English champions Wasps are lurching towards an early European exit for a second successive season after dropping priceless home points against Pool Six favourites Toulouse.

LEICESTER boss Pat Howard has predicted a “formidable” challenge from Stade Francais when the Parisians play for their Heineken Cup lives today.

World Cup winner Joe Worsley has hailed his Wasps team-mate Tom Rees as a potential England star of the future.

IRFU chiefs have appointed Steve Anderson as its first High Performance Manager in an effort to smooth the process of discovering the next generation of internationals.

Wasps have added to their growing Irish contingent by signing prop Peter Bracken from Connacht on a two-year deal.

WASPS chief executive David Davies yesterday unveiled Harlequins fly-half Jeremy Staunton and Munster scrum-half Eoin Reddan as new signings and insisted his top stars are going nowhere.

Sale Sharks boss Philippe Saint-Andre has described tomorrow’s Zurich English Premiership title eliminator against champions Wasps as “a bonus” for his team.

England’s Harry Ellis is relishing the chance to be working alongside – rather than in the face of – his scrum-half rival Matt Dawson.

Scrum-half Matt Dawson today gave England their latest injury scare ahead of next Saturday’s RBS Six Nations Championship opener against Wales in Cardiff.

Wasps 45 Calvisano 14

Worcester coach Andy Keast has vowed his team will “come back fighting” against London Irish on New Year’s Day after they returned to the Zurich Premiership basement.

Wasps 31 Leicester 37

Wasps 31 Leicester 37

Wycombe will soon begin the search for a new manager after former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams today quit his post for “personal reasons”.

Tony Adams has resigned as manager of Wycombe “for personal reasons”.

Defending Heineken Cup champions Wasps continued their march towards the quarter-finals with a hard-fought victory at Calvisano’s San Michele ground today.

PERHAPS the expectation level was too high. Maybe it was the memory of the outstanding fare on offer last season in both semi-finals and final.

European champions Wasps produced a storming second-half performance to begin their Heineken Cup defence in impressive fashion at the Causeway Stadium.

Matt Dawson today confirmed he will join Wasps on his return from England’s summer tour as he looks for a new challenge to reinvigorate his career.

South African star Robbie Fleck tonight rallied Bath for their Zurich Premiership day of destiny, and declared: “We don’t want to fall at the last hurdle.”

LIKE a good French wine, the Heineken Cup, has improved with age.

Wasps boss Warren Gatland today paid tribute to his “special group of players” as his side began looking ahead to their Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Munster.

Wasps captain Lawrence Dallaglio tonight set his sights on a Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Munster, and declared: “It will be a great challenge for us.”

Wasps 34 Gloucester 3

Queens Park Rangers missed the chance to join Plymouth at the top of Nationwide Two today after being held at Brentford.

IRISH flanker Johnny O’Connor has been handed a place in the starting line up tonight as English champions Wasps put their Heineken Cup ambitions on the line against a fledgling Welsh team formed barely six months ago.

Ex-Connacht & Ireland A flanker Johnny O’Connor of London Wasps has been voted Zurich Premiership Player of the Month for December by a panel of 10 judges made up from members of the rugby media.

Wasps 9 Celtic Warriors 14

Leicester star Austin Healey has billed tomorrow’s Heineken Cup clash against Ulster as a “must-win game”.

Edinburgh 23 Toulouse 16

Former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams has today been unveiled as the new manager of Second Division Wycombe.