RONAN O’GARA was yesterday left “completely overwhelmed” after being named as the best player in the 15-year history of the Heineken Cup.

SHANE BYRNE will lead an Ireland Legends rugby team against the England Legends at The Stoop in Twickenham on the eve of Ireland-England Six Nations game.

WILL CARLING revealed last night he has scrapped plans to manage Danny Cipriani because he believes the Wasps fly-half is not passionate enough about playing for England.

A HOST of big names will take part in the first ever Stuart Mangan Memorial match between England and Ireland Legends at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, February 26 – the night before the countries meet in the Six Nations at Twickenham.

MARTIN JOHNSON’S bid to keep his management team in place for the Six Nations could be undermined after it emerged Mike Ford is being considered for the England rugby league head coach’s job.

ENGLAND rugby coach Martin Johnson has denied rugby has a drug culture and claimed players are aware of the consequences if they take prohibited substances.

BARBARIANS captain Martin Corry, says Rocky Elsom’s game has undergone rapid transformation since moving to Leinster at the beginning of the season.

Heineken Cup winners Rocky Elsom and Gordon D'Arcy will start for the Barbarians against England in Twickenham on Saturday.

Jerry Flannery has joined the growing list of Irish casualities on the Lions tour to South Africa after being ruled out with a broken arm.

Tom Croft has tonight been called into the British and Irish Lions squad after Alan Quinlan failed with an appeal against a 12-week suspension.

Will Greenwood believes the British and Irish Lions will travel to South Africa with "six or seven World XV players".

Wasps back Josh Lewsey will retire from professional rugby at the end of the season, his club have confirmed.

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There is uncertainty over the fitness of Leinster's two first choice props CJ van der Linde and Stan Wright ahead of their crucial Pool 2 Heineken Cup encounter with London Wasps at Twickenham on Saturday.

Fly-half Dave Walder produced another man-of-the-match performance as Wasps strengthened their chances of reaching the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with victory over Edinburgh.

England manager Martin Johnson appeared to provide an early glimpse into his thinking ahead of a demanding autumn Test campaign by making eight players available for EDF Energy Cup action this weekend.

Danny Cipriani has been promoted to England’s elite squad ahead of the Investec autumn internationals as a replacement for injured fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.

Director of rugby Ian McGeechan has named an unchanged starting line up for London Wasps clash with Leinster at the RDS on Saturday.

DANNY CIPRIANI and Josh Lewsey produced a neat one-two combination punch to floor Castres as Wasps opened their Heineken Cup campaign with an emphatic home victory yesterday.

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A contrite Gavin Henson claims he "fully accepts" the two-match Heineken Cup ban imposed on him by the Ospreys.

James Haskell was happy to see team-mates Danny Cipriani and Josh Lewsey clash in training this week – because it means that Wasps are coming to the boil nicely ahead of Sunday’s Heineken Cup game against Castres.

WASPS head coach Shaun Edwards insisted the bust-up between Danny Cipriani and Josh Lewsey was nothing out of the ordinary and declared: “We always have a fight in Heineken Cup week.”

Wasps today confirmed there was an incident between Danny Cipriani and Josh Lewsey – but insisted it was nothing more than a regular training-ground spat.

Martin Johnson has dropped Mike Tindall and Ben Kay on his first day in charge as England’s new team manager.

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Wasps 23 Leicester 6

LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO has brought England sensation Danny Cipriani crashing back down to earth by warning: “Jonny Wilkinson wants his place back.”

Ireland will field a star-studded line-up including skipper Brian O’Driscoll for their clash with the Barbarians at Kingsholm on May 27.

DANNY CIPRIANI has made no secret of his desire to become “the best in the world” when he lines up for England on Saturday against Scotland.

Gloucester number eight Luke Narraway will make his Test debut in a surprise selection for England's RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.

WASPS star Danny Cipriani linked up with the England squad on Monday and warned Jonny Wilkinson: “I am not here to be the number two”.

KEITH WOOD believes European champions Wasps probably have the better team heading into today’s crunch Heineken Cup clash against Munster in Limerick.

Keith Wood believes European champions Wasps probably have the better team heading into tomorrow’s crunch Heineken Cup clash against Munster in Limerick.

EUROPEAN champions Wasps will be without Josh Lewsey for their Heineken Cup match against Llanelli tomorrow in Munster’s Pool Five.

TWICKENHAM is ready to witness its first volcanic eruption — and Wales could be the hapless victims.

England boss Brian Ashton has sprung a major surprise in his 32-man RBS 6 Nations squad by selecting former Bradford Bulls rugby league star Lesley Vainikolo.

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Jonny Wilkinson could make his first appearance since the World Cup final next weekend.

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DECLAN Kidney yesterday demonstrated his conservatism by recalling a couple of thirty-somethings to his back division for this evening’s Heineken Cup clash with London Wasps at the splendid Ricoh Stadium in Coventry (5.30pm, Sky Sports 2).

South Africa coach Jake White this morning named an unchanged starting XV for Saturday’s World Cup final against England.

PHIL VICKERY has underlined England’s determination to complete one of the greatest comebacks in sport, declaring: “This team is here to make its own history.”