The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley reflects on a great weekend for Irish rugby in the Heineken Cup.

"Move over Europe. Truly, this is Ireland’s time in the Heineken Cup. After two all-French finals and one all-English, come Saturday May 19th in Twickenham, the Cup will runneth over with a first all-Irish final. All roads lead to London.

"Hence, Ireland will provide the European champions for the fifth time in seven years and sixth time overall while, as a consequence, after their emotionally and highly charged debut campaign, Connacht will return to the competition again next season and a four-handed Irish entry.

"All of this was ensured yesterday when, despite not being at their fluent best and hanging on by their fingernails at the death in a throbbing Stade Chaban Dalmas, Leinster came through possibly their most daunting test of character with a 19-15 win."

Ulster's Pedrie Wannenburg and Ruan Pienaar celebrate victory over Edinburgh © Getty Images

Eamonn Sweeney celebrates Ulster's charge into the Heineken Cup final - and shares his commiserations with a brave Edinburgh - in The Sunday Independent.

"Ulster will know how Edinburgh feel this morning.

"They'll know what it's like to hear everyone praising your effort, your ambition and your enterprise and offering What-Ifs in consolation. What if Roman Poite had spotted the ball was out of the Ulster scrum before Pedrie Wannenburg's try; what if Edinburgh hadn't made handling mistakes ; what if they'd managed to score their try five minutes earlier.

"What if nothing.

"Because it was Ulster who used to be the what-if team, the side being patted on the back and told their day would come as they were edged out by the big guns. They're well aware of the absolute uselessness of moral victories. What counts is having the nous to get ahead on the scoreboard and stay there. It was always good enough for Munster, for Toulouse and for Leicester and yesterday at the Aviva it was good enough for Ulster."

Richard Loe runs through his picks for the All Blacks' front-row - based on Super Rugby form - in The Herald on Sunday.

"A reasonably clear picture is forming about the potential make-up of the All Black front row.

"Assuming everyone is fit, the four props will presumably be Owen and Ben Franks, Wyatt Crockett and Tony Woodcock. The three Crusaders boys have been strong and consistent and I suspect have still got more to come.

"Coach Todd Blackadder has rotated them and that has worked well - with Woodcock injured, you'd have to say they are the three top props in the country."

Emily Dugan spends the day with England's women's Sevens side at Twickenham, for The Independent on Sunday.

"Two England rugby players face off on the turf at Twickenham stadium. The taller one sprints forward, does a graceful sidestep and zips easily past a bulky forward to the try line.

"The rest of the squad start laughing. Ferocious-looking forward Mark Odejobi – or Odd Job to his team-mates – has just been beaten by Jo Watmore: a girl.

"I am with the rugby sevens squad as they prepare for the England leg of the IRB World Series, which will come to their home stadium in two weeks' time (12-13 May). But this year, there's a difference: for the first time, women are competing in the internationally recognised contest."

Eddie Butler previews the Heineken Cup semi-final between Clermont Auvergne and Leinster in The Observer.

"At least there is a measurable neutrality about today's Heineken Cup semi-final between Clermont Auvergne and the defending champions, Leinster. The Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux, formerly the Stade du Parc Lescure, where Bath beat Brive in the 1998 final, is 200 miles from Clermont-Ferrand and every centimetre away from the Massif Central is half an inch closer to a more familiar seaboard scene for the Irish. Clermont Auvergne do not lose in the mountain fortress they call home, the Stade Marcel Michelin, their unbeaten record there stretching to 41 games.

"Clermont fans may still be expected to outnumber travelling Leinster supporters 10 to one, but at least the neutral stadium, named after Jacques Chaban-Delmas, the Gaullist prime minister who served under president Georges Pompidou and who was mayor of Bordeaux, does not offer the volcanic eruption of the Michelin at full bore. Which is another lucky break for the Irish province, since their two "neutral" semis in Ireland, in their winning years of 2009 against Munster and 2011 against Toulouse, were played at Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium. I suppose if they'd been staged in Baggot Street they could have been closer to the heart of Dublin, but not by much."

Paul Ackford complains about the nature of the Premiership relegation battle due to constraints in the Championship in The Sunday Telegraph.

"As ever, what should be one of the more climactic moments of this season, a dramatic winner-takes-all clash with careers, reputations and futures on the line, the very essence of sport, will be anything but.

"Why so? Because only one of the four clubs chasing the top spot in the Championship, Bristol, satisfies the entry criteria into the Premiership which stipulate ground capacity and the requisite number of available lavatories among other considerations.

"Of the other three, Cornish Pirates and Bedford have not even applied for an audit into their facilities, and London Welsh, seeking a ground share arrangement with Brentford FC, are struggling to get the primacy of tenure commitment, demanded by the regulations, which will give them first choice of when they will play their fixtures."

Brock James will be a key figure for Clermont if they are to progress © Getty Images

The Guardian's Robert Kitson previews the weekend's action.

"Sometimes Heineken Cup semi-finals provide richer drama than any showpiece final can offer. Wasps' epic win over Munster in Dublin, Leicester's penalty shoot-out against Cardiff Blues and Munster's extraordinary victory over Toulouse in Bordeaux in 2000 all spring instantly to mind and another potential classic looms this weekend. When Clermont Auvergne and Leinster collide on Sunday, it will rival Barcelona v Chelsea.

Leinster, chasing an unprecedented third European title in four years, would be short-odds favourites to beat anybody else. With Brad Thorn having rumbled into town to lend the pack some All Black steel, the defensive organisation and attacking verve behind the scrum have made the defending champions all but irresistible. They have lost once in their last 25 matches and will break Munster's record of 13 successive Heineken Cup wins if they reach yet another final."

Brian Ashton, writing for the Independent, provides his take on the final weekend of Premiership action and this weekend's Heineken Cup showdowns.

"Just 80 minutes or so of rugby separate the four remaining contenders in the Heineken Cup from a much-coveted place in next month's final at Twickenham. We are deep in "no second chance" territory now and it is in this precise situation that the mind can play some bizarre tricks. But while the ties in Dublin and Bordeaux are the principal business of the weekend, it is worth reflecting momentarily on the comments of a player and a coach from teams at opposite ends of the Aviva Premiership table.

With one league game remaining and his club in a precarious position once again, the Newcastle outside-half Jimmy Gopperth took time out to speak of the negative effects of fighting against relegation and to express the opinion – often heard at this stage of a campaign from those whose Premiership status is under threat – that the whole up-down system should be scrapped. Gopperth talked not only about the greater physicality he believes relegation has brought to domestic rugby, but also of an increased negativity, indicating that there is an inevitable focus on defence rather than attack in pursuit of the single objective of not losing."

