Fortune will favour the brave in Euro shake-up

IT was a decent weekend for the Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup, though they still have a long way to go if they are to qualify for the knockout stages.

It is still impossible to know what Leinster are made of, given the pathetic performance by the non-tacklers from Bourgoin at the RDS. Meanwhile, Ulster demonstrated they are virtually unbeatable at their Ravenhill fortress while Munster outplayed the Dragons at Rodney Parade only to reveal old attacking failings in midfield.

All three are now set for their return matches this coming weekend.