While the meetings to try to save the Heineken Cup will continue in Dublin this afternoon, it will probably go unnoticed that 18 years ago, on January 7, 1996, the first final was staged at the National Ground, Cardiff Arms Park.

EDINBURGH centre Tom Philip believes an ongoing groin injury was a greater danger to his Heineken Cup hopes than the recent citing with Scotland.

IT wasn't so much an argument as a debate, but Toulouse coach Guy Noves certainly won on points.

Alan Gaffney has named an unchanged Munster side, from that which eclipsed Leicester Tigers, for the semi-final against French powerhouse Toulouse at Le stadium de Toulouse tomorrow.