The Scotsman talks to Edinburgh's head coach ahead of their Heineken Cup showdown with Ulster.

"History beckons two European teams tonight to a Heineken Cup semi-final that no-one forecast and huge excitement of the unknown is fuelling hopes of Scottish success.

Since beating Toulouse, the Edinburgh squad – priced 200-1 to lift the cup at the start of the tournament – have been casting off the fact that even they did not see this coming, and building a new focus and ambition that now says a semi-final is not enough. It is the worst stage of a competition for teams at any level to lose, one step away from the hype and colour of a final, the opportunity for new suits and daft flowers, and the uniquely emotional finale. Finals are memorable. No-one remembers semi-finalists."

The Irish Independent's David Kelly assesses Leinster's chances of shocking Clermont on Sunday.

"Cold reason is the underlying basis for optimism in assessing Leinster's chances in Europe's most anticipated club game of the season.

Soccer's Champions League may not have got the final many wanted, however, rugby fans and the wider sporting public should be happy that at least the oval ball equivalent has tossed up a semi-final that would have graced Twickenham on May 19.

Even the bookies can't find a cigarette paper thin enough to separate Leinster and Clermont, they are that evenly matched.

Running a finger through the team line-ups, it's difficult to spot a position where the direct opponents are glaringly mismatched."

The Daily Telegraph's Gavin Mairs claims that Wasps could be on the verge of a takeover.

"Wasps will be saved from going into administration if they avoid relegation from the Premiership next weekend, with former player Ken Moss understood to be heading up a consortium to buy the London club from owner Steve Hayes.

The deal is expected to be finalised next week but remains dependent on the club, who are four points ahead of bottom-placed Newcastle, avoiding the drop.

“We just have to win. It’s in our hands,” said Dai Young, the Wasps director of rugby.
Wasps will go down if the Falcons win the match by 24 points or more and deny the hosts a losing bonus point."

The New Zealand Herald's Dylan Cleaver goes inside the Chiefs to find the secret of their success.

"In the spirit of the rebirth they were seeking, the Chiefs travelled back in time to the 1960s.

There they found Ruakura. Their "new" training and administrative base is a relic of the utilitarian architectural ideals of the day. As you walk down linoleum-laid hallways, the multitude of offices and meeting rooms look like the setting for a Roger Hall play. The site was a former research facility where, the tour guide unkindly points out, "geeks and boffins" once hung out.

In these rooms, the Chiefs on-field renaissance is being plotted. By any measure, what they've achieved so far has been spectacular."

Will Clermont's Nathan Hines get the better of Leinster's Brad Thorn this weekend? © Getty Images

The clash between Leinster's Brad Thorn and Clermont's Nathan Hines will be central to the outcome of their Heineken Cup semi-final clash on Sunday, writes the Irish Times' Liam Toland.

"Without, the grand piano that is Brad Thorn and the upright piano that is Nathan Hines is the clash of the weekend, in the match of the weekend – possibly the match of the tournament.

"For Leinster to win they must dominate physically – of that there is no doubt – but to get past ASM Clermont Auvergne in Bordeaux they must get their hands free. If Leinster get sucked into multiphase-offering breakdowns and not freeing their hands in the heavy traffic that is Aurélien Rougerie, Wesley Fofana, Jamie Cudmore, Julien Bonnaire et al, then like Saracens and many others, they may dominate possession but they will not win.

"Where can Leinster damage Clermont? Few opportunities offer themselves but the big Georgian David Zirakashvili is one. His work-rate around the park is sensational, in the John Afoa tackle count range, and he’s impressive defensively in open play, as he showed against livewire Saracens hooker Schalk Brits."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Adam Frier urges players and coaches to be more to promote the game.

"I love rugby union, but sometimes I feel like we are the reality TV show The Voice, singing our hearts out, yet it seems the louder we sing the less likely Delta, Seal and Keith Urban are to turn around.

"Rugby has a voice, it's just yet to be heard. By a voice, I mean rugby has a story. It has characters, a plot and even narky critics who will say if it is worth going to see.

"Yet where can we see our game on stage, apart from one night a week on the Fox Sports' Rugby Club?

"I can understand a great deal was spent on broadcasting at last year's Rugby World Cup, but what is happening at present has me on edge.

"The saturation coverage of AFL is a strategic move to entice AFL tragics away from free-to-air to a better insight into their game.

"I am a novice AFL fan, yet I found myself on the edge of my seat watching the Anzac Day thriller mainly because, by the time I'd watched all the lead-up shows, I felt as though I almost knew what the players were thinking."

The Scotsman's David Ferguson reports that Netani Talei was close to quitting Heineken Cup semi-finalists Edinburgh but is now glad he kept faith.

"With his estranged wife in Fiji with his children and wider family that reassurance came long distance. Skype became a close friend. As Talei was pushing for an opportunity, the media were raving about a new face, 21-year-old Stuart McInally, a No 8 with the strength and skills recent Scottish packs have lacked.

"Talei sat and watched, wondered, and waited. McInally was Man of the Match in the opening Heineken Cup win at London Irish and Talei was not even in the squad. The Fijian was handed the No 6 jersey against Racing Metro and scored a try to spark a famous comeback but watched the next game away to Cardiff from afar. But after watching his side badly beaten up front and McInally get injured, Bradley called on Talei.

The Fijian put Edinburgh back on the front foot with his blend of skill and power, and won Man of the Match honours in each of Edinburgh’s remaining three pool wins over Cardiff and London Irish at home, and away to Racing, with key tries in the last two games."

Writing in The Guardian, Shaun Edwards talks up Alex King's coaching credentials.

"It was obvious that he'd make a success of coaching and he had a near immediate impact on Clermont. Ask what turned an underachieving side – 10 finals without winning – into French champions and you hear that King almost demanded a rethink about the way Clermont played and the emphasis put on a defence which is now the meanest in the Heineken.

"Unfortunately for England's summer plans, as Lancaster acknowledged , the same is also true in the Top 14. Having conceded fewer points than anyone else, Clermont are currently level with Toulouse and seemed destined for a grand final on 9 June, the same day England meet South Africa in Durban. It should not be the end of the story. Two years ago Alex turned down a big offer to return to England. I sense that he might soon be persuaded."

Could Mike Catt step into the backs coach void? © Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary claims that Mike Catt could take on the England backs coach role on a part-time basis.

