FRIDAY sees one of the most formidable collection of legends in one room since Homer sat down to write the Odyssey.

NEW ZEALAND's record try-scorer has warned his compatriots the British and Irish Lions have yet to realise their potential, but it's doubtful if his countrymen heard him - after all, his comments were made in Cork.

AS a result of Ireland's disappointing finish to the international rugby season, the fortunes of Munster and Leinster on the European stage assume even more significance.

IT WASN’T just the tournament favourites Ireland who got a wake-up call on the first weekend of the RBS Six Nations Championship.

Thirteen Irish internationals will start for Munster on Sunday as they bid to boost their flagging Celtic League fortunes against the Llanelli Scarlets.

THE CRESTFALLEN expression on his ashen countenance told it all about the deep disappointment of Munster coach Alan Gaffney.

THE bookmakers make Ireland 7 or 8 to 1 on favourites and the handicap is 25 points.

THERE WERE many delicious ironies to Saturday’s game at Twickenham. Chief among them the presumptuous Grand Slam final scheduled for 9pm in Paris on March 27 is now a non-runner.

GARY LONGWELL has been called into the Irish squad for the Six Nations game against England at Twickenham tomorrow week.

TOP Irish clubs could make a radical challenge to the Irish Rugby Football Union at a meeting in Dublin tomorrow.

THE DECISION of the Irish management to ring the changes in the dying embers of Sunday’s game has angered many supporters who believe the honour of representing one’s country has been cheapened by what happened.

IRELAND'S season is back on track.

GIVEN that it took the peerless Jack Kyle from 1947 to 1958 to accumulate his 46 Irish caps, it is little wonder that Ronan O’Gara isn’t exactly getting carried away at winning his 40th against Wales tomorrow.

PAUL O’CONNELL’S memories of his previous outing against the Welsh at Lansdowne Road are bittersweet and a little hazy.

VICTOR COSTELLO or Anthony Foley at number eight; Malcolm O’Kelly or Donnacha O’Callaghan in the second-row; Shane Byrne or Frankie Sheahan at hooker; David Humphreys or Ronan O’Gara at out-half; Girvan Dempsey or Gordon D’Arcy at full-back.

MUNSTER players central to the crucial penalty try decision on Saturday are convinced referee Tony Spreadbury got it just right.

MUNSTER have come out fighting in advance of the crucial Heineken Cup clash with Gloucester at Thomond Park on Saturday.

IT isn’t just wishful thinking that leads me to believe that Alan Gaffney and Munster can fly out of England’s west country tonight with a major scalp in the cargo hold.

SOUTH African-born Shaun Payne has been thrown into the Kingsholm cauldron for Saturday's Heineken European Cup tie.

Bourgoin 17 Munster 18

FRANKIE SHEAHAN appreciates the irony. Last April in Toulouse, the Munster hooker presented himself for a random drug test that would change his life - and almost wrecked his career.

MUNSTER winger Anthony Horgan is likely to miss the opening Heineken Cup clash against Bourgoin on Saturday week.

IRELAND will launch a powerful legal defence to prevent Paul O’Connell being thrown out of the World Cup.

IT’S been a bit of an anti-climax. One week into Rugby World Cup 2003 and we’re still waiting for it to take off.

Munster12 Llanelli19

DAVID WALLACE, a Lion two years ago when he was also a key member of the national team, is the shock omission from the Irish World Cup squad.

Leinster 8, Munster 15

NEW Leinster coach Gary Ella has marked out young Barnhall player Brendan Burke as a star of the future.

Munster38 Rotherham 19

FOUR of Ireland’s front-line players - Keith Wood, Brian O’Driscoll, Anthony Foley and Shane Horgan - are to make a return to the international arena against Wales on Saturday next at Lansdowne Road.

Keith Wood, Brian O'Driscoll, Anthony Foley and Shane Horgan are all back the Ireland squad to face Wales at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, August 16.

IRELAND will have to find a new captain for their three-match tour next month to Australia, Tonga and Samoa. Keith Wood will travel with the 41-strong party of players but will take no part outside of training, while Brian O’Driscoll has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

MICK GALWEY will “take stock” before deciding whether or not to call time on his rugby playing days.

ENGLAND boss Clive Woodward has named an unchanged team for the winner-takes-all Grand Slam showdown with Ireland, and told his players: “We’ve got to front up.”

A WEEK ahead of Ireland's vital Six Nations meeting with Wales, Ronan O'Gara will be in action for Cork Constitution in their AIB League clash with County Carlow at Temple Hill.

Scotland A 22 Ireland A 22

The IRFU has announced that Ulster prop forward Justin Fitzpatrick is to be suspended for 10 days.

MICK GALWEY’S amazing record of having been directly involved in every one of Munster’s 47 matches in the Heineken European Cup since the competition began in 1995/96 has come to an end.

Munster 33 Connacht 3

COLM McMAHON could be pressed into action as a winger for Munster’s Celtic League quarter-final with Connacht at Musgrave Park on Friday.

DAVID HUMPHREYS is poised to captain Ireland on his record breaking appearance for Ireland at Lansdowne Road on Sunday.

MUNSTER and Connacht will meet in the quarter-finals of the Celtic League in a month's time, most likely at Musgrave Park on Friday, November 29.