MALCOLM O’KELLY may return to full fitness next month with Leinster coach Michael Cheika yesterday refuting suggestions that the lock was suffering from a chronic, long-running knee injury.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika admits Felipe Contepomi could make a sensational early return from injury for his side’s Magners League visit to Thomond Park next week.

DENIS Hickie makes his 50th Heineken Cup appearance for Leinster tomorrow, while Christian Warner gets the nod at out-half.

IT could be the most important decision he makes this season so it was no wonder yesterday that Michael Cheika refused to reveal who would wear Felipe Contepomi’s vacant shirt for the Heineken Cup encounter with Pool Two leaders Agen on Saturday.

LEINSTER can count themselves unlucky not to have doubled their pickings at a gale-lashed Ravenhill on Saturday after holding Magners League leaders Ulster to a draw following a game of real old-fashioned rugby.

REPLACING the injured Felipe Contepomi is a daunting task, Michael Cheika admitted yesterday.

SINCE turning professional during the summer, Luke Fitzgerald simply hasn’t had time to sit and reflect on the heights he has reached in such a remarkably short period of time.

IT may seem like a strange claim to make just days after losing to the previously pointless Borders, but Michael Cheika firmly believes his Leinster side is already better than last year’s model.

Coach Michael Cheika has spoken about Leinster’s need “to maintain their consistency” this week as the province make a less than glamorous trip to The Borders in the Magner’s League on Friday night.

LEINSTER have finalised their squad to face Munster in tomorrow night’s Magners League clash at Lansdowne Road (Setanta Sports, 7.30pm).

JAMIE HEASLIP is confident Leinster can put their poor start to the season behind them this evening by recording a much-needed win against Connacht in the Magners League at the Sportsground (6.30pm).

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL looks set to lead a host of Ireland internationals into action for the first time this season after being named in the Leinster squad to face Connacht in the Magners League at the Sportsground tomorrow.

LLANELLI moved back to the top of the Magners League after holding off a spirited second-half fightback from Leinster at Stradey Park.

PROMISING full-back Danny Riordan — he will be 22 on Monday — has received a timely birthday with his inclusion in the Connacht side to play Edinburgh Gunners in the Magners League at the Sportsground tomorrow night.

BRIAN O’MEARA will be back in Munster colours this season for the first time in six years, having been drafted into the squad on a part-time basis as scrum-half cover.

Edinburgh Gunners 20 Leinster 14

FORMER Munster second row Trevor Hogan looks set to make his Leinster debut in the Magners League against Edinburgh Gunners at Murrayfield tomorrow night and has been praised by coach Michael Cheika.

The Barbarians will field a team selected from seven countries, including Ireland's David Humphreys and Bob Casey, when they tackle an England XV in Sunday’s Gartmore Challenge match at Twickenham.

Six Irish players have been named on the Barbarians team for the three-match tour of Britain. Two Irish forwards have been selected, and four backs.

IRELAND centres Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy have agreed to play for the Barbarians on next month's three-match tour of Britain.

Eleven of Australia’s key players will go into the defence of the World Cup without having played a match in eight weeks.

John Mitchell returned to his strongest possible line-up for New Zealand’s twin assault on the Bledisloe Cup and the world number one ranking this weekend.

Chris Latham’s international season went full circle on Wednesday when he was re-instated to the Australia side for this weekend’s Tri-Nations Test against South Africa.

SUPPORT for banned Irish rugby international Frank Sheahan mounted yesterday when his club called for full clarification on the use of asthma inhalers.

Australia have made six changes to their side from that which beat Argentina 17-6 in Buenos Aires for Saturday's Test match with Ireland at Lansdowne Road.

Ben Tune's reversal of fortune was complete today when he was named on the Australian side to meet South Africa in the Tri-Nations decider on Saturday.

Australia have made one change for the Tri-Nations Series clash with South Africa in Perth on Saturday night.

Australia have lost two key players for Saturday's deciding third Test against the Lions at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Teams for Australia versus the Lions, second Test, Colonial Stadium, Melbourne, tomorrow, kick-off 10am (Irish time).

Australia have made three changes for the second Test against the Lions at Melbourne’s Colonial Stadium on Saturday following last weekend’s 29-13 loss in Brisbane.

Coach Rod Macqueen today named uncapped props Nick Stiles and Ben Darwin in a 22-man Wallabies squad for Saturday’s first Test against the Lions.