Connacht 22 Biarritz 14

To look at the way Donnacha Ryan earned his Munster Player of the Year award you would never imagine the bristling, marauding forward ever experienced moments of doubt.

France back row Imanol Harinordoquy has warned Ireland he is determined to atone for his own shortcomings against Scotland.

Scotland wing Rory Lamont suffered a suspected broken leg in the 23-17 RBS 6 Nations loss to France at Murrayfield yesterday.

Full-back Stuart Hogg will make his first Test start today as Scotland look to revive their RBS 6 Nations campaign against Rugby World Cup finalists France.

France flanker Imanol Harinordoquy anticipates Scotland will provide a much sterner test for the Rugby World Cup finalists than many observers are anticipating in tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations clash at Murrayfield.

Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France was tonight given the go-ahead after the Stade de France passed a pitch inspection by referee Dave Pearson.

Time is a healer, they say, but have Ireland had enough hours, minutes and seconds to put right the wrongs of last Sunday’s effort and produce a performance against France tonight in Paris?

France have brought Imanol Harinordoquy into their team for Saturday’s Six Nations home clash against Ireland in one of four changes to the starting lineup from last weekend’s victory over Italy.

EXPECT a few tweaks here and there but there will be no “knee-jerk reaction” by the Irish brains trust this week as they digest last Sunday’s defeat to Wales and prepare for this Saturday’s follow-up against the French in Paris.

France have promoted Imanol Harinordoquy to their starting line-up as one of four changes for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland.

IRISH rugby referee Peter Fitzgibbon found himself officiating a bizarre encounter on Tuesday night when the father of Biarritz and French star Imanol Harinordoquy raced onto the pitch and attempted to punch players in a stormy Basque derby.

IRISH rugby referee Peter Fitzgibbon found himself officiating a bizarre encounter on Tuesday night when the father of Biarritz and French star Imanol Harinordoquy raced onto the pitch and attempted to punch players in a stormy Basque derby.

The father of Biarritz number eight Imanol Harinordoquy invaded the pitch and tried to punch a Bayonne player in the face in a bid to protect his son during a brawl in yesterday’s Top 14 Basque derby.

Biarritz 15 Saracens 10

WORLD CUP final referee Craig Joubert is among the officials taking charge of Ireland’s matches in the upcoming Six Nations while the IRB have kept faith with controversial Irish whistler Alain Rolland for the tournament.

Controversial World Cup referee Alain Rolland has been spared any involvement in Wales’ RBS 6 Nations campaign.

THE worst kept secret from the Rugby World Cup has emerged after French number eight Imanol Harinordoquy admitted the players largely overlooked “lost” coach Marc Lievremont to reach the final.

1. Half-back mastery

FRANCE No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy hopes Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final with England will mark the start of the tournament for Les Bleus.

IMANOL HARINORDOQUY has mocked claims that France have deliberately selected a weakened team for Saturday’s big World Cup group clash with New Zealand.

FRANCE coach Marc Lievremont was “satisfied” after seeing his side claim a second straight bonus-point win in Pool A with a 46-19 success over Canada in Napier.

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney admitted his side “just have to get better” after Saturday night’s seven-point loss to France in Bordeaux.

FRANCE coach Marc Lièvremont has thrown down the gauntlet to his players ahead of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up with Ireland in Bordeaux by declaring that Les Bleus are now in “competition mode”.

Biarritz forward Raphael Lakafia will make his France debut against Ireland in Bordeaux on Saturday.

WALES went into Saturday’s game knowing they needed to beat France by 27 points to snatch the Six Nations title from England.

1. The Tactical Battle

FRENCH stars Imanol Harinordoquy and Clément Poitrenaud sat out training with Les Bleus yesterday.

France 34 Scotland 21

BIARRITZ gained revenge over Aironi Rugby last night with a convincing Heineken Cup victory in their return Pool 4 match at Parc des Sports Aguilera.

FRANCE number eight Imanol Harinordoquy is the only player from the northern hemisphere to make the six-man shortlist for the International Rugby Board’s Player of the Year award.

France number eight Imanol Harinordoquy is the only player from the northern hemisphere to make the six-man shortlist revealed today for the International Rugby Board’s Player of the Year award.

Mathieu Bastareaud has been left out of France’s squad for their upcoming internationals against Fiji, Argentina and Australia.

BIARRITZ maintained their unbeaten start in Pool Four of the Heineken Cup with an emphatic bonus-point home victory over Ulster.

BATH boss Steve Meehan claimed his team needed to “grow up” after their Heineken Cup campaign began in frustrating fashion against Biarritz at the Recreation Ground.

HEINEKEN CUP FINAL: Biarritz v Toulouse (Stade de France, 5pm)

Imanol Harinordoquy has vowed that Biarritz will not make the same mistakes of four years ago when they contest tomorrow’s all-French Heineken Cup final against Toulouse.

BIARRITZ centre Damien Traille has lost his battle to be fit for the Heineken Cup final after failing to recover in time from a fractured forearm.

TONY McGAHAN’S plan had been to bring Jerry Flannery into the fray after 47 minutes of Saturday’s Magners League semi-final against Leinster but it was blown sky high during the warm-up when the Ireland hooker went down with the recurrence of the calf injury that has been bothering him for the past few weeks.

A WEEKEND pregnant with promise and expectation for Irish rugby was terminated brutally and conclusively in north-eastern Spain yesterday.

WHILE he may have the kind of French name Irish people may struggle to get their tongues around, there has never been any doubt as to Imanol Harinordoquy’s brilliance on the rugby pitch.

AS anticipation in Toulouse continues to climb ahead of the tomorrow’s Heineken Cup semi-final between the French giants and Leinster, France international number eight Louis Picamoles has declared he is relishing the prospect of playing against Leinster and Lions number eight Jamie Heaslip.

BIARRITZ and France international No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy is fit for Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Munster at San Sebastian.

MUNSTER’S Heineken Cup opponents Biarritz Olympique suffered a serious blow on Saturday with an injury to influential centre and veteran French international Damien Traille, who has now been ruled out for next Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final with the Irish province.