THEY were playing the theme music from ‘Lord Of The Rings’ at one point on Sky Sports yesterday, as if to prepare us all for not just any other super Sunday but something more along the lines of an epic adventure of fantasy football.

NIALL QUINN may be making moves to utilise the services of the former Foreign Secretary David Miliband at Sunderland, but it was Alan Pardew who was the true diplomat in the wake of ugly scenes at the end to this latest Tyne-Wear turf war.

A RELAXED looking Minister Micheál Martin was at home with family and close political friends yesterday as most commentators were caught up in the will he? won’t he? mount a leadership challenge debate.

NORTHAMPTON can become the first team through to this season’s Heineken Cup quarter-finals tonight — but Saints boss Jim Mallinder is taking nothing for granted.

THERE might have been a time when Peter Stringer was in awe of French opposition on French soil but these days, not even the mention of a plethora of international names associated with Toulon makes the veteran Munster and Irish scrum-half shiver.

PAUL WARWICK has stressed the necessity of Munster sprinting from the blocks at Stade Felix Mayol on Sunday afternoon, knowing that anything less could signal the end of an era for the Irish province.

IF this is a phoney war, then Toulon will be completely bamboozled when they sit down and watch the video of Munster’s final Magners League match before returning to European duty next Sunday in the south of France.

MANY Irish people — especially those in the second half of life — hold their health insurance premiums as dear to them as their family home or their family life assurance policy.

WATERFORD bounced back from their opening day defeat to Wexford to claim a historic first Division Three victory at Fraher Field, Dungarvan.

JUST for the record, the last train out of Dublin’s Heuston Station to Cork tonight is at nine o’clock.

I WAS left disappointed by the glamour games in the top two visions on the opening weekend of the Allianz Hurling League.

THE old adage that you never win anything with kids, demolished so spectacularly by Manchester United in the past, was decimated again during Arsenal’s victory over Barcelona.

BOLTON booked a trip to Fulham in the last 16 of the FA Cup after Ivan Klasnic’s strike secured victory in their fourth-round replay at Wigan.

EXTRAORDINARY scenes at the San Siro, as Tottenham maintained their fairytale first season in the Champions League by beating AC Milan, currently top of Serie A, on their own turf.

HEAVEN or hell, and nothing in between. Or so you would think. Those who insisted on getting carried away at the Bridge were probably the same people howling “Wigan? WIGAN?!?” on Saturday night.

WHEN I was 15-years-old or so I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go on a school trip to Barcelona.