Joe Schmidt has capped a remarkable rise to prominence for rookie prop Tadhg Furlong by asking him to prepare to play on both sides of the front row.

Chris Robshaw admits England’s autumn outlook hinges on one final assault at Twickenham and failure against Australia would leave two months to stew over a dismal series.

George North will start in the centre when Wales open their autumn Test campaign against Australia at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Rodney Ah You takes over injured Nathan White’s tighthead prop spot, having been released from the Ireland camp at Carton House, for Connacht’s Guinness Pro12 fixture with leaders Ospreys in Swansea this evening (7.35pm).

Bath centre Gavin Henson has been named in the Probables squad to prepare for Wales’ senior trial match on May 30.

Three battles Ireland must shade to beat Wales

How the two teams square off

Captain Sam Warburton will return to the Wales starting line-up for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Ireland in Dublin.

Sam Warburton could start Wales’ RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy on Saturday as he prepares to make his comeback from injury.

Wales’ long wait to claim the major southern hemisphere scalp they crave continues – but only after an heroic display in a ferocious Test match of brutal intensity at the Millennium Stadium.

An arm injury sustained in the first-Test victory over Australia has placed Paul O’Connell’s Lions tour in jeopardy.

Italy’s Sergio Parisse will captain the Barbarians against the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong this Saturday.

Having being omitted from Warren Gatland’s Lions squad, Perpignan fly-half James Hook could line out against the British and Irish outfit, having been named in the provisional Barbarians squad.

Stade Francais’ Jerome Fillol looks set to become the first professional player to be cited for spitting at an opponent.

Scotland 18 Wales 28

France 6 Wales 16

Wales have not ruled lock Bradley Davies out of their plans for Saturday’s Test match against Australia at the Millennium Stadium.

Warren Gatland has made five changes to the Wales team for Saturday’s Millennium Stadium clash against world champions New Zealand.

Australia 20 Wales 19

Wales will head into the first of their three Tests against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday with 11 of the starting XV that clinched Grand Slam glory against France in March.

Ospreys 41 Treviso 10

Wales 24 Italy 3

Former Wales captain Ryan Jones will take the place of banned lock Bradley Davies in Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Millennium Stadium visitors Scotland.

Ospreys 44 Treviso 17

Wales coach Warren Gatland has made six changes to his team for Saturday’s World Cup bronze medal re-match against Australia in Cardiff.

Wales 3 Australia 7

Paul James has no doubt Wales are in prime physical and mental shape for their demanding World Cup opener against South Africa.

Sam Warburton will become Wales’ youngest World Cup captain when he skippers the squad in New Zealand next month.

Wales boss Warren Gatland is braced to lose a third British and Irish Lions Test player for the World Cup opener against South Africa next month.

Munster 18 Ospreys 11

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made nine changes, two of those positional, from the side that defeated Connacht last weekend for Saturday’s Magners League semi-final match against the Ospreys at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-off 6.30pm.

THOSE Munster fans who watched their team scrape to an uninspiring 22-8 Magners League win over Connacht on Friday left Thomond Park with plenty to ponder.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his side for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, kick-off 6.30pm.

Adam Jones looks set for a recall to the Wales team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations finale against France in Paris.

AN old perception that rugby front row forwards are a bunch of light-in-matter heavyweights no longer applies, happily so for one of Ireland’s latest recruits.

Scotland 6 Wales 24

Wales 19 England 26

WALES’ coaching staff held a “long debate” about handing James Hook the fly-half playmaker’s role for their RBS 6 Nations showdown against England at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow night.

WALES full-back Lee Byrne begs to differ with the bookmakers who have installed England as favourites for Friday night’s RBS 6 Nations opener in Cardiff.

Wales have been dealt a major blow ahead of the RBS 6 Nations with the news that prop Gethin Jenkins has been ruled out of the entire tournament with a toe injury.

THE Ospreys will return to the RDS this Friday for the first time since claiming the Magners League title at Leinster’s expense last May but Mike Ross’ appetite for revenge owes itself to a more recent meeting between the pair.

Cardiff Blues 27 Ospreys 25

DAN BIGGAR supplied 26 points as Ospreys completely crushed regional rivals the Scarlets by 60-17 with seven tries to two in this rearranged Magners League clash at the Liberty Stadium.