PAUL BURKE spoke last night about “his hardest decision” as he prepares to leave Harlequins and join Alan Gaffney’s Munster.

Stephen Jones is to join French club Montferrand on a two-year contract after Leicester lost out in the race to sign the Welsh fly-half.

Montferrand 38 Bath 22

Bath coach John Connolly was left to rue a disastrous first-half performance as he watched his side get knocked out of Europe at Stade Marcel Michelin today.

BATH captain Danny Grewcock has dismissed his team’s 14-point advantage over Parker Pen Challenge Cup rivals Montferrrand as irrelevant.

Wales’ record international try-scorer Gareth Thomas looks set for a lucrative move to reigning European champions Toulouse.

ENGLAND’S most capped full-back Matt Perry is primed to make his Bath comeback in today’s Parker Pen Challenge Cup semi-final clash with Montferrand — just five weeks after undergoing pioneering back surgery.

HE has beaten cancer and made light of All Black rejection, so why should French centre Tony Marsh have any fears as he prepares for Sunday’s World Cup showdown with Ireland at Melbourne’s Telstra Dome?

French winger Xavier Garbajosa will fly home from the World Cup after failing to recover from a knee ligament injury.

Fiji’s self-destructive streak has cost them their most potent attacking weapon and many will be wondering if it will ultimately undermine their World Cup campaign.

NEWLY-RECALLED centre Tony Marsh will play in all four of France’s group matches in the World Cup, manager, Jo Maso, said here yesterday.

French duo Olivier Azam and Ludovic Mercier are to leave Gloucester at the end of the season to return home, it was reported today.

FRENCH coach Bernard Laporte last night launched an extraordinary attack on several of his defeated Lansdowne Road players, labelling them liars and saying they lacked respect for the blue shirt of the national team.

Leinster 12

Star-studded Montferrand have shown 'no fear' in selecting David Bory, the culprit who went knees in first, on Gordon D'Arcy last Saturday in France.

Rugby officials in Leinster have decided not to pursue action against Montferrand's David Bory for foul play during Saturday's Heineken Cup game in France.

A last-gasp try by Denis Hickie earned Leinster a win over Montferrand in France.

Munster and Ulster were both in Heineken Cup action last night.

ERIC MILLER is back to challenge for a place on the Irish team, but more importantly Leinster coach Matt Williams is delighted to have him available for the province in Montferrand tomorrow.

IRISH internationals Keith Gleeson and Malcolm O’Kelly are both nursing injuries as Leinster prepare for the big Heineken Cup match of the weekend away to Montferrand.

France have left out Agen fly-half Francos Gelez from ther side to face Canada at the Stade de France, Paris on Saturday

Swansea 10 Leinster 51

France centre Tony Marsh will undergo a fitness test on his injured calf today to determine whether he can face Ireland in tomorrow’s Lloyds TSB Six Nations decider.

France flanker Olivier Magne has been cleared to face England in his country’s Lloyds TSB Six Nations crunch match in Paris next month.

Castres are the first side through to the semi-finals of the Heineken European Cup.

Castres have received a huge boost after their Ivory Coast forward Ismaela Lassissi won his appeal against a 12-month ban imposed by tournament disciplinary chiefs following a biting allegation.

Leinster coach Matt Williams has said the team isn't 'popping the champagne corks' yet - although he admitted the squad was very proud of the stunning achievement against Toulouse.

Wales are determined to erase their painful Murrayfield memories by shutting the door on France if they establish a commanding lead in Paris this weekend.