The Six Nations has a penchant for choreographing finales from the sublime to the faintly ridiculous, never more so than when a man called Elvis played the cruellest of tricks on Ireland.

Ulster 38 Toulouse 0: Four times French giants Toulouse have visited Belfast, and each time left with the tails firmly stuck between their legs.

If the French camp is anything to go by, then hope really does eternal spring, says Barney Spender.

Almost half a century has come and gone since Europe last belonged to Glasgow, when Jock Stein’s famously home-spun Celtic Bhoys beat Inter Milan in the 1967 final.

Munster have been given a boost ahead of today’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulouse after captain Peter O’Mahony was included in Rob Penney’s team to face the four-time champions at Thomond Park (1:30pm).

When news filtered into the press room 30 minutes before kick-off that Peter O’Mahony was a Munster absentee, the odds on a visitors’ success dropped a fathom.

When the chips were down in Paris, England’s dinner-suited players found themselves cast in the role of hapless bystanders among the pilgrims in downtown Rome, near the Vatican.

Sometimes, Monday morning dawns, and with it an almost fully-formed pitch for these Friday musings.

Northampton Saints must suffer deja vu from last week, not last year, according to Leinster fly-half Ian Madigan.

Wales captain Sam Warburton has played down the appointment of Irishman Alain Rolland to referee Saturday’s Millennium Stadium showdown against South Africa.

We’ve been spoilt over the years with the frequency of Munster and Leinster being paired with Toulouse and Clermont Auvergne in either the pool or knockout stages of the Heineken Cup. At its best, French club rugby is irresistible and in those two outstanding sides, we have been exposed to the very best it has to offer.

France 23 Scotland 16

Coming into Saturday’s Six Nations face-off at the Aviva Stadium, it was always going to be a case of who blinked first.

Vincent Clerc accepts current Six Nations leaders England are the best team in the tournament this year while France, Ireland and the others are struggling to stay on terms.

For a team that has lost all three matches in this year’s Six Nations, the French have been remarkably positive as they prepare for what is undoubtedly going to be another bruising encounter against Ireland in Dublin this afternoon.

The mood in France has been very optimistic this week. It’s almost a polar opposite of the build up to the England game when all the talk was doom and gloom.

France head coach Philippe Saint-André has dropped Francois Trinh-Duc for Saturday’s meeting with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium with the unpredictable Freddie Michalak returning to the number 10 jersey.

France 6 Wales 16

Richard Cockerill last night predicted a Heineken Cup “classic” when Leicester and Toulouse go head to head at Welford Road next Sunday.

Toulouse 35 Benetton Treviso 14

French approach

Frederic Michalak was today retained at fly-half for France as coach Philippe Saint-Andre made several changes ahead of Saturday’s clash with Australia in Paris.

Following Friday night’s victory over Ulster in Ravenhill, the Leinster medical team have reported no fresh injury concerns for the province as they prepare for Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final against ASM Clermont Auvergne in the Stade Chaban-Delmas (3pm Irish time).

The latest chapter in the intense rivalry between Munster and Leinster failed to ignite on Saturday night in Limerick, with another scrummage controversy dominating the post-match analysis.

The Leinster management have reported no major injury concerns from Saturday night’s 18-9 win over Munster in Limerick.

Sam Warburton is ready to lead Wales’ final push for the RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam glory tomorrow, declaring: “It will be the biggest game of my career.”

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made five changes and one positional switch for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in Cardiff.

France 22 England 24

Having only won once in Paris over the last 40 years, a draw should have been a positive for Ireland.

France 17 Ireland 17

Ireland decided to front upagainst the Italians but had the visitors had a kicker, it could have ended disastrously.

Scotland 17 France 23

France scrum-half Morgan Parra believes accuracy at the breakdown area will be key in tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield.

Former England and Leicester Tigers star Martin Corry has added his voice to the chorus of criticism aimed at the French Rugby Federation (FFR) after the late cancellation of last Saturday’s match between Ireland and France.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has not made any changes to his matchday squad for the RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield on February 26.

IRELAND expect to learn today the new date for their postponed RBS 6 Nations clash with France with the Irish Rugby Football Union also keen to discuss with tournament organisers who will pick up the estimated €45,000 tab for the additional weekend in Paris.

The Stade de France was the centre of farcical scenes last night when Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations match against France was postponed just 10 minutes before kick-off.

Ireland have called up Paddy Wallace as cover for Jonathan Sexton ahead of tonight’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France.

Time is a healer, they say, but have Ireland had enough hours, minutes and seconds to put right the wrongs of last Sunday’s effort and produce a performance against France tonight in Paris?

Declan Kidney is undoubtedly Ireland’s most successful coach of the modern era.

Prolific France winger Vincent Clerc has warned Ireland that he revels in the space they offer.

It’s five years and a handful of weeks since former Leicester Tigers coach Pat Howard sat on a battered old sofa in the club’s training grounds and described Thomond Park as “just a field” to a scrum of English and Irish journalists.