HE may have looked strangely subdued come the final whistle in Paris on Saturday, but Toulouse coach Guy Noves livened up somewhat when praising his team after they recorded a record fourth Heineken Cup triumph.

France number eight Imanol Hirinordoquy has recovered from a broken nose to take his place for Biarritz against Munster in the Heineken Cup semi-final in San Sebastian on Sunday.

ENGLAND rugby coach Martin Johnson has denied rugby has a drug culture and claimed players are aware of the consequences if they take prohibited substances.

BARBARIANS captain Martin Corry, says Rocky Elsom’s game has undergone rapid transformation since moving to Leinster at the beginning of the season.

PETER DE VILLIERS has named three uncapped players in his South African XV to face a Namibian Invitational XV in Windhoek tomorrow.

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.”

Danny Cipriani will make his first Test start when England tackle RBS 6 Nations Championship opponents Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Sale Sharks scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth will make his first England start in the RBS 6 Nations Championship clash against France next Saturday.

GLOUCESTER boss Dean Ryan accepts his team will head into “a confrontational environment” when they tackle Heineken Cup hosts Bourgoin tonight.

ROB ANDREW has hailed “an English solution for the English game” after the Twickenham unveiling of a new detailed agreement governing professional rugby in England.

Ulster 14 Gloucester 32

ULSTER have been hit with a double whammy ahead of tonight’s opening Heineken Cup clash with Gloucester at Ravenhill. Flanker Stephen Ferris has been told he will be sidelined for up to six weeks while veteran fly-half David Humphreys is a major concern due to an ankle injury.

David Humphreys will have to come through a fitness test on a damaged ankle beofre Mark McCall can insert him at out-half for Friday's Heineken Cup opener against Gloucester at Ravenhill.

ENGLAND boss Brian Ashton has backed his squad of “part-timers, plumbers and decorators” to tackle a job their critics believe is mission impossible — challenging the Springboks in South Africa.

England boss Brian Ashton has sprung a major surprise ahead of Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship clash against Italy by calling up uncapped Harlequins flanker Nick Easter.

ROB ANDREW has hailed England World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson as “an extraordinary individual” ahead of his logic-defying return to the Test match arena.

WORLD Cup winner Steve Thompson has been ruled out of England’s entire RBS Six Nations Championship campaign due to a neck injury.

GLOUCESTER face a fight for their Heineken Cup lives in the south of France tonight, with captain Marco Bortolami admitting: “We have only one chance.”

New England boss Brian Ashton has named a new captain and summoned Jason Robinson from international retirement for this season’s Six Nations Championship.

England head coach Andy Robinson has named seven uncapped players in a 30-man squad for the Twickenham clash against World Cup favourites New Zealand on November 5.

England have included World Cup winner Mike Catt in their squad for the two-Test tour to Australia.

England boss Andy Robinson has named five uncapped players – including New Zealand-born Wasps star Mark Van Gisbergen – in his 30-man squad for the autumn Tests.

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.

Martin Corry will captain an unchanged England side in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash against Scotland at Twickenham.

ENGLAND last night summoned Iain Balshaw from the international wilderness for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Italy - almost a year to the day after his last Test match appearance.

Iain Balshaw will make his first England appearance for a year when the world champions tackle RBS 6 Nations Championship opponents Italy at Twickenham on Saturday.

Martin Corry will captain England in their RBS 6 Nations Championship game against Italy at Twickenham a week on Saturday.

GARY LONGWELL has been called into the Irish squad for the Six Nations game against England at Twickenham tomorrow week.

Chris Jones will make his first Test match start in England's Calcutta Cup clash against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Paul Grayson has been handed the task of replacing World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson in England’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Italy.

LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO goes into England’s World Cup showdown against Wales tomorrow (10am Irish time) planning to banish once and for all the memory of the biggest mistake of his international career.

Jason Leonard will equal international rugby’s world cap record when he lines up for England against Wales on Sunday.

England boss Clive Woodward has made 11 changes for his team’s final World Cup Pool C match against Uruguay at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

Wasps centre Stuart Abbott will make his World Cup debut when England tackle Samoa at the Telstra Dome on Sunday.

England boss Clive Woodward will unleash his star names on tournament minnows Georgia in next Sunday’s World Cup opener at Subiaco Oval.

England boss Clive Woodward today announced his 30-man World Cup squad – and there are no places for Lions Austin Healey, Graham Rowntree and Simon Shaw.

England boss Clive Woodward has made 12 changes to his line-up for Saturday’s final World Cup warm-up game against France at Twickenham.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan is due to name his starting XV for the Six Nations match against England later today.

Teams for Scotland versus England, Lloyds TSB Six Nations Championship, Murrayfield, tomorrow, 4pm.

Iain Balshaw has regained his place in the Bath team for Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Llanelli.

Teams for Australia versus the Lions, second Test, Colonial Stadium, Melbourne, tomorrow, kick-off 10am (Irish time).

Teams for New South Wales versus the Lions, Sydney Football Stadium, tomorrow, kick-off 10.30am (Irish time).

Mike Catt is out of the Lions tour to Australia and will be replaced by Wales centre Scott Gibbs.