CARDIFF BLUES boss Dai Young is expecting a stern test from Ulster in tomorrow’s Magners League clash at Cardiff City Stadium (3.45pm).

CONNACHT’S young guns denied Manu Samoa a first win on their Northern Hemisphere tour at the Galway Sportsground last evening.

Former Munster prop Timmy Ryan has made the replacements bench on the Toulon squad to play Cardiff Blues in the Amlin Challenge Cup final in Marseilles tomorrow.

FRUSTRATED Ulster skipper Chris Henry is determined to lift his side following a flat performance last week when they lost to the Cardiff Blues.

SCOTLAND team doctor James Robson has confirmed Thom Evans, Chris Paterson and Rory Lamont will miss the rest of the Six Nations after all suffered serious injuries in Saturday’s dramatic defeat by Wales in Cardiff.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has made two changes for the RBS 6 Nations clash against Scotland on Saturday – but lock Alun-Wyn Jones keeps his place.

MARTIN JOHNSON hailed England’s 30-17 Six Nations victory over Wales as a major step forward in the development of his team.

Wales have suffered an injury blow ahead of Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against England with Lions hooker Matthew Rees sidelined for the Twickenham clash.

Ospreys 26 Cardiff Blues 0

OSPREYS coach Scott Johnson is keen for his side to get into a positive frame of mind ahead of a month that will shape their season.

WALES star Stephen Jones gave national coach Warren Gatland an injury worry just four weeks before they play England at Twickenham as the Scarlets claimed a vital Magners League win at Rodney Parade.

SIMON EASTERBY has been ruled out of the remainder of the Scarlets’ Heineken Cup campaign.

WALES survived a punishing physical examination by Samoa at the Millennium Stadium – but were made to sweat for victory.

WALES captain Ryan Jones has urged his team to “play smart” against the renowned physical threat of Samoa tonight.

GUINNESS Premiership star Seilala Mapusua believes Samoa face a tougher challenge against Wales tomorrow night than if they were tackling Martin Johnson’s England.

CONNACHT hope for a swift reversal in fortune when they return to the Galway Sportsground to host Cardiff this evening.

British & Irish Lion centre Jamie Roberts will make his seasonal debut for Cardiff Blues against Connacht at The Sportsground on Friday.

THERE was a time when Munster was the last place a promising young back-row forward would have looked when it came to forging a career as a professional rugby player.

MUNSTER failed to shrug offtheir Heineken Cup hangoverafter crashing to defeat at Cardiff Blues.

AS THE gap widens between Connacht and those above them in the Magners League, every game is becoming more critical, and few more so than a home fixture against the Welsh team immediately above them.

IRELAND hooker Rory Best will lead Ulster’s Magners League challenge against Glasgow at Ravenhill on Saturday night although Stephen Ferris and Paddy Wallace are still unavailable.

CARDIFF BLUES claimed revenge for their shock 28-0 defeat in Scotland in November, but a second-half comeback by Glasgow made it a lot harder than looked likely at the interval of this Magners League encounter.

CARDIFF BLUES will complete a triumphant march into the Heineken Cup quarter-finals tonight, but head coach David Young insists: “There is still work to be done.”

THE lowest point in Leinster’s season came in Castres before Christmas when they lost a game they ought to have won. Coincidence or not, they have won three games since they could just as easily have lost.

LEINSTER’S South African prop Ollie le Roux believes Toulouse will destroy Munster’s dreams of a second Heineken Cup title.

KEITH GLEESON could join a select band tonight by earning his 100th cap for Leinster in their Magners league tie away to the Cardiff Blues — but he will have to come off the bench to do it.

CARDIFF Arms Park has been a graveyard for Leinster’s Magners League ambitions this past two seasons and coach Michael Cheika accepts that they will be up against it again when they return to the Welsh capital this Friday.

IN a game that could have gone either way, Connacht were forced to accept a draw against a side touting title hopes.

MALCOLM O’KELLY is named in the Leinster side to face Connacht in the Magners League at Donnybrook this afternoon (5.15pm).

CONNACHT coach Michael Bradley has made three changes to the team which played Ospreys two weeks ago for tonight’s Magners League clash with Border Reivers at Galway Sportsground (6.30).

MUNSTER have been given a huge boost with the news that John Kelly and Trevor Halstead have been restored to full fitness.

Munster coach Declan Kidney makes four changes, from the side that started against Border Reivers, for Friday's Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues.

Coach Michael Bradley has made four changes to his Connacht side ahead of their match with Edinburgh Rugby at Murrayfield on Friday night, kick-off at 7.30pm

LEICESTER are hurtling towards a Pool Four decider against European champions Munster in Limerick tomorrow week, but they cannot allow such an enticing prospect to overshadow their Welford Road appointment with Cardiff Blues this afternoon (3pm, Sky Sports).

Alan Quinlan will know in the middle of next week whether he can play in Munster’s remaining Heineken Cup Pool 4 games against Bourgoin and Leicester in January.

BALLYMENA flanker Chris Henry and Belfast Harlequins wing Paul McKenzie have been included in a 24-man Ulster squad ahead of the Magners League derby against Connacht at Ravenhill on St Stephen’s Day.

RONAN O’GARA will captain Munster when the European champions clash with Connacht in the Magners League at Thomond Park tomorrow (5pm).

CONNACHT’S hopes of qualifying as pool leader in their European Challenge Cup campaign rest on the result of tomorrow afternoon’s clash with former Heineken Cup winners Bath (2.30pm).

Darren Yapp returnes to the Connacht side to meet Leinster in the Magners League at The Sportsground.

JAMIE HEASLIP is confident Leinster can put their poor start to the season behind them this evening by recording a much-needed win against Connacht in the Magners League at the Sportsground (6.30pm).

The Connacht team to play Leinster in the Magners League at the Sportsground on Friday (6.30 pm) shows one change from that which drew with Edinburgh Gunners.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL looks set to lead a host of Ireland internationals into action for the first time this season after being named in the Leinster squad to face Connacht in the Magners League at the Sportsground tomorrow.

Connacht have announced their side to play Edinburgh Gunners at the Sportsground on Friday (6.30pm).

PROMISING full-back Danny Riordan — he will be 22 on Monday — has received a timely birthday with his inclusion in the Connacht side to play Edinburgh Gunners in the Magners League at the Sportsground tomorrow night.