"Lancaster’s plans for that trip have been thrown out of kilter by the decision of Andy Farrell to remain with Saracens. Wayne Smith, the Waikato Chiefs assistant coach, remains Lancaster’s preferred option for a long-term solution to Farrell’s unavailability, but the need for a short-term arrangement is pressing.

Lancaster is scheduled to name a 40-man squad for the three-Test tour in a fortnight’s time.

He was already considering an enlarged management group for the tour in order to cope with the coaching demands posed by two midweek fixtures between the Tests.

Catt is a free agent from the summer after the return of former England attack coach Brian Smith to London Irish. The 40 year-old is weighing up his options after four years coaching, initially as a player-coach."

The New Zealand Herald's Chris Rattue looks at the Chiefs rise in stature and whether the Crusaders finally have a worthwhile challenger.

"Something very promising in a longstanding sense is going on at the front-running Chiefs and long may this continue, because New Zealand rugby desperately needs a challenger to the Crusaders-dominated system.

"Oh no, here we go again" was the thought as the Crusaders continued to wind relentlessly through the gears against what has to be said was a mainly timid challenge from the Hurricanes last weekend.

Experience, confidence, tactical superiority and depth mean the Crusaders invariably get stronger through a season, having spent the early rounds clicking everything into place. A scary thing about the Crusaders is that the petrol in the tank includes a certain Richie McCaw and the mighty tighthead Owen Franks, who has been used sparingly and has yet to hit his most imposing form."

The Guardian's Robert Kitson writes that Stuart Lancaster is wise to look abroad for coaching input rather than keeping it in-house.

"Here is a list of champion teams of recent vintage: New Zealand, Wales, Australia, Leinster, Saracens, Clermont Auvergne, Leicester, Munster. What do they have in common? You might say top quality back-row forwards and you would be right. The correct answer, though, has less to do with players and everything to do with coaches. Every one of them has been guided by a man, or men, who have previously coached outside their own countries. Insularity and rugby success tend to be mutually exclusive.

This is an interesting trend as we approach the business end of the European season. The trio who steered the All Blacks to World Cup glory, Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, have all spent plenty of time in Britain. Warren Gatland is a Kiwi who used to coach Ireland before Wales employed him; Shaun Edwards is a proud Englishman. Robbie Deans, Joe Schmidt and Vern Cotter are all ex-pat New Zealanders, neither of Saracens's guiding lights, Brendan Venter and Mark McCall, are English and even Richard Cockerill spent his formative coaching years abroad in Montferrand. It might just explain why the Wallabies have included Munster's Tony McGahan and Nick Scrivener (ex-Edinburgh) in their reshuffled coaching panel."

The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary reports that former RFU supremo Martyn Thomas is preparing to instigate legal proceedings against the organisation.

"Former Rugby Football Union chairman Martyn Thomas is preparing to notify the union of his intention to start legal proceedings against it.

Thomas has taken issue with the union’s decision to support the Blackett report that was published last summer.

A later independent report by Charles Flint QC questioned the reliability of some of the procedures as well as findings of the Blackett report, one that was very critical of Thomas’s role at the union with specific reference to events that led to the dismissal of chief executive John Steele.

Flint found that there was no direct evidence to support misconduct charges against Thomas.

“I’m looking for resolution of the position of the RFU towards the Blackett report in the light of the Flint judgment,” Thomas told Telegraph Sport."

Will Wayne Smith join Stuart Lancaster's backroom staff? © Getty Images

The Guardian's Paul Rees claims that Wayne Smith is weighing up a job offer from Stuart Lancaster.

"Wayne Smith is considering whether to become part of England's quest to win the 2015 World Cup after meeting the host nation's head coach, Stuart Lancaster, in South Africa last Friday.

Smith, who was part of the All Blacks' World Cup-winning management team last year and is regarded as one of the leading attack coaches in the game, is working with the Waikato-based Chiefs and would not be available to join England until the end of September.

Smith was linked with England when the former South Africa coach Nick Mallett was the favourite to succeed Martin Johnson but Lancaster, when appointed on the back of a strong showing in the Six Nations, wanted Andy Farrell to remain in charge of the backs.

Farrell decided this month to remain with Saracens, leaving England with little time to fill the vacancy ahead of the summer tour to South Africa. Senior figures at the Rugby Football Union believe the experienced Smith would be the ideal coach to sharpen England's attack. He has knowledge of rugby in the country after spending three seasons with Northampton from 2001."

Steve James, writing for the >i>Daily Telegraph, argues that the game needs more Anglo-Welsh matches.

"The phone call from my county cricket captain was short and to the point: “If you go to that rugby match today and don’t play for us tomorrow, there will be big trouble,” said Matthew Maynard.

The year was 1998 and I had just missed Glamorgan’s four-day County Championship match against Derbyshire at Cardiff with a virus.

On the Sunday was a National League match, but, more importantly to this rugby-loving cricketer, on the Saturday was the start of a revolution. Cardiff were playing Saracens at the Arms Park.

It was their first home match of a ‘rebel’ season, whereby they and Swansea were distancing themselves from the Welsh Rugby Union by refusing to sign 10-year loyalty agreements and playing unofficial fixtures against the English clubs in the then Allied Dunbar Premiership."

The >i>Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly provides a XV from Ulster's overseas contingent.

"Whatever happens from here, the names Johann Muller, Ruan Pienaar, John Afoa, Pedrie Wannenburg and Stefan Terblanche will be enshrined in Ulster rugby folklore.

To a man, Ulster's 'famous five' have been immense in backboning the march to the Heineken Cup semi-final against Edinburgh and are a major reason why Brian McLaughlin's side have a genuine shot at emulating the province's 1999 European triumph.

As with all the Irish provinces, Ulster have had plenty of overseas players pass through over the years.

Some, such as Ryan Constable, Paul Steinmetz, Adam Larkin and Matt Sexton were notable successes. Others such as Rob Dewey and Joeli Veitayaki had less of an impact but, either way, it has been an intriguing journey."

The >i>Western Mail's Andy Howell responds to WRU CEO David Moffett's article on the state of Welsh regional rugby.

"It's one of life’s certainties that David Moffett will provoke lively and passionate debate when he speaks on rugby issues.

He was the man who presided over the cull that took place in 2003 when the map was redrawn and five so-called regions were introduced in Wales.

In reality, it ended up with Cardiff and Llanelli being stand-alone super-clubs, the Dragons not being sure what they were and only genuine regions being the Ospreys and Celtic Warriors, which was a combination of Bridgend and the Mid Glamorgan valleys.

