Hooker Paul Shields and openside Neil Best are the two changes in Alan Solomons' Ulster side to face Gwent Dragons at Ravenhill on Friday.

Ulster will field the same side that annexed the inaugural Celtic Cup in their crucial Celtic League meeting with Leinster at Donnybrook on Friday.

Coach Alan Solomons has decided to name a 23-man squad for their must-win Heineken Cup home tie with Stade Francais at Ravenhill on Friday.

DAVID HUMPHREYS has pulled out of the Ulster side for their Celtic League tie against The Borders at Ravenhill tonight (7.30 pm).

Munster, Ulster and Leinster have announced their squads for the 2003/2004 Heineken European Cup season.

South African tight-head prop Robbie Kempson has landed in Belfast to resume his contract with Ulster.

CORNE KRIGE claimed that England’s Martin Johnson is “one of the dirtiest captains in world rugby.”

FRANCE coach Bernard Laporte insists he has nothing to hide when his side tackles Six Nations Grand Slam champions and World Cup favourites England today.

SOUTH AFRICA have warned they are ready to get even more physical as they attempt to break their Tri-Nations losing streak in the ‘House of Pain’ against New Zealand in Carisbrook tomorrow.

South Africa coach Rudolf Straeuli has named his seventh new midfield combination in as many Tests as the Springboks enter their final Test match before the World Cup with anything but a settled side.

The bans imposed last weekend on South Africans Robbie Kempson and Bakkies Botha for, respectively, a late cheap shot on Toutai Kefu and “deliberately attacking the face” of Aussie hooker Brendan Cannon, has highlighted once more the basic fact that rugby probably has more ‘bad boys’ than most sports. Declan Colley looks back at some of the sport’s anti-heroes.

England boss Clive Woodward has come out in support of Wallaby coach Eddie Jones who labelled the Springboks “a disgrace to world rugby” following Saturday’s fractious Tri-Nations encounter.

SOUTH AFRICA’S rugby reputation was tainted again yesterday after forward Bakkies Botha was banned for eight weeks and prop Robbie Kempson for four weeks in the aftermath of the spiteful Tri-Nations Test with Australia here.

South Africans Robbie Kempson and Bakkies Botha were both cited after yesterday’s Tri-Nations defeat as the Springboks were branded a “disgrace to international rugby”.

World Cup-winning scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen is the biggest of the six names axed from the South Africa side to face Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.

SCOTLAND coach Ian McGeechan has made five changes to the side for tomorrow’s Test match against South Africa in Durban.

South Africa coach Rudolf Straeuli has named four uncapped players in a new-look starting XV for the first Test against Scotland in Durban on Saturday.

IRELAND prop Justin Fitzpatrick is leaving Ulster to join French side Castres.

Ulster prop Robbie Kempson is being courted by SA Rugby officials in a bid to bolster South Africa's recent tight five woes ahead of the Tri-Nations and World Cup, which are to be held later this year.

RYAN CONSTABLE is back in the Ulster side for Saturday’s win-or-bust Heineken Cup pool 6 tie in Cardiff.

Centre Ryan Constable has been declared medically fit to play rugby after sustaining a neck injury in the match against the Celtic Warriors on the 27 December and will be involved in the crucial Heineken Cup clash with Cardiff.

Ulster will travel to Thomond Park on Friday night looking to go one better than last year when their arch rivals from Munster knocked them out of the Celtic League at the semi-final stage.

Alan Solomons named his side to face Biarritz this Saturday in the return Heineken Cup fixture with only one change from last week's line-up.

Ulster 13 Biarritz 9

Alan Solomons' starting line-up for the 3rd round Heineken Cup tie against Biarritz features three changes from the side that defeated Glasgow in the Celtic League quarter-final last weekend.

ANDY WARD is back and raring to go. Ulster’s inspirational skipper returns to action for the friendly fixture with Connacht tomorrow night at Dungannon (6pm kick-off) after being out of action for three months.

REIGNING Celtic League champions Leinster haven’t given up on their title just yet, although coach Matt Williams says they have to win all three remaining games to stand any chance of making the top four in Pool B.

Alan Solomons has been forced to make a number of changes to his side to play Neath tonight at Ravenhill due to Jonathan Bell's niggling ankle injury and a bout of the flu which has affected both Bell and Robbie Kempson.

Paddy Wallace, Tyrone Howe, David Humphreys, Gary Longwell and Simon Best will return en bloc to the Ulster side to meet Ebbw Vale on Friday night.

LIONS lock Jeremy Davidson is itching to win back his international jersey.