ENGLAND captain Martin Corry has underlined his desire to lead Leicester against Northampton today - despite the player availability row between Guinness Premiership clubs and Twickenham chiefs.

Scotland back-row forward Jon Petrie has vowed to make his mark for Glasgow Warriors to maintain the international captaincy for the autumn test series.

Glasgow’s Scott Lawson has emerged as the man most likely to succeed Gordon Bulloch as Scotland hooker.

Former Scotland captain Gordon Bulloch is to quit international rugby so his new club career does not clash with his family life.

The Lions suffered a late blow as they targeted a consolation prize at Eden Park in today’s final Test against New Zealand.

Matt Dawson tonight admitted the Lions have “a very difficult week” ahead of them as they prepare to complete their miserable tour with an Eden Park double-header.

Test places are up for grabs today as the battered British and Irish Lions take on second-division provincial side Manawatu.

Jason Robinson and Martin Corry appear to be fighting for their Lions Test team places as Lions chief Clive Woodward has named both England stars in his midweek side to face New Zealand second division outfit Manawatu in Palmerston North tomorrow.

CHRISTCHURCH is a town said to be more English than England itself. Much like the Lions’ Test team really, and with just as many Irish theme pubs.

YOU could never compare a hooker’s tale to a Cinderella story, but Shane Byrne’s journey from Leinster journeyman to a Lions Test cap comes pretty close.

Gavin Henson had promised to prove a point to Clive Woodward after his omission from the Lions Test squad and he did so in Invercargill today by inspiring the ‘dirt-trackers’ to victory over Southland.

IN many ways, this morning’s date with Southland was the game no British and Irish Lion wanted to be a part of.

The Lions arrived at New Zealand rugby’s infamous “House of Pain” today, knowing history was against them emerging unscathed.

LIONS coach Clive Woodward insists there are Test places up for grabs for the players involved against Otago at Carisbrook tomorrow morning (8.10am).

SHANE BYRNE is loving every minute of this. After helping to get the Lions tour back on track by playing a starring role in the 23-6 victory over Wellington on Wednesday, he is basking in one of his finest hours.

Ireland hooker Shane Byrne is relishing every minute of his first Lions tour, openly admitting: “It doesn’t get any better than this."

Scottish hooker Gordon Bulloch will lead the Lions when they tackle Otago in Dunedin on Saturday.

SHANE BYRNE put himself in pole position for the Lions’ Test hooking spot yesterday with a superb performance as the tourists got back on track with victory over Wellington.

THE PICTURE seems so much clearer now. With two games and six days to go before Clive Woodward’s team for the first Test against New Zealand is revealed, a number of places in the starting XV were signed and sealed following the Lions’ 23-6 victory over Wellington yesterday.

Scot Gordon Bulloch has played down a training ground clash with Irishman John Hayes as the British and Irish Lions continue their build up to the three-Test series against the All Blacks.

FOUR days on and the sour taste of defeat at the hands of the New Zealand Maori still lingers in the mouths of the British & Irish Lions.

WELLINGTON scrum half Piri Weepu will face the British and Irish Lions for the second time in five days believing the Maori’s victory can help his provincial side.

NOW we’re getting serious. British and Irish Lions head coach Clive Woodward underlined the view that tomorrow’s meeting in Hamilton with New Zealand Maori is the unofficial fourth test of this 2005 series by naming his strongest side to date yesterday.

Scotland international Jason White has voiced his disappointment at not being called into the Lions squad after Lawrence Dallaglio was ruled out for the rest of the tour.

The Lions think-tank is expecting a full-on, up-front challenge from provincial side Bay of Plenty when they begin their 2005 tour of New Zealand at the Rotorua International Stadium tomorrow (8.10am).

IN A Lions’ world post-Keith Wood, Gordon Bulloch recognises that Saturday’s tour opener against Bay of Plenty is his chance to make a claim for the Test hooking spot.

PAUL O'CONNELL will get to use the new lineout calls written on the back of his hand when the British & Irish Lions open their tour of New Zealand against Bay Of Plenty on Saturday.

England’s World Cup-winning skipper Martin Johnson is optimistic that Jonny Wilkinson can achieve as much in the second half of his career as in his highly successful first half.

Interim Scotland head coach Frank Hadden will blood two new players in the international game against the Barbarians on May 24.

Andrew Baldock

Scotland captain Gordon Bulloch has been ruled out of Glasgow’s Celtic Cup quarter-final against Leinster at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

The Lions squad began their preparations for the tour of New Zealand today with a video of great sporting moments.

Brian O'Driscoll has been confirmed as captain of the Lions squad to tour New Zealand this summer, with 11 Irish players included but no place for England's Jonny Wilkinson.

Former Ireland skipper Keith Wood believes the respect Brian O’Driscoll commands from his team-mates and rivals makes him the only realistic choice to lead the British Lions this summer.

Clive Woodward has spent the last seven months whittling down his list of over 100 players to just 44 names, who will be announced on Monday as the British and Irish Lions squad for the 2005 tour of New Zealand.

The shutters have come down on Clive Woodward’s selection shop window after the 2005 RBS 6 Nations saw his Lions selection landscape redrawn by Welsh rugby’s renaissance men.

DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN is in contention for a place in the Lions touring party to New Zealand.

WHEN Clive Woodward was announced as coach of the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand, we all made a couple of assumptions.

Scotland coach Matt Williams heaped praise on his players for giving him his first taste of success in the RBS 6 Nations Championship at Murrayfield today.

ANYBODY doubting the strength in depth in the Munster camp should be reassured by the side being fielded by coach Alan Gaffney for tomorrow’s Celtic League tie against Glasgow at Thomond Park (kick-off 5pm).

Clive Woodward today dropped a major hint as to who will captain the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand this summer by naming Brian O’Driscoll as skipper of the northern hemisphere side for the IRB Rugby Aid match at Twickenham.

THE International Rugby Board has reached agreement with the northern hemisphere unions over the formation of the North team to take part in the IRB rugby aid match, ‘Rebuilding After the Tsunami’.