But Warriors were wound up a year later after failing to regularly attract the attendances they needed to be a viable going concern.

It was a shameful episode and the damage it did, not just in the Glamorgan valleys where people still feel disenfranchised, but by the loss of money-spinning extra Welsh derbies and the dismantling of a squad and a spirit which might very well have propelled Warriors to Heineken Cup glory."

The >i>Daily Mail's Chris Foy claims that Stuart Lancaster will blood more youth while on tour in South Africa this summer.

"Stuart Lancaster is preparing to add more Test novices to his expanded England squad for the gruelling summer tour of South Africa.

The head coach is expected to take 40 players on the trip in June which will feature three Tests against the Springboks and two midweek games.

While the recruitment of additional coaches has been Lancaster’s priority following Andy Farrell’s decision to reject a place in the England management, he has also been finalising plans to introduce a further tranche of young players, as he did for the Six Nations."

The Bulls' CJ Stander touches down for a controversial try against the Brumbies in Pretoria © Getty Images

Writing for Supersport, Kiwi commentator Tony Johnson reflects on a stressful weekend for the Super Rugby officials.

"The poor refs. These guys who have to have a brain like a computer, eyes in the back of their heads, the reactions of a ninja, and the hide of a rhino as they have to make subjective judgments based on a convoluted law book, not to mention the contradictory edicts of their bosses who scrutinise their every move and mark them out of five for everything they do from the moment they start lacing up their boots.

"They are charged with officiating over teams whose coaches go to all sorts of lengths to find a way, be it fair or foul, around the latest law adjustments or applications, whilst trying to manage the actions of players many of whom have only the vaguest grasp of what the law is. Meantime, everything they do is maximised, amplified, and vilified by probing TV cameras, replays, and commentators who think they know the law backwards…which might literally be true in some cases.

"We ask…nay demand from them consistency, without asking how that is supposed to be possible when there are so many inconsistencies, contradictions, misconceptions, and uneccessary-isms in the law book, or the law as it is preached to them by their superiors.

"Why can’t a prop put his hand on the ground for a moment just to steady a scrum? Why is it that a hooker will get pinged for throwing crooked into a lineout, and yet the current thinking allows the halfback put the ball straight under his locks feet at the subsequent scrum? Why is it that a halfback can reach into a ruck to pull the ball out, but when a loose forward does it it’s a penalty?"

The New Zealand Herald's Dylan Cleaver asks whether the Chiefs can maintain their impressive run of form in this season's battle for the Super Rugby crown.

"Don't underestimate a team that can hold the Sharks tryless on their own ground. That required a sound defensive system and the ability to scramble. The win came with its casualties. Lelia Masaga knocked himself and Lwazi Mvovo senseless when he got a kick chase wrong. There was nothing malicious in it, but Masaga fell short in the duty of care requirements.

"Perhaps more worrying to followers of fashion was the news Richard Kahui may have broken his beak. A nation holds its breath.

"Other than that, the Chiefs will arrive in Auckland around midnight tonight with few headaches. They've proved they can win in a variety of ways with a variety of personnel.

"Tanerau Latimer, for example, has been playing some of the best rugby of his career. Yesterday he watched from the bench as his replacement, Sam Cane, 20, had the best game of his fledgling career.

"The Chiefs' success defies explanation."

The Western Mail's Andy Howell reflects on some promising figures emanating from Welsh rugby.

"The weekend's crowds have shown professional rugby has a future in Wales and what could be if the season was structured properly to give the regions a fair crack of the whip.

"A season’s best crowd of 14,478 – their highest since facing the Scarlets in December 2010 – turned up to watch the Ospreys beat the Dragons to secure a place in the RaboDirect Pro12 play-offs.

"And 10,741, raising the total to 25,219, were in Llanelli 23 hours later to see the Scarlets snatch a riveting draw with league champions Munster to cling on to hopes of joining their neighbours in the semi-finals.

"...There’s been much debate over the future of the regions and what they should be called, but you could call them what you want and it wouldn’t make much difference. What potential supporters demand is success, continuity, value for money, the stars playing, an exciting product and an occasion, with the match being part of an entertainment package.

"The Scarlets certainly hit the mark in a few of those categories, with the entertainment they provide inside their indoor training barn a huge hit with their passionate supporters as they’ve turned home games into an enjoyable outing for the whole family."

Writing for the Irish Times, Matt Williams is the latest voice to urge the International Rugby Board to review the powers of the Television Match Official.

"Only two weeks ago at the Stade de France, Toulouse were awarded a match-winning try against Stade Francais. Television replays revealed blatant obstruction to the defending players. The TMO could see the infringement but the IRB do not allow him to communicate this with the referee. The TMO could not tell the referee of the obstruction. The TMO, the TV audience and the crowd in the stadium all knew the try was illegal and should not stand.

"However, rugby will not allow the TMO to rule on incidents that occur in the field of play. The only person who did not know and the only one that really counted was the referee. He awarded the try.

"Rugby League have permitted the TMO to rule on actions in the field of play for years. If the rugby league system, was in use for this match, it would have resulted in Toulouse being penalised for obstruction and Stade, justly would have won. As it stands, justice was not done and Stade may well miss out on the semis and entry into next year’s Heineken Cup because of the injustice of the system.

"Stade’s situation is not unusual. This column does not allow me to list the vast number of matches that have been won by cheating teams because the TMO cannot rule on illegal play in the field of play."

The Daily Telegraph's Brian Moore believes Exeter need to cement their development if they are to regularly challenge for honours.

"There is nothing wrong with stressing that you are a team in which nobody is allowed to feel they are a star or better than a team-mate. That is not the same as being a team of no stars. All great teams have stars and journeymen, and Exeter will have to find, either organically or by transfer, a smattering of extra talent to take the next step.

"The honest work of players like James Scaysbrook, Chris Whitehead and Haydn Thomas was evident against Northampton on Sunday and the commitment and strength of Exeter did not waver. Their half-time lead of 10-3 came from pressuring Northampton with direct running and the judicious use of a strong breeze.

"What Exeter could not do was disrupt Northampton’s disciplined defence more than a couple of times. Their ploy to run at and through Stephen Myler had only limited success, and without the anticipated space Exeter did not have that indefinable spark to create opportunities elsewhere. Thus their downfall was foreshadowed."

Will Victor Matfield lead the Springboks in their three-Test series with England? © Getty Images

Writing for The Independent in South Africa, Gavin Rich ponders the Springboks' leadership issue.

