JAMES Simpson-Daniel is determined to help Gloucester cast off their nearly-men tag and finally savour Guinness Premiership title glory.

Wing Tom Varndell has signed a new contract with Guinness Premiership champions Leicester.

Leicester have signed Argentina World Cup prop Santiago Bonorino.

Former England captain Martin Corry has signed a one-year extension with Leicester Tigers which will take him through to the end of the 2008/09 season.

THE GREATEST modern day out-half, All Black magician Dan Carter, is reportedly being bombarded with offers from loads-a-money clubs in England and France.

AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union boss John O’Neill has lent cautious support to a proposed one-off match between the Tri-Nations and Six Nations champions.

EIGHT years Geordan Murphy has been playing for Ireland. For most of that time, the Leicester full-back has been fielding the same old questions about the disparity between his form at club and international levels.

LEICESTER boss Marcelo Loffreda has offered no excuses after the double Heineken Cup winners were rushed out of Europe with indecent haste.

LEICESTER captain Martin Corry admits his side’s Heineken Cup hopes are “out of their hands” after sinking to a 22-11 defeat in Toulouse.

Fabien Pelous hopes Leicester will feel the heat when they take on Toulouse in a crucial Heineken Cup clash tomorrow.

WASPS boss Ian McGeechan hailed a “tremendous performance” by the Heineken Cup holders that effectively ended Llanelli Scarlets’ European challenge and kept his team on course to make English rugby history.

Leicester 39 Edinburgh 0

Leinster match-winner Felipe Contepomi was quick to praise his team-mates after the Irish province opened their Heineken Cup campaign with a morale-boosting 22-9 victory over Leicester Tigers.

Leinster 22 Leicester Tigers 9

ARGENTINA will step up their bid to join the Six Nations by presenting their case to the International Rugby Board later this month.

LEICESTER coach Richard Cockerill isn’t worried insider information may derail the Tigers in their Heineken Cup opener against Leinster on Saturday.

THE FIRST game of any Heineken Cup campaign is always one to whet the appetite, but Shane Jennings has added reason to count down the days to Saturday’s game ever since Leinster were paired with the Leicester Tigers last June.

It is difficult to disagree with outgoing International Rugby Board chairman Dr Syd Millar that France 2007 was “the best ever World Cup”.

Argentina captain Agustin Pichot hailed his side’s “heart and soul” after the Pumas completed a record 34-10 victory over France to finish third at the World Cup.

France 10 Argentina 34

Outgoing France head coach Bernard Laporte insists there is plenty to play for in tonight’s World Cup bronze-medal match against Argentina.

Argentina captain Agustin Pichot predicted the “end for rugby” if tournament organisers followed through with plans to reduce the number of teams competing in the 2011 World Cup.

IT WOULD be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we have achieved all we could have hoped for by reaching the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup.

Agustine Pichot does not believe Argentina are given the respect they deserve - and the Pumas are determined to do something about it.

Argentina's star fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez has shaken off injury concerns to be named in an unchanged Pumas side for Sunday's World Cup semi-final against South Africa.

ARGENTINA’S director of rugby Les Cusworth is convinced the best is yet to come from Juan Martin Hernandez, the Pumas fly-half dubbed rugby’s Maradona.

Scotland fly-half Dan Parks is wary of Argentinian opposite number Juan Martin Hernandez ahead of Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final in Paris.

WORLD CUP quarter-finalists Argentina will continue to thrive on adversity, Pumas coach Marcelo Loffreda said yesterday.

IT SEEMED fitting in a French-based tournament that the guillotine should finally fall on Ireland’s World Cup aspirations in the Parc Des Princes, a venue that has wreaked so much pain and havoc on a succession of Irish teams throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

SINCE the Rugby World Cup began a month or so ago, Ireland have been plagued with one piece of misfortune or ill luck after another almost on a daily basis.

FORMER France captain and flanker Jean-Pierre Rives has described Argentina as “the last of the romantics” and is delighted at the Pumas’ success so far at the Rugby World Cup.

ARGENTINA said they had achieved the perfect result in the 63-3 defeat of Namibia ahead of Sunday’s crucial clash with Ireland which will decide both side’s World Cup fate.

Argentina trio Juan Martin Hernandez, Marcos Ayerza and Federico Todeschini have been ruled out of Saturday’s World Cup Group D game against Namibia.

Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe expects some of the lesser lights of world rugby to follow Argentina’s lead and establish themselves as forces to be reckoned with over the next few years.

Argentina 33 Georgia 3

Argentina will go into their World Cup Pool D clash with Georgia in Lyon having risen to fourth in the latest International Rugby Board world rankings – their highest position.

IF ONE was in any doubt about the size of the task facing Ireland in qualifying from the pool of death, then last night’s shock victory by Argentina over France emphasised the point. The prospect of points difference now deciding this pool looks an even greater possibility.

IMAGINE for one moment that Ireland were drawn to open their Pool D campaign against France at Stade de France this evening.

ARGENTINA prepares to risk the wrath of millions of French rugby supporters by making a sensational start to the 2007 World Cup at Stade De France tomorrow night.

Juan Martin Hernandez has been selected at fly-half for Argentina for their World Cup opener against hosts France in Paris on Friday.

LOCK Fabien Pelous has vowed France will sacrifice flair in order to win by any means possible in Friday’s World Cup opener against Argentina.

ITALY manager Pierre Berbizier has made seven changes for tomorrow’s World Cup warm-up match against Ireland.

Argentina centre Martin Gaitan has been discharged from University of Wales hospital where he was receiving treatment for a heart problem that has forced him to miss the World Cup.

Argentina centre Martin Gaitan is resigned to missing the World Cup following the heart problems he suffered in Cardiff on Saturday.