Madigan happy to bulkup for central role on America tour 

This triumph beats World Cup - Wilkinson 

TOULON dashed the cup of victory from desperately seeking Clermont Auvergne lips on Saturday in an achievement their captain Jonny Wilkinson suggested even surpassed his 2003 World Cup victory with England.

Ireland caretaker coach Kiss confirms he will be part of Schmidt's back-room team 

LES KISS has confirmed that he will be part of Joe Schmidt's team when the New Zealander takes over as Ireland coach this summer.

Jackson and Madigan set to audition for No 10 spot – Kiss 

MORE than 90 Irish rugby players will embark on tours to various corners of the world as life after Declan Kidney begins next month.

Nacewa up with greatest imports 

COMPARISONS are too subjective to be meaningful in a sporting sense – much more instructive and rewarding to celebrate genius in its own right.

Irish trio avoid pool clash with french big guns 

LEINSTER, Munster and Ulster will avoid Heineken Cup champions Toulon and finalists Clermont Auvergne in the pool stages of next year's competition, writes Ruaidhri O'Connor.

Tony Ward: Sexton-Madigan combo can wreak havoc for Ireland 

Not for the first time, I must credit Joe Schmidt. In selecting an under-strength side for the first of Leinster's back-to-back finals, he took a calculated gamble and it paid off.

Deans: We have squad to beat Lions 

Robbie Deans has announced his preliminary 25-man Australia squad to take on the Lions and said he has confidence in his selection, believing it covers all bases and can counter the experienced Lions back line.

Les Kiss confirms he will work under Joe Schmidt 

Les Kiss has confirmed that he will be a permanent member of Joe Schmidt's Ireland coaching team upon completion of the summer tour to the United States and Canada.

Jonny Wilkinson named European player of year as Heaslip misses out 

JONNY WILKINSON has capped a triumphant Heineken Cup campaign with Toulon by being named European player of the year.

Rory Best to captain 28-man squad on tour of North America 

Rory Best will lead Ireland's 28-man squad for their tour to the United States and Canada after being overlooked by the British and Irish Lions.

O'Gara's first step in coaching marks path towards Munster 

Not long after Leinster put Stade Francais to bed, Jonny Sexton was being asked about the scarcely credible development that will land himself and Ronan O'Gara in the same club next season.

Familiar agony for Clermont 

WITH just over 50 minutes gone at Lansdowne Road last night, the Toulon forwards laboured their way into the Clermont '22' desperate to get a chink of light into a game that had been fading at first and then gone dark.

Robbie Deans keeps us guessing with Wallabies squad for Lions Tests 

Australia coach Robbie Deans has left the door open for the likes of Quade Cooper to make the final squad to face the British and Irish Lions after the in-form Reds playmaker failed to make the 25-man group.

Olding seizes opportunity to learn the hard way 

At the start of the season, when Ulster were surveying their fixtures and planning which players could take them where they wanted to go, the name of Stuart Olding didn't feature large. Why would it?

Downey and Coughlan set to miss out as Ireland look to 2015 

Henshaw to edge out Jones for place on North American tour, says Brendan FanningLes Kiss will today announce a 28-man squad for next month's Tests in the US and Canada, hoping that he might lose a couple of bodies before they leave.

Ulster's time is coming after operation transformation 

Such has been the extent of the renaissance at Ravenhill that Ulster's results under the troika of director of rugby David Humphreys, coach Mark Anscombe and skipper Johann Muller have assumed a new normality.

Leinster's old tricks enough to outwit inferiorStade, but familiar foes Ulster aren't as easily fooled 

Atonement? Probably not. Yesterday's Heineken Cup was where Leinster wanted to be but as they bask in the post-coital glow of yet more silverware they can reflect on the notion that they are still one of the best sides in Europe capable of beating either of yesterday's contestants.

Resurrection men keep on rising 

If you had doubted the resolve of Stade Francais to make a meaningful protest before being turfed empty-handed out of the RDS on Friday night – and we did – then you needed to review that.

Ronan O'Gara ready to mould galaxy of stars at Racing 

Ireland and Munster fly-half Ronan O'Gara has announced his playing retirement in order to take up a coaching role with Racing Metro.

Sexton turns on style for Leinster 

BRAVO Joe Schmidt, take a bow. His Leinster are the first team in history to hold both the Amlin Challenge and Heineken Cup trophies.

Injuries mounting for the Wallabies with Lions tests looming 

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has accepted that incumbent hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau will not play a part in the British and Irish Lion series but is hoping flanker George Smith will still be available after both were injured today.

Cotter's romantics no match for Toulon's bruising realists 

THE overriding question for today's Heineken Cup final is whether this is the dawn of a new period of French hegemony in Europe.

Munster star in €300k Metro move 

IN a shock development, Ronan O'Gara is following his former out-half rival Jonny Sexton to France after signing a two-year contract to become Racing Metro's assistant coach.

IRFU chief: Ronan O'Gara an Irish rugby icon 

RONAN O’GARA has today been described as an “iconic figure in Irish rugby."

Tony Ward: Money talks in changing of the guard 

Wilkinson's warrior spirit drives on troops 

"TODAY YOU must do more than is required of you. Never think that you have done enough or that your job is finished."

George Hook: Ulster to give a more stern test to Leinster's threadbare midfield 

Golfers invariably suggest that they "drive for a show and putt for dough." Leinster were flattered by their victory in the Amlin Challenge Cup at the RDS last night, when having been outplayed in almost every phase of the game they constructed a comfortable victory.

Sexton green light for O'Gara 

Leinster's Paris-bound out-half Jonathan Sexton picked up the man-of-the-match award as the Irish side romped to Amlin Challenge Cup success and then declared his willingness to work alongside Ronan O'Gara next season.

Vincent Hogan: Truth stranger than fiction after O'Gara's shock switch 

The contrarian in Ronan O'Gara will have savoured what disbelief his old 'friends' in 'L'Equipe' triggered across Irish rugby with their first rumblings of his impending move to Paris.

One more year: Unstoppable O'Driscoll puts his retirement plans on hold 

WORLD Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward recalled how England believed they needed three men to contain Brian O'Driscoll.