"Last year’s understrength away leg of the Tri-Nations, of which Van der Merwe was a part, showed us the extent of the shortfall of experience in a Bok team that had been dominated for several years by the core of the group blooded by Jake White in 2004.

"So yes, while there are good locks coming through, and there is validity to the call for Meyer to start with a new group, as White did eight years ago, there is just enough room for the new coach to claim that Matfield is a necessary inclusion in the playing group.

"The blame for Meyer’s desire to have someone he knows well helping him steer the Boks in this difficult first year lies not with him but with the officials responsible for the coaching appointments.

"Meyer lost out to Peter de Villiers in 2008 and hasn’t done much at the coalface of top-level rugby since then, so he is right when he says he doesn’t know the current players (outside of those from the Bulls).

"It would have been different four years ago, when Meyer would have been better prepared for the job than he is now."

Piri Weepu's second journey to Wellington to play club rugby for Wainuiomata last weekend is a case of having your cake and eating it too, according to the >i>Herald on Sunday's Richard Loe.

"Okay, we have read that he is homesick and Auckland's rugby governors have permitted him to make the trip home on compassionate grounds because his kids have been sick.

"...The whole thing sends another signal that club rugby has become the lowest of the low in New Zealand. Professional rugby is all well and good but club rugby is where people and players are involved for fun. Meeting All Blacks and senior players in club rugby ranks is a real boost.

"I remember when Sonny Bill Williams played for Belfast when he came down to the Crusaders. They were hanging out of trees, standing on chairs and craning their necks to get a look at him. We have to recognise that the way the game is structured counts against club rugby and even provincial rugby these days."

Writing for the Sunday Times (via paywall), Stuart Barnes reflects on Leicester's epic Aviva Premiership victory over Harlequins at The Stoop.

Writing in the < Ahref="http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/is-rugby-just-a-job-or-do-players-still-have-passion-for-their-state-20120421-1xdle.html" target="new">Sydney Morning Herald, Matt Burke questions the mindset of players who sign for a rival side midway through a season.

" Perhaps there needs to be a window of opportunity where player managers can go to the market and shop their players around. I would find the process of negotiating a contract mid-season a little distracting. In the process of playing well, the offers should flow in, while a poor on-field showing diminishes your stocks. It is cutthroat, and a player needs to get the best deal possible. Perhaps the scenario should be to open the transfer window at the end of the season when players go back to club or country. You already know the value of the player from viewing a full season of Super Rugby.

"I say this in refection of James O'Connor's drawn-out process of negotiation last year. This highlighted the need to have some kind of procedures in place that will give the franchise certainty as to when this process should occur. No doubt the deliberation had an effect on the Force and the way they performed last year. The great cliche of "we not me" was not observed in this instance."

Ripping up the rule book for their Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Ulster may prove the right move for Edinburgh’s radical, according to the Scotland on Sunday's Iain Morrison.

"Genteel and Georgian, Edinburgh was at one time known for producing nonconformists who blazed their very own trail, and now the capital’s rugby club have torn up every rule in the book on their way to next Saturday’s Heineken Cup semi-final in Dublin. Not since Renton, Spud, Sickboy and Begbie leapt on to the screen in Trainspotting has Edinburgh produced such charismatic anarchists.

"Successful sides are supposed to put up a decent showing in their day jobs whereas Edinburgh lie one off the bottom of the Pro12. Winners invariably have age and experience on their side while Edinburgh field a bunch of boys – Matt Scott, Grant Gilchrist, Tom Brown and Lee Jones – who are effectively in their freshman year, with David Denton not much older. Heineken Cup winners defend like Confederate general Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson; Edinburgh defend like Michael Jackson.

"OK, the last point is a little unfair given their heroics in holding Toulouse to just one try but still Edinburgh conceded a painful 54 points to Leinster’s second string last weekend in the Pro12 league. As dress rehearsals go it wasn’t an ideal run in Dublin, the venue for next Saturday’s semi-final, but we’ve learned not to read too much into Edinburgh’s league results. Ulster have already walloped Michael Bradley’s men twice this season, home and away, with an aggregate scoreline of 80-36."

The Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford casts an eye over the Heineken Cup semi-finals next weekend.

"Ulster against Edinburgh in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup on Saturday. I know. Edinburgh. In the semi-final of the Heineken Cup. It takes some getting used to.

"One, because they are the first Scottish side to reach that level, ever.

"Two, because many of the players doing so well for Edinburgh this season combined so ineffectively for Scotland in the Six Nations.

"And three, because they beat Toulouse, one of the great institutions of European rugby, in front of a Murrayfield crowd approaching 38,000, a number almost as gob-smacking as the victory itself, to get there.

"And now the big question. Can Edinburgh back it up against Ulster, a team, according to Edinburgh head coach Michael Bradley, “built to win trophies”, away from home in Dublin?"

Clermont Auvergne lock Nathan Hines has also played for their Heineken Cup semi-final opponents Leinster © Getty Images

The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley talks to Clermont Auvergne second row Nathan Hines ahead of his side's Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Leinster next weekend.

"Deep down, before the semi-final draw was even made, Joe Schmidt always felt he would run into his former Clermont employers and likewise Nathan Hines sensed it would be his erstwhile team-mates at Leinster. And, sure enough, so it has come to pass. To win the best tournament in Europe you invariably have to beat the best. “If we wanted to go far in Europe we knew one time or another we would have to cross paths,” reasons Hines.

"Schmidt reckons Hines has more on him than vice versa, a notion that makes Hines laugh and also prompts him to repeat Schmidt’s line that: “I could never remember the lineout calls when I was there, let alone a year later! To be fair, him and Vern (Cotter) spent a lot of time together and they will try to out-fox each other. It just comes down to the day, doesn’t it?”

"The Australian from Wagga Wagga who played 77 times for Scotland is likely to be directly opposed by the All Blacks World Cup winner who has also played league for Australia, Brad Thorn.

"With the latter likely to pack down alongside Leo Cullen and Hines partnered by the abrasive Canadian Jamie Cudmore (sparring partner of Paul O’Connell amongst many, many others) the combined age of Leinster’s secondrow would be 71, with Clermont’s a sprightly 68."

The New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray believes that the All Blacks should perhaps consider shuffling their options.

"Think Jonah Lomu if you want a poster boy for positional switches.

"Ask Mike Catt and he will hold a different opinion about the man who provoked a telegram to the All Blacks at the 1995 World Cup: "Remember rugby is a team game so all 14 of you pass the ball to Jonah."

"The one-time loose forward moved to wing and became the most terrifying force in world rugby with his brutal power and subtle touches.

