The teams for Australia versus British and Irish Lions have been decided.

Melbourne Rebels 0 British & Irish Lions 35

Warren Gatland knows there will be tougher days than the one his British & Irish Lions faced in Western Australia yesterday, starting this Saturday in Brisbane, yet you could not blame the head coach for feeling a little pleased with the ruthless way his team dispatched their opponents.

Ireland centre Brian O’Driscoll will captain the British and Irish Lions in Wednesday’s clash against Western Force in Perth.

As kids they played together in the same high school soccer and rugby teams in their native Cardiff.

Toulon 21 Leicester Tigers 15

Joe Launchbury has passed a late fitness test and will start for England in their Grand Slam showdown with Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

England 23 France 23

Courtney Lawes is ready to strike fear into the French ‘bully boys’ when he is unleashed from the England back row for the first time.

Wasps flanker James Haskell will make his first RBS 6 Nations start in nearly two years when England tackle Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.

Robbie Deans has brushed aside comments by David Campese that he has “destroyed Australian rugby,” but admitted he understands criticism of his regime.

Chris Ashton is back to play Australia after being recalled to the England side for Saturday’s Cook Cup showdown at Twickenham.

The sun shone brightly on a smattering of young Ulster stars as they held a full-strength Leicester Tigers side in a pre-season slog at Ravenhill on Saturday.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster claims his players already have their minds set on revenge after their narrow first Test loss to South Africa.

There is nothing like a thorough drubbing to focus the mind of a coach and the truly dismal nature of this Ireland performance in London on Saturday will require Declan Kidney to be deep in thought for most of the next couple of months before he sees his players again.

David Strettle has returned to the England team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations finale against Ireland in place of Charlie Sharples after recovering from a sternum injury.

England captain Chris Robshaw and full-back Ben Foden last night endorsed Stuart Lancaster’s bid to become the team’s full-time coach after a remarkable RBS 6 Nations triumph over France.

Superstitious Wales skipper Sam Warburton has banned himself from talking about the Grand Slam his World Cup semi-finalists are now favourites to achieve next month.

GLASGOW WARRIORS maintained their pursuit of Leinster in Heineken Cup Pool Three with a 20-15 victory over Montpellier at Firhill.

MARTIN JOHNSON believes any one of seven teams can win the Rugby World Cup — and he places England right at the heart of the pack.

Toby Flood will start at inside centre alongside fly-half Jonny Wilkinson in England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France.

MARTIN JOHNSON has demanded England treat tomorrow’s showdown with Scotland as a winner-takes-all battle for Rugby World Cup survival.

Delon Armitage will start on the left wing for England in place of Mark Cueto in Saturday’s decisive Rugby World Cup Pool B showdown with Scotland.

ENGLAND manager Martin Johnson insists he would not start locking his team in their hotel following reports about a night out in Queenstown.

Lewis Moody has returned from injury to captain an England team featuring nine changes for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup appointment against Georgia.

ARGENTINA hooker Mario Ledesma believes England are under-estimating the Pumas ahead of today’s Rugby World Cup clash in Dunedin.

England’s back row resources have been stretched before they even depart for the World Cup after Tom Wood was forced to pull out of tomorrow’s final warm-up international against Ireland.

Martin Johnson has named a new-look midfield of Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Manu Tuilagi for England’s final World Cup warm-up international against Ireland on Saturday.

IF the England Saxons expected to neuter the Wolfhounds at a gale-lashed Ravenhill last night they were in for a big surprise, as they were cut down to size in no uncertain terms.