Chris Ashton believes Saracens are “in a good place” after positioning themselves for another full-blown assault on major European silverware.

Ulster head coach Les Kiss believes Saracens are the greatest threat to Toulon’s reign as European champions.

Namibia 16 Georgia 17: Georgia captain Mamuka Gorgodze broke stubborn Namibia to inspire his side to a nervy second win of the World Cup in Exeter.

Racing Metro 92 11 Saracens 12: Marcelo Bosch basked in the gratitude of his team-mates after kicking Saracens into the semi-finals of the Champions Cup in dramatic scenes in north Paris.

In the lead-up to facing Ireland anyone wearing a Springbok tracksuit proclaimed that the Autumn tour to Ireland, Britain and Italy was the beginning of their World Cup preparation and not an isolated sequence of games.

History may be written by the victors, but the losing perspective makes for interesting consumption.

Saracens 30 Clermont Auvergne 23

Wales’ long wait to claim the major southern hemisphere scalp they crave continues – but only after an heroic display in a ferocious Test match of brutal intensity at the Millennium Stadium.

All eyes will be on Thomond Park this evening when Leinster face Munster in the blue riband event of Irish rugby. But with referee Romain Poite in the middle is it likely to be a contest of 15 against 15 for the full 80 minutes?

New Zealand 29 South Africa 15

As he leans casually in a doorway at the South African team hotel in the Dublin suburbs, his near six feet and eight inches topped with a boyish mop of hair, the quiet presence of Eben Etzebeth appears at odds with his burgeoning reputation as the Springboks’ newest hard man.

South Africa 36 England 27

THERE’S a nastily parochial feeling in this part of the world that none of the northern hemisphere nations can manage to win the three games on the trot that would allow them to take home the big chocolate box.

Springbok prop Jannie du Plessis has backed “brilliant” Ireland to make it to the World Cup final after their impressive performances so far in the tournament.

SARACENS kept the pressure on the Aviva Premiership leaders yesterday, inflicting another defeat on struggling London Irish.

Victor Matfield admits the recent spate of injuries that has struck South Africa is far from ideal, but is adamant the squad has enough depth to overcome Ireland.

Bath fly-half Butch James is a notable absentee from the South Africa bench for this weekend's Tri Nations encounter against Australia in Bloemfontein.

SOUTH AFRICA lock Bakkies Botha has apologised to his team-mates after being banned for his head-butt on New Zealand scrum-half Jimmy Cowan.

Ireland bring down the curtain on their autumn internationals with one eye on avenging the Lions’ Test series defeat by South Africa.

IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll dismissed claims his team will have an advantage in freshness and enthusiasm over the Springboks at Croke Park this afternoon.

SOUTH AFRICA captain John Smit may return to the middle of the front row for his side’s visit to Dublin to take on Ireland next weekend.

WORLD champions South Africa suffered a second successive loss on their northern hemisphere tour as France triumphed in Toulouse last night.

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers claims maintaining consistency was a key part of the decision to continue with the same group of players that overcame the British and Irish Lions for their opening Tri-Nations fixture against New Zealand in Bloemfontein on July 25.

FORMER coach Carel du Plessis has hailed South Africa’s series victory over the British and Irish Lions, in which he claims the Springboks did not hit top gear.

IF THIS was supposed to be a step up in class, then the British & Irish Lions coped with it admirably. They met fire with fire, kept their try-line intact for the first time on tour and strode majestically forward towards next week’s first Test at the same venue.

FORMER South Africa coach Carel du Plessis does not believe the country’s current injury woes in key positions is a problem ahead of the British and Irish Lions series that begins next month.

SOUTH AFRICA captain John Smit claimed Ian McGeechan is “trying to replicate the vibe and momentum... of 1997” with his squad selection for the 2009 British and Irish Lions.

South Africa hooker Bismarck du Plessis has been banned for three weeks following a SANZAR judicial hearing in Dunedin.

SOUTH AFRICA centre Jaque Fourie claims his team have made no special plans to counteract England’s expected forwards-based approach in the run-up to Saturday’s World Cup final.

FLANKER Rati Urushadze hailed Georgia’s first World Cup victory as the greatest moment in the nation’s rugby history.

ARGENTINA said they had achieved the perfect result in the 63-3 defeat of Namibia ahead of Sunday’s crucial clash with Ireland which will decide both side’s World Cup fate.

SPRINGBOK coach Jake White has dismissed any prospect of complacency creeping into the South African camp as they prepare for a World Cup showdown with England.

Jannie du Plessis will make his South Africa debut against Australia on Saturday in the Tri-Nations encounter in Sydney.

British American Tobacco chairman Jan du Plessis has hit out at bans on smoking in public places, such as those introduced in Ireland and New York as BAT released news of modest half-year profits today.

Former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis has quit as South African Rugby board director.