"Maybe the new All Black panel could use Victor Vito's power and skills on the wing, or suggest to Adam Thomson that a chunk of his best work comes on the flank so why doesn't he stay there.

"Jersey numbers don't count as much in the modern game - once set pieces are finished, every player is expected to show a range of skills on attack and defence."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Spiro Zavos investigates the ''Gougegate'' surrounding the Bulls' recent Super Rugby clash with the Crusaders.

"This affair, in my opinion, has raised serious issues about the willingness of the Bulls to do what it takes to win matches.

"Jake White has told his young Brumbies side to prepare for a "baptism of fire" when they play the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld tonight. "Nothing untoward, nothing illegal, they just love their rugby, they want to win and will put pressure wherever they can," he said.

"My question is this: is it possible that this determination sometimes leads to unacceptable gamesmanship? If the Bulls franchise and their supporters complain that this is unfair, they need to understand that ''Gougegate'' may have exposed the Bulls to this sort of accusation."

Writing in his column for The Independent, Brian Ashton recounts a recent meeting with former England international Nigel Melville and the two former scrum-halves discussed the role of the modern No.9.

"There is no secret to success when it comes to the scrum-half's delivery: it is based on sound technique and sheer hard work of the repetitive variety. People often said Nigel's pass was a thing of beauty and I had no reason to disagree.

"Yet for all the talk of technical excellence, the main focus of our chat was centred on the tactical and mental attributes required by a scrum-half hoping to prosper in the higher reaches of the sport. The No 9 is constantly operating under pressure of time, space and physicality. He has the ball in his hands more than anyone else on the field and as a consequence must make more decisions about what happens next. The ability to communicate intelligently in demanding circumstances is vital. As the link between forwards and backs, he must have the capacity to talk to those in front of him while listening to those outside.

"Among the many virtues of the top-class scrum-half are organisational capability and the almost indefinable quality of "presence" – things that allow him to remain in control when the going gets tough in confined areas, thereby helping him assess situations and react quickly to them. It is also true that the outstanding No 9s around the world have a high work rate and aerobic capacity: a big engine, if you like. Add the ability to scan on the move and make decisions on the next course of action two or three metres before arriving at the tackle point – eyes-open rugby – and you can see how much is required in maintaining the sense of order and continuity that is so important to the attacking game."

The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary reports on Exeter's hunger for success.

"Exeter have been rumbled. The country bumpkin schtick, the image of yokels just grateful to be allowed to play ball with the city slickers, that sense of a bunch of journeyman players grunting and grafting their way to a few wins, will not hold good any longer.

"The bucolic sweep of the Devon countryside does feature on Sandy Park’s horizons but within the confines of the purpose-built £15 million facility there is a state-of-the-art conference and banqueting centre that yielded £750,000 towards the playing budget this season while plans are being sketched to double the 10,000-capacity of a ground that is only six years old. The modern sits with the rustic, sophistication is layered on those deep-rooted virtues of toil and mateship. Exeter have become a club of many hues, a team for all seasons."

Mike Tindall's future is uncertain © Getty Images

The Guardian's Paul Rees looks at where Mike Tindall's next port of call may be.

"Mike Tindall's seven-year stint with Gloucester is set to end in June, despite the departure of Bryan Redpath as the club's head coach this week.

Redpath had held out against offering the former England captain a new two-year contract and the 33-year old Tindall, who joined Gloucester from West Country neighbours Bath, has been exploring options in France. Gloucester had virtually finalised their squad ahead of Redpath's departure and Billy Twelvetrees will add to their midfield options when he arrives from Leicester in the summer.

"We have had discussions with Mike but he has not been offered a new contract," said Ken Nottage, the Gloucester managing director. "That was Bryan's decision, but Mike is still playing for us and he has been an outstanding professional, someone who is brilliant with our sponsors. He is under contract with us until the end of June and I do not know what his plans are. I suppose you could not rule out Mike staying with us, but that would be a decision for our new head coach.""

The Western Mail's Delme Parfitt asks why Wales seem to struggle after a Grand Slam following the news that fate has dealt them another cruel blow.

"Question: Why is life in Welsh rugby never straightforward after a Grand Slam?

Answer: On a postcard if you wouldn’t mind, though if you can come up with anything which doesn’t pertain to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that Shakespeare used to go on about, you’ll be doing well.

In 2005, Wales, just as they were scaling the summit of the world with their “total rugby”, lost Mike Ruddock to an apparent player revolt, a story which had enough sub-plots to have enjoyed a decent run in the West End.

In 2008 the aftermath of European domination was more of a docu-drama without the exploding bombs and firefights of three years earlier. Events unfolded slowly, but we were charting decline, malaise, regression, call it what you will.”

Shaun Edwards, in his column for the Guardian, analyses Harlequins and Leicester Tigers' half-back strategies.

"This week Twickenham Stoop, next month 200 yards up the Chertsey Road. You don't have to be a genius to pick Harlequins versus Leicester as a warm-up for the grand final at Twickenham at the end of May.

Right now they are probably the best two sides in the country – but very different in style and also very different in the way they have got to the top of the Premiership. The stats show that Leicester started poorly while Quins got to Christmas before losing a league game. After six rounds Leicester were one off the bottom; Quins were where they have been since last September – top of the tree. Since then Richard Cockerill's men have been marching remorselessly up the table.

Fourth by the start of the Six Nations, third at the end of it. After last weekend's win at Northampton – their fifth successive bonus-point victory – they had scored 63 tries, 15 more than the second highest in the league, Harlequins. Mind you, Leicester have leaked a few as well, particularly during the World Cup, but the interest on Saturday will be the clash of styles; Quins play off their scrum-half, Danny Care, whereas Leicester use their fly-half, Toby Flood, as their playmaker.”

Brad Barritt, talking to the Daily Telegraph's Nick Pearce, reflects on a memorable year.

"Brad Barritt is not a man who likes to look too far in to the future, but if he ventures a glance at his calendar for the five weeks between the middle of May and the end of June he will see three very pressing engagements.

First up is the Aviva Premiership final, where Barritt and his fellow Saracens will be gunning for a second consecutive league title.

Then comes England’s three-Test tour of his native South Africa, before what, surely, is the most important of the three – his wedding to fiancée Georgia.

But even getting Barritt to think a fortnight ahead is a challenge, with his sights never focused beyond the short-term. This may not be the best way to approach everyday life but in rugby it has served the centre well.”

