OVER the past few seasons we have enjoyed a diet of at least one Irish side in the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup.

I HOPE you had a good New Year’s Eve.

‘There’s nothing wrong with his eye. We don’t do that stuff.’

Man of the match Paul O’Connell was satisfied with Munster’s 36-8 Heineken Cup victory at home Castres, declaring it was “job done”.

Ireland international Ronan O’Gara became the Heineken Cup’s leading points scorer as Munster gained full revenge on Castres, scoring five tries in a 36-8 Pool Four triumph at Thomond Park.

SO WHITHER Munster? In terms of winning the Heineken Cup, the situation appears rather grim. It’s a bit like the old one about the optimist and the pessimist.

PULLING off try-saving tackles should hardly be the responsibility of a second row forward.

Former Wasps flanker Paul Volley came back to haunt Munster and help Castres to a 19-12 pool four Heineken Cup win at Stade Pierre-Antoine tonight.

L’IRLANDE envahit Castres. Or, for those of you who, like myself, never progressed beyond pass French for the Inter: ‘The Irish invade Castres’.

Munster coach Alan Gaffney has warned his side to expect a “very tough” match as they step up their bid to secure a place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for the seventh-successive season against Castres tomorrow night.

Castres have dropped veterans Yann Delaigue and Richard Dourthe for their home tie with Munster at Stade Pierre Antoine tomorrow evening.

Harlequins 23 Castres 23

WASPS flanker Paul Volley will join Castres at the end of the season.

Wasps flanker Paul Volley has announced he will join Castres at the end of the season.

WASPS’ Simon Shaw revealed that he strapped up his damaged ribs, downed anti-inflammatory-pills and put his faith in pain killing sprays to help power his side past Munster and into their first Heineken Cup final against Toulouse on May 23rd.

Munster 32 London Wasps 37

DRESS it up any way you like, one salient fact remains. Passion and spirit alone will never win the Heineken Cup for Munster or anybody else and there can be few complaints at the outcome of yesterday’s Lansdowne Road thriller.

Munster 32 Wasps 37

In a cruel 30 seconds, Jason Holland kicked Munster ahead of Wasps before a converted try from Paul Volley returned the English side into the lead.

RARELY, if ever, does the result of a big match hinge so much on the outcome of the forward battle.

MUNSTER coach Alan Gaffney is taking no chances with most of his star players in advance of the Heineken Cup semi final with Wasps.

England skipper Lawrence Dallaglio is to undergo a brain scan after colliding with Wasps team-mate Paul Volley during Sunday’s 34-3 Heineken Cup semi-final triumph over Gloucester.

Wasps boss Warren Gatland today paid tribute to his “special group of players” as his side began looking ahead to their Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Munster.

Wasps 34 Gloucester 3

Wasps will rest England World Cup trio Lawrence Dallaglio, Josh Lewsey and Simon Shaw for the home Heineken Cup clash against Italian minnows Calvisano on Sunday.

England will be unchanged when they take on New Zealand this Saturday after head coach Clive Woodward today named the same starting line-up that defeated Ireland in the Six Nations Grand Slam decider.

Wasps boss Warren Gatland has made three changes to his line-up for tomorrow’s Zurich Premiership final against Gloucester at Twickenham.

England boss Clive Woodward today named three uncapped players in a 37-man squad for next month’s tour to New Zealand and Australia.

Wasps 33 Connacht 27