Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll is relishing a chance to take on Wales for a place in the World Cup semi-finals after a win over Italy secured their place in the last eight.

Ireland 36 Italy 6

Mike Ross has warned Italy that Ireland’s ever-improving scrum is ready to accept the challenge laid down by Nick Mallett.

THERE will be a reunion of sorts when Ireland and Italy’s front rows lock horns on Sunday and Irish scrum coach Greg Feek expects his band of brothers to present a much improved challenge to the one the Azzurri faced in Rome eight months ago.

TOP rugby referee Jonathan Kaplan has been rested from his August Test duties in order to maximise recovery from minor injuries sustained during a road accident last week.

THE referees for Ireland’s Rugby World Cup Pool C games were announced yesterday.

LIMERICK referee George Clancy will take charge of the opening game of this year’s Rugby World Cup.

THERE may not be any silverware on offer for Ireland at the Aviva Stadium but there is an awful lot besides resting on the outcome of their RBS 6 Nations finale with England this evening.

IT’s become a YouTube classic, with over 350,000 hits, but England’s Martin Johnson has never explained his version of the notorious red carpet ‘snub’ to President, Mary McAleese at Lansdowne Road eight years ago.

Martin Johnson called on his young England team to produce a “big finale” to their campaign and clinch the Grand Slam with victory over Ireland.

IF things had turned out differently, Alex Corbisiero might have been rivalling Cian Healy for a place in Ireland’s front row rather than opposing him in an England jersey this weekend.

IN A tournament devoid of any classic encounter to date, last weekend’s penultimate round of Six Nations Championship provided more incident and controversy than the previous three rounds together.

JAMES HASKELL believes Saturday’s clash with Ireland is the biggest game that any of the England side will have played in and is wary of a backlash from their hosts after their controversial defeat in Wales.

FORMER Irish hooker Shane Byrne believes Scotland’s Peter Allan effectively ended his career as an international match official after his Millennium Stadium gaffe that could have cost Ireland a Triple Crown.

THE touch judge who mistakenly advised Jonathan Kaplan to award Wales’ try against Ireland on Saturday is likely to be sanctioned by the IRB today.

FORMER Irish star Ollie Campbell has called for a thorough and transparent inquiry into Wales’ try at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

LET us just park the illegal lineout controversy by the side of the road for awhile and consider the real reasons why Ireland fell asleep at the wheel in Cardiff on Saturday.

WHAT a shame a pulsating Six Nations game was decided by one moment of controversy.

Keith Earls has added his voice to the chorus of discontent led by Brian O’Driscoll by describing Ireland’s 19-13 RBS 6 Nations defeat by Wales as “sickening”.

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll labelled the decision to allow Mike Phillips' controversial try to stand as "unforgivable" following his side's 19-13 defeat at the Millennium Stadium.

James Hook shrugged off the controversy over Wales' winning try as they saw off Ireland 19-13 to extend their RBS 6 Nations winning run to three matches.

Wales 19 Ireland 13

THERE’S a classic scene from a Marx Brothers movie named Duck Soup in which Harpo pretends to be Groucho’s reflection inside a mirror frame, the curly-mopped mute having smashed the glass moments earlier.

The Tactics

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has been left bemused by suggestions that his side are responsible for the Millennium Stadium roof being open for tomorrow's RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales - claiming they were not asked for their preference.

Wales captain Matthew Rees has no doubts his team will need to prove they are far more than 20-minute wonders in tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations appointment with Ireland.

Dan Lydiate admits there is no hiding place from the damaging number of penalties Wales have conceded in this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Wales lock Alun-Wyn Jones has hailed the durable quality of Ireland's revered second-row partnership of Donncha O'Callaghan and Paul O'Connell.

Warren Gatland accepts Wales will need to "nullify" Ireland's powerful ball-carriers at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

JAMES HOOK has regained the famous Welsh Number 10 jersey as Wales look to clinch just their second Championship home win over Ireland in 28 years.

WOE betide the Irish player that falls foul of Jonathan Kaplan’s whistle in Cardiff this Saturday evening, with the wrath of Kidney awaiting.

AFTER Ronan O’Gara’s man-of-the-match performance against Scotland, Declan Kidney is left scratching his head as to how best deal with his two outstanding out-half candidates for Saturday’s clash with Wales in Cardiff.

THREE games into his extended audition as Ireland’s number 15, and Luke Fitzgerald’s candid summation of his performances — good, but could do better — is one that could double for the team in general.

ALAIN ROLLAND will help kick-off the 2011 RBS Six NationsChampionship when he referees the opening day clash between Wales and England at the Millennium Stadium on February 4.

Ireland 20 Scotland 23

THE iconic Paul O’Connell goes into Irish action for a noteworthy 70th time on Saturday at Croke Park, but he tips young guns like Keith Earls to set even higher standards.

IRELAND manager Paul McNaughton last night described the decision of the IRB to apply the new interpretation of the breakdown laws to the Six Nations midway through the tournament as “very disappointing”.

IRELAND have been handed the keys to unlocking the Welsh defence from the unlikely source of a Yorkshireman working in France.

WHO would want to be a referee? Well quite a few actually. In fact over the last three years the numbers officiating in Ireland have increased by 25%, from 400 to 500.

THREE Irish referees are among the 13 officials who will oversee the 2010 RBS Six Nations next spring.

England 6 New Zealand 19

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.

Ireland 20 Australia 20