Richie McCaw and Graham Henry celebrate the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup triumph © Getty Images

Former All Black coach Graham Henry has offered to help Richie McCaw find a girlfriend after the Rugby World Cup-winning captain admitted he was single. The New Zealand Herald's Cassandra Mason reports.

"Henry hosted an hour-long show on Radio Live this afternoon during which he interviewed McCaw and took questions from the public.

"When asked by Henry who the lucky lady in his life was, McCaw said "There's actually none at the moment. I'm still on the lookout."

"Henry suggested he put out an advert, to which McCaw responded "Sounds good Ted, you can vet them all."

"Henry said he was missing McCaw and the rest of the "young fellas" in the team.

"I still feel young until I look in the mirror," he said."

Reds boss Ewen McKenzie insists the recruitment of Western Force coach Richard Graham does not signal the end of his involvement with the side. Check out his latest column in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"You often don't get the time to make considered and long-term decisions as the pressure of the moment gets in the way. We're blessed we have an organisation that has the forward-thinking to make this a reality.

"For the Reds, I will remain the head of the rugby program while Richard will transition into the role of head coach.

"It's a process that may seem bizarre to some but which is common place within rugby, especially in Europe. There is barely a European club that does not have a multi-level structure to their rugby department. This is done so organisations get the best out of their investments both on and off the field. Clubs are constantly adapting their structures and titles to maximise their skill sets and to overcome new challenges."

Veteran South African fullback Stefan Terblanche tells the Irish Times' Gerry Thornley how he has embraced Belfast, immersing himself in its culture, history and rugby feel-good environment.

"HE’S A big hit in Ulster, on and off the pitch. Team-mates and management have been taken by Stefan Terblanche’s pleasant, easy-going manner and, under three months shy of his 37th birthday, his condition and performances. Thus they were only too happy to extend his original three-month contract until the end of the season, and, as a final swan song to his stellar 15-year career, he is only too happy to enjoy the ride. Terblanche is, indeed, in encore territory.

"...The rugby itself has been so good that he hasn’t had time to contemplate that this will probably be the last few weeks of his career.

“You have to make the right decisions in life sometimes. I’ve been very fortunate in my career with the decisions I’ve made whether through my own knowledge of the game or pure luck, whatever you want to call it. But making the decision to come to Ulster at this time is wonderful,” he explains.

“There’s just a good feeling about the team and people in Belfast and Northern Ireland and great support for the team. If you saw the amount of support we had down in Limerick at Thomond Park and I believe there’s a lot of Ulster supporters coming to this game next weekend. It’s great to be part of something like that.”

Leicester's rookie hooker Tom Youngs could make his England debut before starting an Aviva Premiership match for his club after being pencilled in for the summer tour of South Africa. The Independent's Chris Goddard reports.

"England are seriously considering the 25-year-old brother of Tigers and England scrum-half Ben for the three-Test tour despite the fact that none of his 28 appearances include a Premiership start at hooker, although he has made 13 appearances off the bench.

"The England coaches have been keeping a close eye on Youngs, the Tigers' third-choice hooker behind George Chuter and Rob Hawkins, and have been so impressed with his play and attitude that they do not consider him a gamble for a tour which also includes two midweek games.

"If Youngs gets the nod it will signal a remarkable rise to the top for a player who was converted from a crash-ball centre by South Africa's new head coach Heyneke Meyer during his brief stint in charge of Leicester in 2008-09."

Wayne Smith appears to be the favourite to replace Andy Farrell with England © Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary claims that Andy Farrell turning down England could be one of the best things that has happened to the side.

"It was good news for Andy Farrell and for the Rugby Football Union that the former dual-code international player turned down the chance to join Stuart Lancaster in the England adventure through to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

It may not seem that way in the short term for either player or country; Farrell watching from afar as Lancaster gets to grips with an altogether more unforgiving beast in the Springboks, and the players themselves come to terms with readying themselves for that three-Test series in June without the reassuring presence of Faz snr.

Farrell brought considerable steel to the England set-up, a sense of gritty, deeply-fuelled commitment to the cause that had a clear impact on the players. England put it out there in the field in their wholehearted endeavours and in their sharply-defined identity as a team that would back each other to the hilt. Some of this came from Farrell’s own persona, that unyielding, busted-nosed competitiveness.

Some of it, of course, was more cerebral than that, and was derived from the clever, precise routines he has helped put in place at Saracens over the last 2½ years. Farrell is a mere fledgling as a coach. He knows that and, admirably as he did for them during the Six Nations, the players know that too. He’s a rookie, a sharp-tooled rookie but nowhere near graduation day yet."

The Irish Independent's Ruaidhri O'Connor talks to Leinster back-row Sean O'Brien who gives his immediate backing to Joe Schmidt to lead the nation's backs while on tour.

"Sean O'Brien reckons Joe Schmidt would be a natural if he were asked to be Ireland's backs coach on the summer tour to New Zealand.

There have been a number of calls for the Leinster coach to be co-opted on to the national team's assault on his native land this June, even if the prospect appears remote.

The evidence of the Kiwi's abilities has been clear for all to see this season - particularly in the free-running rout over Cardiff in the Heineken Cup quarter-final - and he would appear to be a logical fit for the Irish set-up, which has not had a specialist backs coach since the World Cup.

Defence coach Les Kiss has deputised, but already has his hands full as he tries to get a handle on stopping the world champions from scoring.

And although the Leinster and Ireland flanker was at pains not to be seen to be calling for Schmidt to get the job - and was fulsome in his praise for the job Kiss did during the Six Nations campaign - he admitted that Schmidt would be up to the task."

Wales Online's Delme Parfitt casts his eye across the potential candidates for the Cardiff Blues' director of rugby role.

"Given all the shenanigans that have gone on at the Blues of late, you may think potential candidates wouldn’t want to touch the director of rugby vacancy with a barge-pole.

But don’t be fooled. If the general consensus is that the region have hit something of a nadir in the last month, and that cost-cutting means they face a backs-to-the-wall fightback, then the only way would seem to be up for the new man in charge.

Chances to take charge of Welsh regions are extremely rare. Chances to mold them in your own image at the beginning of what is clearly going to be a new era, even rarer.

The Blues want somebody with experience and knowledge of the Welsh scene, and it’s safe to assume they won’t be breaking the bank to secure him in these austere times.

So, potential candidates?"

The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary talks to John Kirwan about his own experiences battling depression after Bath prop Duncan Bell spoke out about it on Tuesday.

"Former All Black wing John Kirwan has hailed Duncan Bell’s decision to go public about his long-running battle with depression as “courageous and admirable”.

