O’Connell set to line out against Biarritz despite ban

IRELAND and Munster second row forward Paul O’Connell will be available for the Heineken Cup quarter-final joust with Biarritz — despite being suspended for two weeks.

O'Connell and his Munster colleagues will now be glad that the match was scheduled for Sunday; if Munster's match was fixed for April 2 he would not have been available, as the suspension runs from Saturday March 19 until Saturday, April 2.

Yesterday O'Connell said: "I am relieved, delighted. It was a fair hearing and I'm looking forward to putting this behind me and helping Munster go through to the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup."

The big second row was cited for a clash with Welsh second row forward Robert Sidoli in Cardiff last weekend, even though no sanction was taken against him at the time by referee Chris White of England.

Munster coach Alan Gaffney welcomed the decision.

"It was important Paul plays and, while I accept the two-week ban, anything more would not have been justified."

O'Connell was accompanied to London by Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan, who described the suspension as fair.

In other news, Wales open the defence of their Grand Slam next year with a mouthwatering clash against England at Twickenham.

Mike Ruddock's side have three home games in the 2006 championship and if Wales are to complete back-to-back Grand Slams they will have to defeat France at the Millennium Stadium on the final weekend.

The 2006 Six Nations begins on February 4 and runs through until March 18. Ireland face their final game of the championship against England on St Patrick's weekend.

After England play Wales in the opening game, Andy Robinson's men face three consecutive away games against Italy, Scotland and France before closing their championship at home to the Irish.

Ireland open their campaign at home to Italy, while Scotland host France in the Sunday game.

The Six Nations committee also announced that Royal Bank of Scotland will continue as tournament sponsor until the end of the 2009 championship, the largest commercial partnership in European rugby history.

Gordon D'Arcy has been named in Leinster's 27-man squad to face the Llanelli Scarlets at Lansdowne Road tomorrow (5pm), but Munster's latest signing Brian Lima will not be involved in the game with Gwent Dragons in Wales.

Brian O'Driscoll, Girvan Dempsey, Denis Hickie, Guy Easterby, Reggie Corrigan, Shane Byrne, Malcolm O'Kelly and Eric Miller join D'Arcy in the Leinster squad.

Samoan international Lima was due in Ireland yesterday but family problems interfered with his travel plans.

Now he is expected tomorrow, which will preclude him from involvement in the match in Wales and shorten the time Gaffney has with him in advance of the Biarritz game.