England wing Mark Cueto has been banned by his club Sale Sharks for six weeks.

Sale Sharks have swooped to sign Samoa international Tasesa Lavea from reigning French champions Clermont Auvergne.

Sale Sharks have announced the signing of number eight Mark Easter from their Aviva Premiership rivals Northampton.

Sale have signed Ireland prop Tony Buckley from Munster on a three-year contract.

Toulon are today expected to announce the signing of Gavin Henson after the Wales centre was last night released from his Saracens contract.

Saracens have cleared the way for Gavin Henson to complete a move to Toulon after releasing the Wales centre from his contract.

Mike Brewer has been sacked as the head coach of the Sale Sharks, the club have announced.

Northampton will be prepared for the “different problems” posed by Heineken Cup opponents when they switch their attention from domestic to European business tomorrow night.

SALE director of rugby Kingsley Jones felt poor discipline had cost his side victory against Toulouse at Edgeley Park.

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Sale Sharks boss Kingsley Jones is ready for “a massive game” against French giants Toulouse tomorrow when his team pursue a European consolation prize.

FORGOTTEN England fly-half Charlie Hodgson has reappeared on Martin Johnson’s selection radar – and Cardiff Blues could find out why today.

MUNSTER Rugby chiefs are ‘extremely disappointed’ at the scheduling of their crucial Heineken Cup Pool One game against Northampton Saints at Thomond Park for Friday, January 22 (8pm).

Paul O’Connell believes Munster answered their critics in the best possible way with a stunning 37-14 bonus-point victory against Perpignan yesterday.

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Munster can push reigning French champions Perpignan to the brink of Heineken Cup elimination tomorrow – and underline their own credentials for a possible third European title.

MUNSTER full-back Paul Warwick is fast developing a reputation as one of the best long-range drop goal kickers in the game.

MIKE ROSS has been around long enough to know tonight’s opening Heineken Cup clash at the RDS (8pm) between Leinster and London Irish won’t be easy. But he does have the jump on some of his colleagues.

THEY come to Dublin tonight with a reputation as the game’s Great Entertainers but Michael Cheika has warned that London Irish are as likely to bludgeon a side to death up front as they are cut them apart out wide.

LEINSTER captain Leo Cullen could hardly be blamed if he was still up in the clouds after his team’s Magners League demolition of Munster at the RDS on Saturday.

SAILOSI TAGICAKIBAU claimed his sixth try in five games to send London Irish top of the Guinness Premiership via an 11-8 win over Sale Sharks at Edgeley Park last night.

Sale Sharks have confirmed the signing of England World Cup winner Ben Cohen.

IT’S a tall order, given Munster’s European credentials at Thomond Park, but Sale second-row Luke Abraham is confident the English side can triumph in Limerick tomorrow and go onto secure a spot in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

PAUL O’CONNELL’S value to the Munster cause has rarely been more apparent than the manner in which he skippered the side against the Ospreys on Friday night.

MARTIN JOHNSON watched on as Sale edged a ferocious encounter against Guinness Premiership leaders London Irish thanks to a try created and scored by three players hoping to catch the eye of the England manager.

MICHAEL BRADLEY was last night enjoying the euphoria of his side’s deserved 12-6 Magners League win over Heineken Cup champions Munster.

PHILIPPE SAINT-ANDRE is hoping his Sale Sharks players will be on cloud nine after their Heineken Cup double-header against Montauban, which kicks-off at Edgeley Park tonight.

Munster coach Tony McGahan this evening named a 27-strong squad for Saturday's Magners League clash with Ulster at Ravenhill.

Sebastien Chabal admits personal reasons could force him to quit Sale and return to his native France at the end of the season.

BOTH Tony McGahan and Michael Cheika can enjoy a brief period of positive reflection as the Heineken Cup takes a short hiatus until December. The events of last weekend in particular not only bode well for the two provinces but Irish rugby as a whole.

DAVID Wallace is making a habit of scoring crucial tries against Sale Sharks in the Heineken Cup.

WITH Declan Kidney set to announce his squad for the autumn internationals on Wednesday, Irish rugby received a timely shot in the arm with two vintage performances from Munster and Leinster that rocked English premiership giants Sale and Wasps over the weekend.

TONY McGAHAN, the Munster coach, made some bold calls with his side for yesterday’s game at Edgeley Park.

PHILIPPE Saint Andre has urged Sale Sharks not to undermine the “massive achievement” of beating French giants Clermont Auvergne, by losing their Heineken Cup showdown against holders Munster.

Sale Sharks have been able to name a strong side for Sunday's Heineken Cup game against Munster at Edgeley Park, despite losing Kristian Ormsby through suspension and remaining without Andrew Sheridan through injury.

SALE SHARKS second row Kris Ormsby will miss the clash with Munster this weekend.

Sale director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre has urged Luke McAlister to shun the All Blacks for another year and extend his stay with the Guinness Premiership club.

Rua Tipoki and Ian Dowling will to travel for Munster's Heineken Cup clash with Sale Sharks in Edgeley Park on Sunday.

Luke McAlister may have set the Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup alight, but he is yet to convince New Zealand head coach Graham Henry of the rugby benefits of his stint with Sale Sharks.

ROUND one of the Heineken Cup provided more drama and close calls than is normally the case.

SALE Sharks second row Kristian Ormsby is a doubt for his Sunday’s Heineken Cup clash with Munster at Edgeley Park.

SALE SHARKS will enter a Heineken Cup cauldron today without two of their main ingredients — England World Cup stars Mathew Tait and Andrew Sheridan.

FORMER Ulster wing Tommy Bowe helped defending champions Ospreys out of jail as they squeezed past Harlequins 24-23 in the EDF Energy Cup first round at Liberty Stadium.

England star Jonny Wilkinson produced a superb wet-weather display of goal-kicking to lead Newcastle to a European Challenge Cup victory over Brive at the Parc Municipal des Sports.