Wales 23 Italy 15

Johnny Sexton believes he is in much better shape heading into Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations campaign this weekend than he felt before the November Tests following his move to Racing Metro.

Sam Warburton could start Wales’ RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy on Saturday as he prepares to make his comeback from injury.

Ryan Jones will miss the chance to win a fifth RBS 6 Nations title after a hamstring injury saw him withdraw from Wales’ squad for the 2014 campaign.

When Marcel Michelin created a rugby club for his hometown in 1911, he could never have imagined it would become what it is today – the team everyone wants to avoid.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL 1:

Leinster 36 Ospreys 3

While it’s customary to reflect on rugby events at this time of year, I no more than you have an appetite for that.

Ospreys 21 Castres 12

Whatever about the inclination, it is unlikely that Roy Keane will have the opportunity to stand over Alex Ferguson any time soon with a copy of his FAI contract.

... but McCarthy remains in running for Ireland return

What we'll learn from the Heineken Cup.

Connacht 26 Ospreys 43

Dan Biggar snatched a draw for the Ospreys in Dublin as reigning RaboDirect PRO12 champions Leinster let a 10-point first-half advantage slip away.

Few rugby players are more vociferous in their support of the RaboDirect PRO12 than Leinster’s Eoin Reddan.

A fractured arm may have sidelined Paul O’Connell from the rest of the Test series with Australia, his place in the second row for Saturday’s second Test going to England’s Geoff Parling, but the British & Irish Lions are desperate to keep their former captain on tour, so important to them is his presence as a leader and mentor.

British and Irish Lions assistant coach Graham Rowntree today refused to dwell on Paul O’Connell’s tour-ending fractured arm.

Lock Paul O’Connell has been ruled out of the remainder of the British and Irish Lions’ Test series against Australia with a fractured arm.

Brumbies 14 British & Irish Lions 12

This morning’s game against the Western Force in Perth will offer the British and Irish Lions management a far greater barometer of what to expect over the next few weeks than the testing but ultimately one-sided game against the Barbarians in Hong Kong last Saturday.

The Western Force may have other priorities but that will not concern the British & Irish Lions one bit as they begin the Australian leg of their tour at Patersons Stadium in Perth this morning (11am Irish time).

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

Wales 30 England 3

Warren Gatland made it from London to Edinburgh in the nick of time yesterday only to see Ireland lose at Murrayfield for the first time since he last took them there 12 years ago.

The bodies may be bruised as Ireland continue to recover from their extremely intense encounter with Wales at the weekend but Donnacha Ryan believes the national team got exactly the workout needed to ready themselves for this Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with England.

RBS Six Nations: IRELAND V WALES

It is a game that has the atmosphere of a finale rather than a championship opener but that makes Ireland’s need to hit the ground running in Cardiff today (1:30pm) all the more relevant.

It wasn’t quite a resumption of normal service yesterday as Declan Kidney restored his old guard to the Ireland line-up for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff — but countered that with the selection of the electric Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy on the wings.

Olly Kohn tonight reflected on the “surreal” feeling of being called up by Wales for this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Ospreys 15 Leicester 15

James Downey has no doubt about the size of Munster’s challenge when Heineken Cup rivals Saracens attempt to storm their Thomond Park fortress tomorrow.

Wales prop Aaron Jarvis will not play again this season after he suffered a knee ligament injury during the 33-10 defeat against world champions New Zealand on Saturday.

Wales have not ruled lock Bradley Davies out of their plans for Saturday’s Test match against Australia at the Millennium Stadium.

Warren Gatland has made five changes to the Wales team for Saturday’s Millennium Stadium clash against world champions New Zealand.

Shaun Edwards believes Warren Gatland’s absence has hit Wales hard as the head coach returns to take charge following demoralising defeats to Argentina and Samoa.

Ospreys 19 Leinster 10

Joe Schmidt has had to ring the changes for Leinster as they go in search of their first victory at the Liberty Stadium since September 2009.

Ospreys 10 Glasgow Warriors 28

Benetton Treviso 12 Ospreys 6

Wales will head into the first of their three Tests against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday with 11 of the starting XV that clinched Grand Slam glory against France in March.

Ospreys 31 Dragons 12

Wayne Barnes, whose handling of Ireland’s Six Nations clash against Wales caused such controversy less than three months ago, has been handed control of another major fixture involving an Irish side.

Cast aside the disruption caused by the unscheduled absence of Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal and forget the frozen frustration of Paris, however well-placed the annoyance of the postponement and rescheduling debate surrounding the game with France.

It is the controversy that just won’t go away.