MARTIN JOHNSON’S bid to keep his management team in place for the Six Nations could be undermined after it emerged Mike Ford is being considered for the England rugby league head coach’s job.

IT IS usually wise to downplay the opposition before a huge Test match, but Australia captain Rocky Elsom has a simple message for his side ahead of their visit to Croke Park next Sunday: this is the best team in Ireland’s history.

England 9 Australia 18

LEICESTER boss Richard Cockerill watched the injury-ravaged Tigers earn a pulsating Heineken Cup draw with the Ospreys and hailed: “You can buy a team but you can’t buy spirit”.

Jeremy Staunton will make his first appearance for Leicester Tigers in Saturday’s Vaquerin Challenge clash with Castres.

Leicester 38 Perpignan 27

LEICESTER captain Martin Corry admits his side’s Heineken Cup hopes are “out of their hands” after sinking to a 22-11 defeat in Toulouse.

Leicester centre Dan Hipkiss could today be handed a place in England’s World Cup final team – barely two months after making his Test debut.

ENGLAND today move into World Cup semi-final mode, with head coach Brian Ashton claiming: “We have a team to trouble the French.”

ALL week England coach Brian Ashton claimed that confidence was rising, that it was getting better. That soon we would see the real England.

England head coach Brian Ashton, buoyed by last Saturday's encouraging 44-22 victory over Samoa, makes two changes for tonight's clash with Samoa, with lock Steve Borthwick and flanker Lewis Moody both called up.

MARTIN CORRY has predicted “direct and physical” early exchanges when England and Samoa fight for their World Cup lives in Nantes this afternoon (3pm, Setanta Sports, ITV).

LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO emerged from the ruins left by England’s latest calamitous away day collapse — a 22-9 loss to France — and conceded: “This has given us a bit of a reality check.”

England 62 Wales 5

Former England captain Martin Johnson says uncapped Leicester centre Dan Hipkiss has earnt his England call-up for Saturday’s game against Wales but insists the team need to improve their performance.

WASPS captain Lawrence Dallaglio last night hailed the Londoners’ Heineken Cup final victory over Leicester as the greatest Twickenham final of his glittering career.

HEINEKEN CUP hero Andy Goode has revealed a secret of treble-chasing Leicester’s success – fighting in training.

LEICESTER kept alive their hopes of an unprecedented trophy treble by stunning French Championship leaders Stade Francais to book a place in the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

Leicester 34 Cardiff Blues 0

LEICESTER blew a disjointed Bourgoin side away in the first half to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive.

Leicester 12 Bath 15

Leicester: Vesty, Murphy, Lloyd, Smith, Hipkiss, Goode, Ellis, Rowntree, Chuter, White, Kay, L. Deacon, Jennings, Moody, Corry. Replacements: Holford, Buckland, Cullen, Abraham, Healey, Cornwell, A. Tuilagi.

Clermont Auvergne 27 Leicester 40

Leicester 29 Stade Francais 22

Leicester 29 Stade Francais 22

Super-sub Dan Hipkiss got Leicester out of jail with a dramatic late try that kept alive their Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes.

Leicester 30 Ospreys 12

Leicester Tigers 50 Munster 19

Under-21 International

Under-21 International