looks set for his France international debut when they take on Wales at the Stade de France on March 17.

It is a shame that the closest and hardest match to predict for this round of the Six Nations tournament has fallen victim to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Raphael Ibanez, Abdelatif Benazzi and Christophe Dominici have all been named in the French squad for the opening Six Nations match against Scotland in Paris on February 4.