IRELAND’s Tommy Bowe believes Declan Kidney’s men are “looking good” as they look to repeat their historic Grand Slam of 2009 in the upcoming Six Nations Championship.

THE high cost of Heineken Cup failure was brought into sharp focus in Wales last night as Cardiff Blues cut loose two of its biggest stars and prepared to make others available for transfer.

TONY McGahan is a master of keeping his feelings to himself.

THERE was an element of satisfaction about the end result when a fitful performance but deserved victory at Thomond Park on Saturday night guaranteed Munster will stay top of the Magners League at least until St. Stephen’s Day.

Munster 16 Cardiff Blues 9

CARDIFF BLUES have an enviable away record in Magners League rugby with six wins from the last seven, but at Thomond Park this evening (5pm), Denis Leamy will be determined to captain Munster to victory in a game that is as much a Heineken Cup dress rehearsal as a crucial League tie.

Munster lock Paul O'Connell is named on the bench for tomorrow night's Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park Stadium.

Ryan Jones has kept his Wales place despite losing the captaincy for Saturday’s Millennium Stadium clash against New Zealand.

WALES coach Warren Gatland aims to plot Fiji’s downfall tonight – leaving the South Sea Islanders as victims of their own success.

Wales will target their first win of the autumn internationals against Fiji next Friday night, and flanker Martyn Williams admits: “It is a massive game”.

Wales 25 South Africa 29

ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody has denied provoking Keven Mealamu into launching a flying head-butt at him during last weekend’s Test at Twickenham.

Wales 16 Australia 25

SAM WARBURTON will get the chance to prove he is ready to step into Martyn Williams’ shoes, after Warren Gatland handed him the number seven jersey for Wales’ autumn Test series opener against Australia in Cardiff tomorrow.

Wales’ most-capped forward of all time – Cardiff Blues flanker Martyn Williams - has failed to win a starting place for the autumn Test series opener against Australia on Saturday.

WALES fly-half Stephen Jones readily accepts that Australian playmaker Quade Cooper is “different to anything else out there”.

SHAUN EDWARDS has vowed that Wales will “have a crack” at Australia in next Saturday’s autumn Test series opener at the Millennium Stadium.

Injury-hit Wales have today suffered another potential blow ahead of next week’s autumn Test series opener against Australia in Cardiff.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has not named a captain as part of his 33-man squad for their autumn international fixtures against Australia, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand.

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood has slammed the “ridiculous” scheduling of their Magners League clash away to Cardiff Blues.

All Black Casey Laulala returns to the centre for Cardiff Blues against Connacht in the Magner's League tomorrow evening (7.05pm) at Cardiff City Stadium.

Gavin Thomas’ exile from international rugby will end on Saturday after he was named in Wales’ starting line-up for the first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin.

Kevin McLaughlin muted Leinster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final victory celebrations by insisting they must improve if they are to retain their crown.

Cardiff Blues coach David Young brings back Jaimie Roberts and three others for the clash with Ulster in the Magner's League tomorrow.

Cardiff Blues 19 Ulster 9

Cardiff Blues 19 Ulster 9

XAVIER RUSH is keen to show his new employers that it will be money well spent when the Kiwi packs down for his 100th competitive game for the Blues when they take on Ulster in the Magners League at the Cardiff City Stadium tonight.

Coach Dai Young will look to trigger a reaction from his players at home to Ulster in the Magners League tomorrow night.

LEINSTER’S young guns steered them back to the top of the Magners League table and now they have a four-point lead over champions Munster with a game in hand.

Cardiff Blues will have the controversial Andy Powell on the bench in what looks like an extremely strong side to play Leinster in the Magner’s League in Wales on Sunday.

LEINSTER will have plenty of experience to help guide them through an expected tough Magners League experience against Cardiff Blues at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday (4pm).

Cardiff Blues lock Deiniol Jones and hooker Gareth Williams have been forced to withdraw from Wales’ RBS 6 Nations squad through injury.

DAN PARKS shrugged off the speculation surrounding his future to turn in a match-winning display as Glasgow moved to the top of the Magners League with a 25-12 defeat of Edinburgh yesterday.

Cardiff Blues 42 Newport Gwent Dragons 13

Cardiff Blues 15 Toulouse 9

TOMORROW’S Magners League fixture against the Cardiff Blues gives Connacht an opportunity to lift themselves off the bottom of the table.

GETHIN JENKINS has challenged his bruised Wales team-mates to take out their Australia frustrations on the Six Nations in next year’s championship.

Wales have released scrum-half Gareth Cooper and flanker Sam Warburton for Cardiff Blues’ tour match against Australia tomorrow night.

WALES boss Warren Gatland has given short shrift to claims that Argentina possess the most revered scrummaging unit in world rugby.

GUINNESS Premiership star Seilala Mapusua believes Samoa face a tougher challenge against Wales tomorrow night than if they were tackling Martin Johnson’s England.

ALL BLACKS star Dan Carter has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle on Wales scrum-half Martin Roberts during Saturday’s Test match.

IT seems a lifetime ago since Eoin Reddan spent many sleep deprived nights in Munster wondering whether he would make it as a professional rugby player.

Cardiff Blues have been severely handicapped by the call-up of seven first-team players by the Welsh national team ahead of the Magners League clash with Leinster at The RDS on Saturday.

Sale 27 Cardiff 26