Some of the stranger stories from around the world

Munster players were ready and willing to travel to Paris for this weekend’s Rugby Champions Cup fixture despite the terrorist attack that shocked the city and the world last Friday, according to the province’s Australian lock Mark Chisholm.

Mike Prendergast knows France pretty well by now. 

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

La Rochelle 20 Connacht 30: European Chellenge Cup Pool 2: A "bit of X-factor" combined with a huge team effort is what vLam credits for Connacht’s dramatic four-try bonus win over La Rochelle, which sealed their quarter-final place as last seeds in this season’s European Challenge Cup.

European Challenge Cup Pool 2

Pro12 title holders Leinster have made seven changes to their starting line-up as they aim to begin the traditional Christmas interprovincial period with victory over Connacht at the RDS tonight.

Dublin-born winger Matt Healy is hoping Connacht can do the double over Leinster for the first time ever in the history of the league.

Connacht head to Bayonne for tonight’s return leg (Stade Jean-Dauger, 7.45pm) of the back-to-back Challenge Cup fixtures with a new starting side featuring five debutants.

Connacht winger Danie Poolman said qualification for the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup is in their own hands as they head to France to take on Bayonne.

Ulster’s injury list grows by the week, with five players from last Saturday’s Champions Cup squad against the Scarlets likely to be sidelined for the return Pool 3 clash at Parc y Scarlets on Sunday.

Pat Lam is keeping faith with the Connacht side that overcame Scarlets last weekend when European action resumes this evening at the Galway Sportsground (5pm).

Connacht full-back Darragh Leader presumed it was some of his team-mates having a laugh when Joe Schmidt rang him up this week to tell him he was in the Ireland squad.

Jonathan Sexton insists that quotes attributed to him in a recent interview where he admitted thinking about quitting Racing Metro were “blown out of proportion” and that he is settling in to life in France.

Racing Metro have signed Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Racing Metro have signed Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Ronan O’Gara has poured cold water on the prospect of Munster, Ireland and Lions scrum-half Conor Murray joining him at Racing Metro.

I love to travel and discovered many years ago that each journey I took was a story in itself.

A call from Declan Kidney would have put the icing on the cake for Ulster’s Irish-qualified Robbie Diack who saw a brilliant start to the season ruined by a knee injury.

Warren Gatland will be prepared to omit France-based players from the 2013 British and Irish Lions squad if they cannot secure release from club duties to make the plane.

The sun shone brightly on a smattering of young Ulster stars as they held a full-strength Leicester Tigers side in a pre-season slog at Ravenhill on Saturday.

JUST six months ago few had heard of Alex Cuthbert, even within Wales, yet now the Cardiff Blues wing has been caught by the trappings of fame.

Several hundred angry protesters have booed President Nicolas Sarkozy, forcing him to take refuge in a cafe protected by riot police as he campaigned in France’s south-west Basque country.

Mike Phillips believes Wales are “in a good place” as they prepare for a Triple Crown assault at Twickenham that could leave them two wins away from Grand Slam glory.

Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips reckons he is living in a soap opera in France but is ready to prove a serial star against Ireland.

IRISH rugby referee Peter Fitzgibbon found himself officiating a bizarre encounter on Tuesday night when the father of Biarritz and French star Imanol Harinordoquy raced onto the pitch and attempted to punch players in a stormy Basque derby.

IRISH rugby referee Peter Fitzgibbon found himself officiating a bizarre encounter on Tuesday night when the father of Biarritz and French star Imanol Harinordoquy raced onto the pitch and attempted to punch players in a stormy Basque derby.

The father of Biarritz number eight Imanol Harinordoquy invaded the pitch and tried to punch a Bayonne player in the face in a bid to protect his son during a brawl in yesterday’s Top 14 Basque derby.

NEW boy Ricky Andrew returns to ‘home’ soil this evening when he makes his Ulster debut in a pre-season friendly against Bayonne at the intimidating Stade Jean Dauger stadium.

AS RUGBY weekends go, this one couldn’t have started much better from an Irish perspective.

Maybe the GAA can learn a thing or two from rugby –- like kicking off its premier competition with a bang. While the summer Championships often sleepwalk into summer, the Heineken Cup starts this weekend with heavyweight collisions. Alan Good looks ahead.

The suspected leader of the Basque separatist group ETA’s commando units was arrested in France today.

They’ve been one of France’s most successful club sides over the last decade yet what Biarritz Olympique truly crave is some European silverware, argues Ian Moriarty in Biarritz

EVERYBODY we meet this past couple of days is interested in either a) getting to San Sebastian for Munster v Biarritz in one of the Heineken Cup semi-finals or b) getting to Toulouse for Leinster v Toulouse in the other semi-final.

THEY have yet to claim the honour of being their nation’s best, nor have they won a Heineken Cup, but Michael Cheika had little hesitation yesterday in describing Clermont Auvergne as the most complete side in France.

The body of a suspected member of the armed Basque group ETA has turned up in a morgue in France nearly a year after his mysterious disappearance, his supporters said today.

France coach Marc Lievremont has drafted Francois Trinh-Duc and Mathieu Bastareaud into his squad to face RBS 6 Nations champions Wales on Friday night after Lionel Beauxis and Maxime Mermoz pulled out with injuries.

CONNACHT have been paired with last season’s Heineken Cup semi-finalists London Irish in Pool One of the European Challenge Cup.

IT HAS emerged that Cork is to the forefront of an EU drive to create “Motorways of the Seas”, with the aim of reducing pollution and container transport costs.

A SPANISH policeman was buried with full military honours yesterday, a day after he was killed working undercover in France by gunmen from the guerrilla group ETA.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL got beaten up in Bayonne, then the Irish scrum was ransacked by the Italians at Ravenhill.