JOE SCHMIDT’S European euphoria was dampened last night by confirmation that Leinster will travel to Saturday’s clash against Saracens at Wembley without hamstrung Brian O’Driscoll.

MUNSTER confirmed a triple injury blow yesterday with Denis Fogarty, Felix Jones and Ian Dowling facing lay-offs after Saturday’s Magners League victory over the Ospreys.

COACH Michael Cheika faces an anxious injury wait as he prepares Leinster for what could be his last game in charge before departing to France next season.

LEINSTER and Munster will meet at the RDS on Saturday night (8pm) in a late-season bid for Irish rugby bragging rights, following a dramatic day of Magners League action.

THE answer to the above question that has dominated Irish rugby for the past 10 weeks will be provided at 1.30 this afternoon when Declan Kidney announces his Ireland team to play Italy in the RBS Six Nations Championship at Croke Park on Saturday.

THE inactivity caused by the big freeze of recent weeks showed in Leinster’s lacklustre performance for much of this Heineken Cup clash against Brive on Saturday night before the champions upped gears to secure a bonus point victory.

JONATHAN SEXTON will return to the Leinster side for Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash with Brive and kickstart a fascinating battle for the No 10 jersey ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations Championship campaign.

JONATHAN SEXTON and Shane Jennings are hoping for a dramatic improvement in weather conditions to allow tomorrow night’s Magners League clash against Glasgow Warriors at the RDS (8pm) to go ahead.

AS DRESS rehearsals go, this was up there with the best. Ireland’s display against the inexperienced but gritty Fijians left coach Declan Kidney smiling despite the selection headaches he faces ahead of Saturday’s date with world champions South Africa.

ON his 100th Test appearance it was fitting that Brian O’Driscoll should produce a late, late try under the posts for Ireland to secure a share the honours against Australia at Croke Park yesterday.

LEO CULLEN is back to provide a captain’s guiding hand for Leinster in Saturday’s Magners League Halloween clash with Cardiff Blues at the RDS.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika is a straight-talking Aussie who would evidently lose it if he suspected even a scintilla of complacency in the camp ahead of Saturday’s final of the Heineken Cup at Murrayfield.

WHEN a player of Brian O’Driscoll’s renown and stature admits that “this was one of the more physical Test matches I’ve played in a long, long time,” the point is well made.

THERE are reasons to believe that Castres might offer limited opposition in Friday’s return Heineken Cup clash at Stade Pierre-Antoine, but don’t say that within earshot of Leinster coach Michael Cheika.

IN the context of what might havebeen, victory was most welcome at Croke Park on Saturday. However that won’t diminish coach Declan Kidney’s food for thought in the weeks leading up to the Six Nations Championship.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has a guilt complex about playing Shane Jennings at number six rather than open side flanker following the latter’s exclusion from Ireland’s Six Nations squad.

THE Leinster sports psychologists and chaplins will be kept busy this week.

SHANE HORGAN is poised to equal Reggie Corrigan’s Leinster Heineken Cup record of 61 caps against Toulouse on Sunday.

IT DIDN’T say much for the quality of the game that Christian Warner, Leinster’s goal kicker, won the man of the match award at the RDS in Dublin last night.

KEITH GLEESON is named in the Leinster team to meet Connacht at the RDS tonight (7.30pm).

Leinster coach Michael Cheika welcomes back skipper Brian O’Driscoll and Malcolm O’Kelly into the extended panel for the first time this season after their return from the Rugby World Cup ahead of the clash with Glasgow Warriors in Friday night’s Magners League clash at Firhill.

THE Leinster squad to face Edinburgh in the opening game of the Magners League season in the RDS on Saturday (5.30pm) has been named.

Michael Cheika has included new signings Juan Francisco Gomez, Chris Keane and Stephen Knoop in the Leinster squad to play Edinburgh in the opening game of the Magners League season in the RDS on Saturday.

STEPHEN KEOGH is battling to be fit for Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against London Wasps in Adams Park (5.45pm, Sky Sports).

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika expressed relief after Saturday’s Magners League derby victory and acknowledged his side must improve drastically if they are to overcome Wasps in the Heineken Cup next weekend.

“YOU don’t beat Munster twice in the same season,” has long been a mantra of the European champions and it’s one that will be put to a severe test at Thomond Park this afternoon (3pm, Setanta Sports) when Leinster make their first visit in nine years to the famous Limerick venue for an eagerly-awaited Magners League tie.

THE strength in depth of Irish rugby will be put to the test at Thomond Park tonight (7.30) when Michael Bradley’s Ireland A squad go into action against Australia A.

LIFIEMI MAFI makes his first start for Munster in tomorrow’s Magners League clash with Llanelli Scarlets in Stradey Park (Setanta Sports, 5.35pm).

THE big boys are back for Leinster and Munster — most of them at least.

GUY EASTERBY will make an emotional return to Llanelli Scarlets at Stradey Park today (5.30pm), but faces a battering from his brother Simon.

DENIS HICKIE will make his first competitive start of the season in tonight’s Magners League against Cardiff Blues at Donnybrook.

CARDIFF BLUES are to deny Munster fans the potential for a big Heineken Cup show of strength at the Millennium Stadium.

IRELAND A coach Michael Bradley has made six changes to the Ireland A team to take on England Saxons in the Churchill Cup Plate final tomorrow at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada.

AS Leinster prepare for the Battle of Ireland on Saturday, Brian O’Driscoll has suspended cordial relations with his Triple Crown winning Munster colleagues.

Leinster 30 Scarlets 22

IT’S a big occasion for Leinster’s player of the season, Felipe Contepomi, in tonight’s Celtic League clash with Llanelli Scarlets at Lansdowne Road (7.10pm).

IRISH coach Eddie O’Sullivan has opted for youthful promise in the Ireland A team to meet England in Gloucester on Friday night (7.45pm).

Leinster 16 Connnacht 13

WITH Limoges a prohibitive 400km south of Paris, there won’t be too many Irish fans at tonight’s ‘A’ international between France and Ireland (6.30pm).

THE five Leinster players released from international duty for the Italy game will be given an early chance to take out their frustrations on the Border Reivers tonight when they line out for the Celtic League clash at Donnybrook.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has all but given up on Will Green for Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash against Glasgow (RDS, 5.15pm. RTÉ Two).

MUNSTER’S preparations for tomorrow’s (1pm) Celtic League clash with Leinster at the RDS in Dublin have been disrupted by the death of coach Declan Kidney’s mother, Eileen, but they have still announced a 25-strong squad from which the starting side and seven replacements will be finalised today.

Leinster 19 Bath 22