Warren Gatland knows there will be tougher days than the one his British & Irish Lions faced in Western Australia yesterday, starting this Saturday in Brisbane, yet you could not blame the head coach for feeling a little pleased with the ruthless way his team dispatched their opponents.

Ireland centre Brian O’Driscoll will captain the British and Irish Lions in Wednesday’s clash against Western Force in Perth.

Italy 9 Wales 26

Courtney Lawes is ready to strike fear into the French ‘bully boys’ when he is unleashed from the England back row for the first time.

Sam Warburton has been named on the Wales replacements’ bench for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Italy in Rome.

France 6 Wales 16

South Africa-born forward Andries Pretorius has been named in the Wales squad for this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Wales 12 Argentina 26

Connacht’s Eric Elwood is once again putting his faith in youngsters with Ireland U20 player Darragh Leader making his debut tomorrow against the Ospreys in Liberty Stadium (2.30pm).

There hasn’t been much talk about it recently, but Munster are still embarrassed about the capitulation to the Ospreys in last season’s RaboDirect semi-final.

Leinster were left to rue a golden opportunity for double glory for the second year in-a-row when they lost the RaboDirect Pro12 plot in sight of the victory podium at the RDS yesterday.

Joe Schmidt: Leinster coach will be in Auckland to watch Ireland take on the All Blacks but only because he’ll be there on a family holiday.

Tony McGahan is banking on youthful enthusiasm to help carry defending champions Munster through their RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final at Ospreys in Swansea tonight (7.35pm).

Triple Grand Slam winner Gethin Jenkins has set his sights on extending Wales’ upward curve Down Under this summer.

Matthew Rees believes France will attempt to “bully” and “irritate” Wales as they attempt to claim the Grand Slam.

Sam Warburton is ready to lead Wales’ final push for the RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam glory tomorrow, declaring: “It will be the biggest game of my career.”

Wales kept their Grand Slam mission on course after seeing off a determined Italy outfit at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

Wales are optimistic captain Sam Warburton will be fit to lead his team’s RBS 6 Nations title bid against France next Saturday.

Ireland wing Tommy Bowe has ended speculation about his future by confirming his return to Ulster on a three-year deal announced yesterday by the IRFU and starting next season.

Superstitious Wales skipper Sam Warburton has banned himself from talking about the Grand Slam his World Cup semi-finalists are now favourites to achieve next month.

Mike Phillips believes Wales must shut out the external hype and hysteria surrounding their Triple Crown bid today — or risk blowing hopes of a rare Twickenham win.

Sam Warburton has recovered from injury and will captain Wales when they bid for the Triple Crown against RBS 6 Nations title rivals England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Wales captain Sam Warburton admits it is time his RBS 6 Nations title contenders avoided any further outbreaks of the yellow peril that threatened to lay them low in Dublin last weekend.

Rhys Priestland and Jamie Roberts started Wales’ RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland at Aviva Stadium despite concerns over their fitness.

Scarcely has a team been so dominant and still have to work so hard in the closing stages to carve out a victory.

Flanker Dan Lydiate has been ruled out of Wales’ RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland on Sunday due to an ankle injury, but centre Jamie Roberts and fly-half Rhys Priestland have recovered from knee injuries and will start, the Welsh Rugby Union have announced.

Gavin Henson could be in line for a first RBS 6 Nations appearance since 2009 after being included in head coach Warren Gatland's 35-man training squad.

OSPREYS replacement Dan Biggar held his head in his hands as his last-gasp drop-goal to win an enthralling Welsh derby with Newport Gwent Dragons hit the post.

AUSTRALIA centre Rob Horne yesterday withdrew from the Wallabies team to face Wales at the Millennium Stadium today (2.30pm) due to a hamstring injury.

TWO tries by Stephen Ferris helped Ulster come back from an early bombardment by the Scarlets to claim much-needed RaboDirect Pro 12 League points at Ravenhill last night.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has made six changes to his team for Saturday’s World Cup bronze medal re-match against Australia in Cardiff.

World Cup skipper Sam Warburton has retained the Wales captaincy for next month’s one-off Test match against Australia in Cardiff.

THE PORTENTS weren’t good when over 6,000 ticket-holders failed to turn up for Munster’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with arch-rivals Ospreys at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

THE Ospreys travel to Thomond Park tonight in search of their second win over Munster in 18 months – a victory that would see them become the first team to beat all four Irish provinces in the one half of the regulated two part RaboDirect Pro12 (formerly Magners League) season.

EUROPEAN kings Leinster made a nightmare start to the RaboDirect Pro12 after being blown away by the Ospreys in Swansea last night.

LUKE FITZGERALD will seek to put his World Cup disappointment behind him tonight when he takes his place in an unfamiliar and inexperienced Leinster side which begins its RaboDirect Pro12 campaign away to the Ospreys (7.05pm).

IRELAND U-20s 24 WALES U-20s 38

ANDREW TRIMBLE has not been released by Ireland for Ulster’s Magners League trip to face the Ospreys at Swansea tomorrow (5.10 pm).

Ospreys 19 Leinster 15

CONNACHT were denied their second home victory of the Magners League season when the Ospreys struck for a match-winning try in the 78th minute at the Galway Sportsground last night.

NIALL O’CONNOR booted Ulster to victory as they downed the Ospreys in a tense Magners League opener at Ravenhill last night.

MICHAEL BRADLEY will hope his Connacht side can continue their successful European Amlin Challenge Cup form when they return to Magners League action against the Ospreys at Liberty Stadium tomorrow.

Ospreys 26 Cardiff Blues 0