John Afoa is adamant the three components of Ulster’s recent good form must be repeated if the northerners are to achieve the double over Premiership giants Northampton at Ravenhill this evening.

David Strettle has returned to the England team for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations finale against Ireland in place of Charlie Sharples after recovering from a sternum injury.

Owen Farrell will start at fly-half for England in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations game against Wales after Charlie Hodgson failed to recover from a finger injury.

Italy 15 England 19

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.

Chris Robshaw will captain an unchanged England team into Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

Stuart Lancaster confirmed he has applied for the full-time England coach’s job after joining his players in shedding blood in a physical Calcutta Cup win over Scotland on Saturday.

Owen Farrell, Brad Barritt and Phil Dowson will make their Test debuts in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland as part of a new-look and inexperienced England team.

England’s interim head coach Stuart Lancaster will name at least eight uncapped players in his 22-man squad to face Scotland in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown.

AS entrances go, Simon Zebo could barely have made a better impression if he had been wearing top hat and tails.

Scarlets 17 Northampton 29

Wales star Rhys Priestland believes the Scarlets will need to recreate intensity levels of their stunning victory over Northampton when they host European heavyweights Munster tomorrow.

Northampton wing Chris Ashton last night received a four-week ban after being found guilty of dragging Leicester's Alesana Tuilagi off the pitch by his hair in Saturday's fiery east midlands derby.

Northampton wing Chris Ashton tonight received a four-week ban for dragging Leicester’s Alesana Tuilagi off the pitch by his hair.

PAUL O’CONNELL has been here before, in a Munster team of plucky underdogs trying to punch above their weight against European big guns.

The victorious Leinster Rugby team arrived back at Dublin airport in the early hours of this morning to a rapturous welcome from fans.

Man of the match Jonathan Sexton was like “a man possessed” at half-time as he delivered the words that inspired Leinster to stage the greatest comeback in Heineken Cup final history.

Leinster centre Brian O’Driscoll revealed some “inspirational” words from man-of-the-match Jonathan Sexton helped men in blue turn the Heineken Cup final on its head as they beat Northampton 33-22 in Cardiff.

Leinster 33 Northampton 22

Leinster 33 Northampton Saints 22

Northampton coach Jim Mallinder has today named his side for tomorrow’s Heineken Cup final clash with Leinster at the Millennium Stadium (kick-off 5pm).

BEN FODEN believes that negating the triple threat of Jonny Sexton, Gordon D’Arcy and Brian O’Driscoll will be key to Northampton’s hopes of defeating Leinster and claiming the Heineken Cup on Saturday.

Northampton 23 Perpignan 7

Courtney Lawes has warned his Northampton team-mates they must defeat Ulster in today’s Heineken Cup quarter-final if they want to be considered a major force in Europe.

Ulster Coach Brian McLaughlin had named his team for Sunday's Heineken Cup quarter-final clash against Northampton Saints at the Stadium:MK in Milton Keynes, kick-off 2pm.

They’re providing the backbone to England’s rejuvenation but Northampton Saints have hit a glass ceiling, as Julian Bennetts explains

LEICESTER come into their Heineken Cup clash with Leinster on the back of a controversial 17-13 win over Harlequins.

Hendre Fourie has replaced Joe Worsley in the England squad to play Italy in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations match at Twickenham after proving he has recovered from a calf strain.

WALES coach Warren Gatland says the door is not closed on Martyn Williams’ international career and he has not ruled out Gavin Henson featuring in the World Cup selection shake-up, despite omitting both players from his 28-man Six Nations squad.

England captain Lewis Moody is likely to be sidelined for six weeks after suffering a knee ligament injury.

Louis Deacon has been recalled to the England squad for the RBS 6 Nations as a replacement for banned Gloucester lock Dave Attwood.

Edinburgh 27 Northampton 31

Munster 33 Northampton 19

NO-ONE could ever accuse Ben Foden of lacking confidence. For instance, there are always the YouTube videos of the Northampton Saints full-back and pop-star girlfriend Una Healy performing acoustic duets at their home in St Albans, landing him the sobriquet of ‘BenUna’.

Ben Foden has revealed that Northampton’s ambitious young England contingent are eager to use the Heineken Cup to forge their reputations.

Stephen Myler has received a vote of confidence from coach Jim Mallinder to play ahead of Shane Geraghty at out-half for Northampton Saints against Munster in the Heineken Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park on Saturday.

AS A tactic to impress the Twickenham hierarchy, sending your entire team out to get drunk together on Sunday night is an unusual one, even for Jim Mallinder.

MICHAEL BRADLEY reckons Paddy Wallace is ready to reclaim his Ireland centre jersey in the Six Nations opener against Italy.

AN OCCASION that every player dreams of! Ben Foden may be on the brink of a long and distinguished career as the England full-back but the star of Northampton’s victory over Perpignan last Sunday has only one thought in his mind right now – to be a member of the Saints side that beats Munster in tonight’s crunch Heineken Cup Pool One decider at Thomond Park.

Northampton 34 Perpignan 0

Benetton Treviso 18 Northampton Saints 21

Perpignan 29 Northampton Saints 13