AS DRESS rehearsals go, this was up there with the best. Ireland’s display against the inexperienced but gritty Fijians left coach Declan Kidney smiling despite the selection headaches he faces ahead of Saturday’s date with world champions South Africa.

LEO CULLEN is back to provide a captain’s guiding hand for Leinster in Saturday’s Magners League Halloween clash with Cardiff Blues at the RDS.

MUNSTER back-row forward Nick Williams faces at least six weeks out following knee surgery, but the Magners League champions will still have something to smile about for then new season.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika is a straight-talking Aussie who would evidently lose it if he suspected even a scintilla of complacency in the camp ahead of Saturday’s final of the Heineken Cup at Murrayfield.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika was delighted with a crucial Magners League victory to keep his side top of the table, but perturbed at a flawed first quarter at the RDS on Saturday night.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has a guilt complex about playing Shane Jennings at number six rather than open side flanker following the latter’s exclusion from Ireland’s Six Nations squad.

THE Leinster sports psychologists and chaplins will be kept busy this week.

SHANE HORGAN is poised to equal Reggie Corrigan’s Leinster Heineken Cup record of 61 caps against Toulouse on Sunday.

ARGENTINA’S World Cup star Felipe Contepomi is ready to launch another team towards tournament glory this weekend.

IT DIDN’T say much for the quality of the game that Christian Warner, Leinster’s goal kicker, won the man of the match award at the RDS in Dublin last night.

KEITH GLEESON is named in the Leinster team to meet Connacht at the RDS tonight (7.30pm).

Leinster coach Michael Cheika welcomes back skipper Brian O’Driscoll and Malcolm O’Kelly into the extended panel for the first time this season after their return from the Rugby World Cup ahead of the clash with Glasgow Warriors in Friday night’s Magners League clash at Firhill.

THE Leinster squad to face Edinburgh in the opening game of the Magners League season in the RDS on Saturday (5.30pm) has been named.

Michael Cheika has included new signings Juan Francisco Gomez, Chris Keane and Stephen Knoop in the Leinster squad to play Edinburgh in the opening game of the Magners League season in the RDS on Saturday.

LEO CULLEN wants to make a meaningful return to international rugby after being named as replacement captain in Ireland A’s game against England Saxons at Ravenhill tonight (7.45pm).

FRANKIE SHEAHAN is delighted to be back in the front row at Musgrave Park tonight (7pm) as Munster take on Leicester Tigers in a pre-season friendly.

CARDIFF BLUES are to deny Munster fans the potential for a big Heineken Cup show of strength at the Millennium Stadium.

IRISH coach Eddie O’Sullivan has opted for youthful promise in the Ireland A team to meet England in Gloucester on Friday night (7.45pm).

WITH Limoges a prohibitive 400km south of Paris, there won’t be too many Irish fans at tonight’s ‘A’ international between France and Ireland (6.30pm).

LEO CULLEN’S life with the Leicester Tigers isn’t much different from the one he left behind in Leinster.

Leinster 17 Munster 23

RETIREMENT doesn’t hold any great fears for Victor Costello. It’s the manner of his going, not the fact he’ll soon be gone, that is his chief concern.

INTERNATIONAL trio Malcolm O’Kelly, Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie will be sprung from the bench if things go wrong for Leinster against Glasgow in the Celtic Cup quarter-final at Lansdowne Road tonight (7.30).

AS always, Declan Kidney had a phrase to deal with a given situation.

DECLAN KIDNEY returns to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs when he brings his exciting Leinster side to Musgrave Park for Saturday’s crucial Celtic League tie against Munster (5.30).

BOURGOIN have responded as the ERC would have hoped to their mauling by Leinster last week by making 10 changes for tonight's return clash at the Stade Pierre Rajon.

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.

Leinster 17 Munster 15

MUNSTER coach Alan Gaffney is indebted to Declan Kidney. When the coaches first met they got on like the proverbial house on fire.

MUNSTER will unveil latest signing Tom Bowman in tonight’s Celtic League clash with Connacht at Musgrave Park (8pm).

JOHN KELLY and Jason Holland are back in action for Munster against Connacht at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

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

Leinster 21 Connacht 6

A SEASIDE walk on Tuesday ended in disaster for Leinster’s James Norton, when he fell and cracked his hip in Dun Laoire.

Leinster 8, Munster 15

NEW Leinster coach Gary Ella has marked out young Barnhall player Brendan Burke as a star of the future.

Ireland 61 Italy 6

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.

SWANSEA centre Mark Taylor has a score to settle at Donnybrook this evening (7.35pm).