Ireland 23 Barbarians 29

Ireland 23 Barbarians 29

England 35 Barbarians 26

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.

IT was billed as a meeting between two of Europe’s heavyweights but some pugilists pack a harder punch than others and that was true down by the banks of the River Garonne on Saturday.

FORMER Toulouse and France legend Jean-Claude Skrela will have different reasons for an attack of nerves before this afternoon’s Heineken Cup semi final against Leinster at Le Stadium.

PREVIEW: Toulouse v Leinster

France centre Yannick Jauzion insists Les Bleus cannot afford to make the same mistakes as last year when they take on Scotland in their RBS 6 Nations opener on Sunday.

JEAN-BAPTISTE ELISSALDE is out of France’s RBS Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield – and is likely to miss Saturday’s week crunch clash with Ireland.

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde has been forced to pull out of France’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield and will be replaced by Toulouse team-mate Frederic Michalak.

CONTROVERSIAL centre Mathieu Bastareaud has been given his chance in the starting line-up for France’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Scotland on Sunday.

SALE director of rugby Kingsley Jones felt poor discipline had cost his side victory against Toulouse at Edgeley Park.

Sale 13 Toulouse 19

Controversial centre Mathieu Bastareaud has been recalled to the France squad for the 2010 RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Harlequins 19 Toulouse 23

Toulouse 36 Sale 17

DANNY CIPRIANI has been left out of England’s squad for the summer Test series against Argentina – but there is a recall for 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson.

Leicester scrum-half Julien Dupuy has been called up by France for the first time ahead of Les Bleus’ summer tour to the southern hemisphere.

Former Ireland skipper Keith Wood has accused France of devaluing the RBS Six Nations with a selection policy he finds infuriating.

FRANCE go into their opening RBS Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday week with little experience at half-back after Jean-Baptiste Elissalde was surprisingly omitted from their trimmed-down 23-man squad.

Imanol Harinordoquy has been named in France’s 23-man squad for their opening two matches of the RBS 6 Nations Championship, against Ireland and Scotland.

Bath 3 Toulouse 3

BATH boss Steve Meehan has thrown down the gauntlet to French giants Toulouse ahead of tomorrow’s s Heineken Cup showdown, declaring: “They should be very concerned.”

France head coach Marc Lievremont has named just one recognised fly-half in his provisional 30-man squad for a three-day training camp ahead of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Clermont-Auvergne have made eight changes to their side to take on Munster in the Heineken Cup clash at Thomond Park tomorrow.

Sebastien Tillous-Borde and Sebastien Chabal have been drafted into France’s starting XV for Saturday’s Test against Australia in Paris.

Toulouse 18 Bath 16

FORMER Ulster wing Tommy Bowe helped defending champions Ospreys out of jail as they squeezed past Harlequins 24-23 in the EDF Energy Cup first round at Liberty Stadium.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll has hailed Munster’s latest Heineken Cup triumph – and admitted he is “very envious” of their achievements.

FAR from a classic, but the game was laced with some magnificent rugby and, in the end, few Toulouse supporters could argue that their side deserved to depart from the Millennium Stadium with a fourth Heineken Cup.

WHY Guy Noves waited until after Saturday’s game to stress his annoyance at the ERC’s decision to appoint Nigel Owens as match referee is bizarre.

A FEW of his attempted touch finders that ended up in the arms of speedy Toulouse wingers might have given Munster fans a few undesirable palpitations but Ronan O’Gara was a man among men once again in the Millennium Stadium.

Munster are leading the Heineken Cup final against Toulouse 10-6 at half-time.

Toulouse scrum-half Byron Kelleher will be fit for Saturday’s Heineken Cup final against Munster despite missing his club’s Top 14 win over Montauban at the weekend.

Toulouse half-back Jean-Baptiste Elissalde will have a scan on his right knee to determine the extent of the damage done in the Heineken Cup semi-final win over London Irish on Saturday.

TOULOUSE coach Guy Noves envisages resting his key players for large chunks of the Top 14 run-in with his team having secured their place in the final of the Heineken Cup.

LONDON IRISH coach Toby Booth felt his side squandered a golden opportunity to reach their first Heineken Cup final with Saturday’s 21-15 defeat by Toulouse.

London Irish 15 Toulouse 21

London Irish 10 Toulouse 15

Injury-hit Toulouse will have to draw on all their experience to overcome London Irish in the Heineken Cup semi-final at Twickenham on Saturday.

THE GREATEST modern day out-half, All Black magician Dan Carter, is reportedly being bombarded with offers from loads-a-money clubs in England and France.

Toulouse 41 Cardiff Blues 17

Alan Gaffney hopes his Saracens side can give the Ospreys food for thought in tomorrow’s Heineken Cup quarter-final showdown at Vicarage Road.

Julien Malzieu saw France’s two-year hold on the RBS 6 Nations Championship title slip with a defeat to rejuvenated Wales – but the winger insists Les Bleus should be satisfied with their progress in the tournament.