In an alternate universe somewhere, Cian Healy is preparing for the London Olympics right now and not the Six Nations.

MANY elements combine to produce the unique chemistry of a Leinster-Munster fixture and one of the more fascinating in recent years has been the head-to-head rivalry between the province’s out-halves.

MANY a professional sportsman has whiled away a few spare hours on the golf course down through the years but Tommy Bowe’s recent stint on the fairways amounted to more of a flying visit.

FROM Temple Hill to the Aviva Stadium. It could be the name for an updated version of Ronan O’Gara’s autobiography but it is actually the dramatic arc which encompasses Brian O’Driscoll’s Leinster career from his debut through to tonight’s get together in Dublin 4.

AIB LEAGUE DIVISION 1 SEMI-FINAL:

TWO of the great names of Irish and English rugby led legends onto the field last night for a major fundraising game for injured players.

SHANE BYRNE will lead an Ireland Legends rugby team against the England Legends at The Stoop in Twickenham on the eve of Ireland-England Six Nations game.

A HOST of big names will take part in the first ever Stuart Mangan Memorial match between England and Ireland Legends at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, February 26 – the night before the countries meet in the Six Nations at Twickenham.

SOME Leinster players couldn’t help but glance back at the past, to the long road they had travelled and some of their fellow travellers who never made it to the end.

FOR 10, long dispiriting years, Brian O’Driscoll has toiled in the cause of Leinster.

IT SAYS something about the options available to Michael Cheika behind the scrum that Shane Horgan is no longer an automatic choice in the Leinster jersey he has adorned with such distinction for over a decade.

The Leinster squad to face the Leicester Tigers in Saturday's Heineken Cup Pool 6 clash at Welford Road (KO: 3.30pm) has been named.

KEITH GLEESON could join a select band tonight by earning his 100th cap for Leinster in their Magners league tie away to the Cardiff Blues — but he will have to come off the bench to do it.

A sister of former Irish rugby international Victor Costello will be unveiled today as the first all-Ireland director of the Samaritans.

TITLES are never won before Christmas but they can be lost, and Reggie Corrigan is adamant Leinster can make a significant hole in Ulster’s Magners League aspirations tomorrow in Ravenhill.

Brian O’Driscoll insists Ireland are entering an exciting new era with the emergence of back row prospects Jamie Heaslip and Stephen Ferris.

THE youngest of Ireland’s three new rugby caps, Luke Fitzgerald, received a ringing endorsement from his captain Brian O’Driscoll yesterday.

AT A TIME when the Ireland team and its coaching staff can enjoy the good times, Eddie O’Sullivan and his coaching ticket are entitled to feel a little giddy at the dizzy heights they’ve reached in recent weeks.

THINGS are happening fast in the world of Jamie Heaslip lately. The last time he had time to notice the leaves were only beginning to fall, so he’s positively bemused by the fact it’s Christmas already.

THERE’S been a lot made of Bourgoin’s schizophrenic performances in the Heineken Cup.

BRIAN O’MEARA will make his 100th appearance for Leinster when he lines up at out-half for tomorrow’s Celtic League clash against the Edinburgh Gunners at Donnybrook (3pm).

Reggie Corrigan will join Shane Byrne and Victor Costello in a select band of three players to win 100 caps for Leinster when he runs out against Cardiff Blues at The RDS on Saturday.

Reggie Corrigan has gone from amateur to professional, from club player to international, but the rivalry between Munster and Leinster is as intense as ever, he tells Charlie Mulqueen.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika will hope his new charges have shaken off the cobwebs that cost them victory last week in Wales when they take on the Glasgow Warriors in Donnybrook in the Celtic League on Saturday.

It is perhaps appropriate that Victor Costello should leave rugby the way he came into it - as a winner.

Leinster 17 Munster 23

Leinster 17 Munster 23

RETIREMENT doesn’t hold any great fears for Victor Costello. It’s the manner of his going, not the fact he’ll soon be gone, that is his chief concern.

Brendan O’Brien

Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie will strengthen Leinster for the Celtic Cup semi-final against Munster at Lansdowne Road on Sunday.

Leinster 33 Glasgow 24

Leinster's Gary Brown and Kieran Lewis have retained their places ahead of Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie for the Celtic Cup Quarter final against Glasgow at Lansdowne Road on Friday.

Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy have been picked at centre for Leinster's away date at Glasgow on Saturday.

MARTIN JOHNSON may not be rugby’s most affable personality but you have to admire and respect him as one of the game’s great players.

SHANE HORGAN makes his return to competitive rugby for Leinster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leicester Tigers at Lansdowne Road this evening.

Shane Horgan and Gordon D’Arcy have both been declared fit for Leinster’s Heineken Cup Quarter Final tie with the Leicester Tigers at Lansdowne Road on Saturday (KO: 5.15pm).

Ireland internationals Gordon D’Arcy and Keith Gleeson have been included in Leinster’s 27-man squad to meet Llanelli in the Celtic League at Donnybrook on Friday evening.

Connacht 21 Leinster 26

Barry Coughlan

Declan Kidney has named a 28-man Leinster squad for the cross-country trip to Connacht on Sunday.

Leinster and Ireland forward Victor Costello is to retire from competitive rugby at the end of the season.

The big news is that Gordon D'Arcy and Keith Gleeson return to the Leinster squad to meet The Neath-Swansea Ospreys at Donnybrook on Sunday.

LEINSTER have included Eric Miller and Guy Easterby in a 26 man Celtic League squad to face Edinburgh in Murrayfield on Saturday (7.45pm).