IN A Lions’ world post-Keith Wood, Gordon Bulloch recognises that Saturday’s tour opener against Bay of Plenty is his chance to make a claim for the Test hooking spot.

Champions Wasps powered home three second-half tries to sink London Irish today in the Zurich Premiership.

England boss Andy Robinson today admitted Matt Dawson’s recent form had made it impossible to overlook the veteran Wasps scrum-half for the RBS 6 Nations.

Wasps boss Warren Gatland accepts his European champions will lose control of their Heineken Cup campaign if they come unstuck against arch rivals Leicester tomorrow.

MATT DAWSON last night gave the eagerly-awaited Heineken Cup rematch between Leicester and Wasps added spice by issuing a verbal riposte to his England rival, Harry Ellis.

Wasps 31 Leicester 37

Wasps 31 Leicester 37

European champions Wasps produced a storming second-half performance to begin their Heineken Cup defence in impressive fashion at the Causeway Stadium.

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.

Iain Balshaw enhanced his World Cup chances with two tries as England sank Japan with a nine-try blitz at Tokyo’s National Stadium.

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 skipper Lawrence Dallaglio was quick to look forward to next weekend’s Premiership play-off final after yesterday’s defeat of Bath.

Wasps make three changes for the Parker Pen Challenge Cup final against Bath.

France international Aurelien Rougerie has started legal proceedings after suffering a serious injury in a tackle with Wasps hooker Phil Greening.

Dean Richards has dismissed the prospect of tomorrow’s Zurich Championship play-off clash between Leicester and Bristol developing into a grudge match.

Harlequins manager Mike Scott has urged the London aristocrats to ignore the weekend’s action and concentrate on ‘controlling the controllable’.

Delighted Wasps chief Nigel Melville saw his team haul themselves off the bottom of the Zurich Premiership table, and then insisted a place in the end-of-season play-offs is now a realistic target.

Jason Robinson today continued his rugby union odyssey when he was handed the crucial strike role of full-back in a radically-restructured England side against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.

Iain Balshaw is counting the cost of his drastic form loss after England boss Clive Woodward ditched him for next week's game against world champions Australia.

Lions star Jonny Wilkinson will watch from the sidelines when Newcastle face Toulouse in a must-win Heineken Cup Pool Six clash tomorrow.

England’s Grand Slam flops were back with their clubs today - some facing two weeks of torment before Clive Woodward announces his team to tackle world champions Australia.

Lawrence Dallaglio today put a brave face on his Lions injury agony and admitted: ‘‘The right decision has been made.’’

The Lions have suffered an injury hammer blow - former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio has been ruled out of their tour Down Under.

Phil Greening today finally abandoned all hope of pulling on a Lions jersey in Australia.

Dan Luger this evening faced up to his Lions heartache, and admitted: ‘‘It is one of the worst things that has ever happened to me.’’

Ulster winger Tyrone Howe is jetting off to Australia to replace the injured Dan Luger

Mike Catt is out of the Lions tour to Australia and will be replaced by Wales centre Scott Gibbs.

The Lions have been backed to make a swift recovery after losing their first non-Test match in Australia since 1971.

Lions coach Graham Henry today set his sights on a showdown with Super 12 semi-finalists Queensland Reds, and claimed: ‘‘We are going to be really tested.’’

The British and Irish Lions side has been hit by two more injuries ahead of Saturday’s game against the Queensland Reds

Phil Greening has been officially ruled out of the Lions’ tour of Australia.

Graham Henry was sweating over another possible injury setback today following the Lions’ 83-6 romp against a Queensland President’s XV.

Graham Henry can expect an Australian Rugby Union apology following a beer-spraying incident after the Lions’ tour opener against Western Australia in Perth.

Lions coach Graham Henry will be keeping his fingers crossed that his players avoid any further injury blows when they tackle a Queensland President's XV this week.

The Scottish back row forward, Simon Taylor has become the latest player to cry off the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia because of injury.

Simon Taylor was today confirmed as the Lions’ latest injury casualty.

The Scottish hooker, Gordon Bulloch has been called up to the Lions squad after England’s Phil Greening was forced to cry off the tour.

Phil Greening was today waiting to discover if he will play any part in the Lions tour of Australia.

The Lions are aiming for a convincing victory in their tour opener against Western Australia in Perth today.

England hooker Phil Greening’s Lions tour prospects were in the balance today after he suffered a knee injury during training.

French coach Bernard Laporte surveyed the wreckage left by another Twickenham trail of Six Nations destruction, and then admitted: ‘‘We are way behind England.’’

If Jonny Wilkinson had been the first man to step on the moon he would probably have described it as ‘‘just another day at the office’’.

Six Nations: Top Try Scorers

Jonny Wilkinson secured his place in rugby history as England ran out easy 48-19 victors over France at Twickenham.