Rugby chiefs were united in support of last night’s decision to conclude the 2001 Six Nations Championship next season after the postponement of all matches involving Ireland because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Martin Johnson is the clear favourite, not alone to stake his claim for a second row test spot, but also to captain the tour.

Tickets for the Heineken European Cup game between Stade Francais and Munster will go on sale to the public tomorrow.

HAD nature not intervened, Mick Galwey, Peter Clohessey and Denis Hickie would have spent yesterday holed up in a hotel, preparing themselves for the biggest Irish game of the season.

WARREN GATLAND sees light at the end of the tunnel following the decision to allow rugby fixtures continue throughout the country this weekend.

FRENCH rugby has plumbed new depths following a second stunning Six Nations defeat at the Stade de France on Saturday that has left the nation feeling ‘‘offended’’, ‘‘battered’’ and ‘‘humiliated’’.

THERE is unlikely to be another match where the cliché “a game of two halves” could be more appropriate. This was incredible stuff.

IT WAS easy to wonder if Ian McGeechan had been watching the same game, so generous was the Scotland coach in praise of his team’s efforts at Murrayfield on Saturday.

IT may not have ended with the predicted result, but the match in Paris was definitely the most exciting of the Six Nations tournament to date with lots of points, plenty of drama and a thrilling finish.

WHILE provisional dates for the resumption of Ireland’s matches in the Six Nations have been set for the end of April and into May, I cannot see these matches taking places unless some drastic action is taken.

IRISH centre Ron Henderson has been told by his club Wasps that he will not be released for Ireland’s proposed two match tour of South Africa next week because they feel it would be foolish to allow the 28-year-old to travel with a shoulder injury.

The official line is that it’s outside of their own control, there’s nothing they can do about it, their hands are tied... but there is also a deep rooted frustration in the Irish rugby camp.

Lions coach Graham Henry last night put a brave face on the fixture chaos that threatens to undermine preparations for this summer’s 10 match Australia tour.

France confirmed last night that their Six Nations clash with Wales next week would go ahead despite the ongoing foot and mouth crisis but plans to finish the tournament this season still look in serious doubt.

THEY were able to mask their frustration, but Brian O’Driscoll and Denis Hickie still admitted morsels of disappointment yesterday.

UNBEATEN Six Nations rivals Ireland and England were last night still in the dark on when their postponed championship clash will take place.

WALES’ Six Nations Championship clash against France in Paris tomorrow week looks likely to go ahead as planned.

Ireland’s Six Nations rugby union fixtures with England and Scotland were called off Tuesday night because of the foot and mouth crisis.

The latest cancellations in the Six Nations Championship will mean that any arrangement of fixtures will impose huge burdens on the Irish players particularly those involved in Munster’s European Cup bid as well.

The Irish Rugby Football Union hope to receive a directive from the Government today on whether England’s Six Nations Championship visit to Dublin on March 24 should be postponed.

Paul Burke's sparkling form for Harlequins in the Tetley Cup final underlined the current healthy state of Irish rugby.

The championship table will show two wins out of three for France, yet they will be far from happy with another sub par performance which had them only four points to the good with three minutes of normal time on the clock.

Chris Paterson may only be in the formative stages of his international career but he knows a good side when he sees it and England are among the best in the world.

As sporting insults go it was up there with the best.

France coach Bernard Laporte insists his team are still in the hunt for the Six Nations Championship title despite struggling to shake off Italy in Rome.

The championship table will show two wins out of three for France, yet they will be far from happy with another sub par performance which had them only four points to the good with three minutes of normal time on the clock.

Aa expected the class of England was too much for Scotland and if Ireland does get to play the Calcutta Cup champions in this year’s Six Nations, serious consideration will have to be given to ways and means of countering England’s impressive attacking game.

Jonny Wilkinson will spearhead England’s bid to regain the Calcutta Cup today, and admits: ‘‘I know people expect me to play well.’’

It is a shame that the closest and hardest match to predict for this round of the Six Nations tournament has fallen victim to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Ireland's rugby plans, along with those of thousands of supporters have been thrown into disarray as a result of the potentially catastrophic outbreak of foot and mouth disease in these islands.

The Australian Rugby Union have confirmed that the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain will not prevent the Lions from making their summer tour Down Under.

A major shadow has been cast over the future of this year’s six nations rugby tournament because of the foot and mouth scare and this could also affect the selection process for the Lions tour.

ENGLAND captain Martin Johnson has warned his team to expect a major Six Nations Championship challenge from Scotland in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash.

KIERON DAWSON believes Ireland can win this season’s Six Nations, but fears the outbreak of foot and mouth disease could force his side out of the tournament altogether.

SIX NATIONS chiefs will hold a crisis meeting tomorrow to decide whether the tournament needs to be abandoned due to the foot and mouth outbreak.

Wales have pledged to prepare normally despite their Six Nations’ championship with Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday being under threat from the foot and mouth crisis.

All the talk is about the head to head between Neil Jenkins and Ronan O’Gara.

IT’S a laughable situation but Keith Wood isn’t smiling.

Eric Miller yesterday received a double bonus when he was selected on the Ireland A squad to meet Wales A next week, a couple of hours before being named on the preliminary Lions squad of 67 players to tour Australia this summer.

IRELAND’S Peter Clohessy has set his sights firmly on a place in the Lions Test side for the series against Australia this summer.

For years now, it’s been one of the mantras of this column that there’s more in the Irish international rugby sides than they’ve been producing.

MUNSTER manager Jerry Holland last night described as “prudent” the IRFU’s withdrawal of full support for the Celtic League until all the commercial aspects are fully established and each union has signed up.

THE Welsh, Scottish and Irish unions hope to clinch a TV deal and main sponsor after announcing a joint agreement to launch the much talked about Celtic League next August.

WITH the championship approaching the half way stage, the battle for selection on the Lions tour of Australia is intensifying.