Why does nothing this cool ever happen in our local?

After the game, Cork Constitution made a presentation to Alain Rolland, and then it was over.

Joe Schmidt has chosen New Zealander John Plumtree as the man to take charge of Ireland’s forwards and the 48-year-old will join the Irish coaching set-up next month.

Irish players must take responsibility against Saracens

HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINAL

1 Just how much is the Thomond factor worth these days?

There’s been a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth since the Irish whitewash in Europe over the weekend but it is about time people start to realise that we have no divine right to be winning Heineken Cups with the regularity we’ve enjoyed in recent times.

You could have substituted South African World Cup-winning captain John Smit’s comments after last week’s trip to Thomond Park with those expressed by his illustrious Springbok predecessor Francois Pienaar all of 13 seasons ago.

As Schalk Brits apologises for his barely audible voice, explaining that he has had the flu all week, it is impossible not to think one thing: maybe he isn’t Superman after all?

Saracens forward coach Paul Gustard believes his big-name players are ready to stand up and be counted as they look to end Munster’s Heineken Cup dream this weekend.

Over the next two weekends, Rob Penney is about to learn just how much progress has been made since he began his revolution of the Munster rugby philosophy five months ago.

Rob Penney has no doubt Mike Sherry will soon be a player the Ireland management will find too difficult to ignore.

Saturday December 1, 4.28pm. Twickenham.

Richardt Strauss may have belted out the words to Amhrán na bhFiann rather than those of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika but, when everything was said and done, the Ireland hooker slipped ever so briefly back into his old skin.

South Africa lock Alistair Hargreaves has agreed a deal to join Saracens next season.

Saracens 20 Biarritz 16

FRENCH star Dimitri Yachvili is mystified fellow scrum-half Peter Stringer is no longer part of the Ireland set-up.

Biarritz 15 Saracens 10

Five players who’ll stamp their class on the pool stages

IF THIS were any other competition beginning less than three weeks after so compelling a World Cup final, the weary yawns of sated rugby fans may have drowned out the hype.

THE All Blacks never forgave Stephen Donald for the missed touch kick which ultimately condemned them to defeat by Australia in Hong Kong this time last year.

STRANGE in a way that what has been a fantastic tournament has produced a paucity of real individual star quality.

MATCH-WINNING Australia flanker David Pocock has laughed off suggestions he is a cheat in the wake of his dominant World Cup performance against South Africa.

AUSTRALIA crept into the World Cup semi-finals after James O’Connor landed a late penalty to send champions South Africa crashing out.

THERE’S a nastily parochial feeling in this part of the world that none of the northern hemisphere nations can manage to win the three games on the trot that would allow them to take home the big chocolate box.

SARACENS have announced that they will play their Heineken Cup pool stage clash with Biarritz in Cape Town, marking the first time the tournament has seen a fixture played outside Europe.

South Africa captain John Smit stopped short of claiming the underdog tag ahead of Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final but acknowledged Australia have had the upper hand over them in the past two years.

SOUTH AFRICA head coach Peter de Villiers believes his side are ready for the World Cup knockout phase after advancing from Pool D with a 100% record following a bruising win over Samoa at North Harbour Stadium.

South Africa 13 Samoa 5

BY the time you read this I will have landed in Auckland after a stifling 36-hour trek with stopovers in London, Bangkok and Sydney.

South Africa coach Peter De Villiers will rely on the core of the squad that became world champions four years ago after naming his 30-man World Cup squad tonight.

Fourie du Preez and Heinrich Brussow have been recalled to the South Africa starting line-up for the first time in 21 months for Saturday’s Tri Nations clash with Australia in Durban.

Australia 39 South Africa 20

MATT GITEAU’S chances of playing in a third Rugby World Cup have suffered a major blow after he was left out of Australia’s squad for Saturday’s Tri Nations opener against South Africa in Sydney.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has named a severely weakened 27-man squad for the away leg of their Tri Nations campaign due to injuries suffered by a host of key players.

John Smit has been retained as South Africa captain for the upcoming international season, with Victor Matfield also remaining as vice captain.

South Africa have named seven uncapped players in a 51-man squad called up for a team planning session in Cape Town next month ahead of the World Cup and international season.

England stood on the brink of completing their first Grand Slam since 2003, with Ireland the final obstacle between themselves and European rugby’s most treasured prize.

Brian O’Driscoll today warned England that Ireland are ready to prey on their Grand Slam jitters.

SARACENS come to Dublin this week marooned at the bottom of pool four, eight points behind Leinster, but Richardt Strauss has reason enough to approach Saturday’s Heineken Cup encounter with due care.

SOUTH AFRICAN coach Peter de Villiers feels his side’s dreams of retaining the World Cup next year have been boosted by their campaign in the Northern Hemisphere.

WE HAVE a lot to be grateful to Scotland for. Had they not beaten South Africa in Murrayfield last Saturday week, both the Springboks and New Zealand would return home from their respective tours of the four home unions with a clean sweep.

Wales 25 South Africa 29