Biarritz star Dimitri Yachvili admits his side must deliver their ‘match of the year’ to defeat Leinster in this afternoon’s Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final.

It’s European rugby alright, just not as we know it.

Nobody has done it now for almost three-and-a-half years, not since a Frenchman who just happens to be appearing in Dublin this weekend on European semi-final business.

Biarritz 9 Harlequins 16

Biarritz Olympique 17 Connacht 0

Biarritz 17 Connacht 0

Connacht 22 Biarritz 14

Connacht 22 Biarritz 14

Former champion Pat Smullen was seen at his brilliant and determined best when getting odds-on favourite Ceol Rua home a narrow winner of the Ladies Day At Ballinrobe Maiden in Ballinrobe last night.

Triple Grand Slam winner Gethin Jenkins has set his sights on extending Wales’ upward curve Down Under this summer.

Wales 16 France 9

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

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.

France scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili has been ruled out of the Six Nations tie with Ireland because of a back problem.

France scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili has been ruled out of Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Ireland in Paris with a back problem.

Vive la France.

France 30 Italy 12

Saracens 20 Biarritz 16

FRENCH star Dimitri Yachvili is mystified fellow scrum-half Peter Stringer is no longer part of the Ireland set-up.

NEW ZEALAND captain Richie McCaw hailed his team’s courage and desire after they ended 24 years of hurt by winning the closest final in World Cup history.

1. Half-back mastery

France 19 England 12

France 14 Tonga 19

New Zealand 37 France 17

FRANCE coach Marc Lievremont was “satisfied” after seeing his side claim a second straight bonus-point win in Pool A with a 46-19 success over Canada in Napier.

France 47 Japan 21

FRENCH scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili has warned the rest of the rugby giants his side can beat anyone to win the World Cup.

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney admitted his side “just have to get better” after Saturday night’s seven-point loss to France in Bordeaux.

France 19 Ireland 12

FRANCE coach Marc Lièvremont has thrown down the gauntlet to his players ahead of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up with Ireland in Bordeaux by declaring that Les Bleus are now in “competition mode”.

Biarritz forward Raphael Lakafia will make his France debut against Ireland in Bordeaux on Saturday.

HEINEKEN Cup champions Toulouse booked a semi-final date with 2009 winners Leinster in Dublin after a thrilling 27-20 extra-time victory over Biarritz at Estadio Anoeta yesterday.

Biarritz 20 Toulouse 27

England 17 France 9

France coach Marc Lievremont insists the changes made to his side for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations match with England are based on squad rotation rather than any special measures designed to outfox Martin Johnson’s men.

WELL, who would have imagined that? Ireland outscore France by three tries to one and walk off the pitch beaten men.

FT: Ireland 22 France 25

IRELAND have been warned that life in the Six Nations is not about to get any easier after a clinical French team made a winning start to the defence of their title in Paris.

France 34 Scotland 21

Biarritz 26 Bath 19

Ulster 9 Biarritz 6

ANXIOUS Ulster winger Andrew Trimble came through a last-minute fitness test on a hamstring twinge and is ready to tackle Biarritz at Ravenhill this afternoon.

BRIAN McLAUGHLIN did his best yesterday to dance around the importance of this coming week for Ulster.