GARY LONGWELL, who reached the landmark 50th Heineken Cup cap earlier this season, will win his 150th Ulster cap in Friday night’s Celtic League clash with Cardiff.

RUGBY legend Jonathan Davies has backed claims by Wales coach Mike Ruddock that England are better off without Jonny Wilkinson.

ULSTER introduce Gavin Pfister for tomorrow night’s Celtic League clash with Edinburgh at Ravenhill.

ULSTER introduce Gavin Pfister for tomorrow night’s Celtic League clash with Edinburgh at Ravenhill.

Ireland 55 USA 6

IRELAND coach Eddie O’Sullivan hopes Saturday’s victory over South Africa has silenced criticism of the controversial training regime imposed on his Test stars.

IRISH centre Gordon D'Arcy could miss the entire autumn series of internationals with the groin injury sustained in Leinster's weekend Heineken Cup success over Bath.

Harlequins hero Gavin Duffy has been named by Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan in his Irish squad to tour South Africa next month.

THE Six Nations Championship title may out of reach but Ireland did enough to suggest they will win another Triple Crown in 2004 after putting Italy to the sword.

RONAN O’GARA is likely to make his international comeback after being included in the 22-man squad from which the Ireland team to play Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday will be chosen.

FOUR of Ireland’s front-line players - Keith Wood, Brian O’Driscoll, Anthony Foley and Shane Horgan - are to make a return to the international arena against Wales on Saturday next at Lansdowne Road.

IRELAND will have to find a new captain for their three-match tour next month to Australia, Tonga and Samoa. Keith Wood will travel with the 41-strong party of players but will take no part outside of training, while Brian O’Driscoll has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Ireland 6 England 42

Ireland 16 Argentina 7

ANTHONY FOLEY expressed delight yesterday with the announcement that he was to lead Ireland for the third time in his 35-match Test career.

THERE were plenty who believed making a weekend round trip to eastern Siberia was a pain in the neck, but Ireland skipper Keith Wood took the sentiment literally.

KEITH Wood is ready to put a traumatic week behind him when he leads Ireland into the unknown on Saturday, when they travel to Siberia to face Russia in a World Cup qualifier.

Ireland 39,Romania 8

IRISH coach Eddie O’Sullivan has bitter sweet memories of his last international at Thomond Park.

COACH Eddie O’Sullivan believes the ongoing battle between Ronan O’Gara and David Humphreys for the number-10 position is one of the real plus points as Ireland build up to the Six Nations and, hopefully, the 2003 World Cup.

IRISH coach Eddie O'Sullivan has announced a squad of 51 players to travel to Spala in Poland today to take part in a two-week training camp which will last until Sunday August 4.

THE inevitable return Brian O’Driscoll and Denis Hickie to the Irish team has left coach Warren Gatland in upbeat mood in advance of the Lloyds/TSB Six Nations clash with France at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.