Bell, the England and Bath prop, revealed to Telegraph Sport that he had been suffering with mental illness for several years, only opening up about his despair on the announcement of his retirement this week.

Kirwan knows exactly what it took for Bell to be so candid. He did the same himself in the Nineties in an admission that stunned the rugby world.

Kirwan actually coached Bell as part of the charity Help for Heroes match at Twickenham in December but even his expert eye failed to pick up signs."

Duncan Bell has announced his retirement from the game © Getty Images

Bath prop Duncan Bell, talking to the Daily Telegraph's Oliver Brown, reveals his battle with depression.

"Duncan Bell would never strike you as the likely victim of depression. A 19-stone tighthead prop, who cultivates his machismo from the very fact that he must grind bone on bone with his opponents every week, appears positively immune to moments of darkness and introspection.

As you walk into his home in the Cotswolds haven of Chipping Sodbury, the living room animated by the chatter of his four children, you would not even suspect that he had been suffering in silence for a decade.

But over the next hour Bell empties the emotional tank.

At the time of our meeting, he has not even told his Bath team-mates about his fight against depression or of his decision to retire from rugby aged 37.

Despite several years of counselling, courses of antidepressants, and one incident where he cried in front of a fellow player, the subject remains painfully raw.

“Can we talk here?” he says, gesturing to the garden table. “I don’t want the kids to hear any of this.”"

The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly claims that Munster's Mick O'Driscoll will retire at the end of the season.

"After 14 years and more than 200 caps for his native province, Mick O'Driscoll is set to retire from Munster rugby at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old second-row from Cork made his debut for the side in August 1998 and won his 200th cap last month when he led them out against the Newport-Gwent Dragons in their Rabodirect Pro12 clash at Rodney Parade.

O'Driscoll became the eighth player to hit the 200 mark but has the Munster record for appearances in the league, which now stands at 129, after he led Tony McGahan's side to victory over Glasgow at Musgrave Park last weekend."

Andy Howell, writing for the Western Mail, claims there is no way back for Huw Bennett if he pulls the plug on his switch to Lyon.

"World Cup hooker Huw Bennett won’t get a new deal at the Ospreys should his move to French club Lyon collapse.

Lyon are marooned at the bottom of the French Top 14 and bankers for relegation to the Second Division following a 43-12 hammering at Montpellier last weekend.

It’s understood the 28-year-old hooker has a clause in the contract he has signed with Lyon which frees him if they are demoted.

The Ospreys had made Bennett an improved offer to stay at the Liberty Stadium but he had already committed to a move across the English Channel.

However, the Welsh region’s circumstances have changed since with forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys revealing there’s no way back for the double Grand Slam winner."

The Independent's Chris Hewett looks at the latest twist in the Sale coaching saga.

"Bryan Redpath, the Gloucester head coach who has been heavily linked with an imminent move to Sale, will find his every move monitored when the two clubs meet at Kingsholm this weekend for a squabble over Heineken Cup qualification. He is not, however, the only name in the frame for the vacancy in the north-west. Two New Zealanders with rich World Cup experience, John Kirwan and Pat Lam, are on the interview list, as is Eddie O'Sullivan, the former Ireland coach who worked with the United States last year.

Steve Diamond, now chief executive at Sale as well as running the rugby, has been looking for a coach since sacking Tony Hanks after a heavy defeat by Saracens last month. Such has been the rapid turnover of back-room personnel in recent seasons, he needs to make the right call, especially as two major signings, the prodigal England fly-half Danny Cipriani and the brilliant Scotland lock Richie Gray, are about to join."

Keep calm and carry on? Will Piri Weepu be part of the All Blacks this year? © Getty Images

The New Zealand selectors face tough call over the next All Blacks squad according to the New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray.

"They have to abandon their historic allegiances, separate their loyalty from reality and ask whether some of those who delivered the Webb Ellis Cup still have test years in them.

"In doing that they have to measure their knowledge of those players and the quality of challengers for their positions.

"Ma'a Nonu and Piri Weepu are prime examples in the Blues.

"Sonny Bill Williams has shown repeated form at second five-eighths. His understudy would be Nonu, because of his All Black history and the lack of sting from other solid, but less dynamic, midfielders.

"Weepu is in much deeper schtum. He has little form, well-documented fitness issues and a stack of other halfbacks who are in strong nick."

Supersport's Brendan Nel is convinced that Victor Matfield is assured of a central role within the 2012 Springboks - but on or off the field?

"Matfield is still fit, having recently cycled the Cape Argus and is known to keep up a stringent gym routine since retiring at the end of last season, but whether he is sharp and fit for Super Rugby is another point.

"However, if the Bok lock is to captain the Springboks in that first game, he will need to get some match fitness and sharpness back into his game, with the plan being to give him three or four games at either the Sharks or Cheetahs franchises towards the end of the season.

"The underlying point to remember is that Matfield has also not said a word on a possible return, and part of his decision will need to be with his employers SuperSport, where the lock has been working as a comments man since the beginning of the year.

"Still, he did joke with SuperSport.com earlier this year when Meyer was appointed that he could see himself lacing up boots, but the reality is that there is a lot that still must happen before Matfield can take up any role as a player in the team."

The New Zealand Herald's Chris Rattue doesn't hold back in his assessment of the struggling Blues.

"Time to give up on what remained of a brave face. Let's just wail and weep about the Blues. They are downright awful.

"The time to make a coaching change was last week, a last-gasp Hail Mary chance to avert the otherwise inevitable disaster which duly arrived at Eden Park when Pat Lam's bumblers lost to an average Sharks lineup. The Sharks mixed languid with little bursts of outstanding rugby before a wee gathering. Even a half-decent Blues side from their disappointing past would have smashed that lot.

"Lam had to be removed if the Blues were desperate and still dreaming the dream. The Blues' passes hit each other on the noggin while we just scratched ours. This team are dysfunctional, thus badly coached."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, John Eales heaps praise on Brumbies flanker Michael Hooper.

"If I was going to teach someone about rugby, I'd instruct them to watch an open-side flanker like Michael Hooper, who again was brilliant in the Brumbies' comprehensive 37 points to 6 victory over the Rebels.

Eighty minutes watching a great open-side flanker in action gives an instructive perspective of the complexity and totality of rugby. They are either on the ball or preparing for the next iteration of play. They are in the thick of forward play, in the twinkle of the back line and providing a continuous link between the two.

"The greatest exponents are also among the game's most influential. All Black Richie McCaw has been the best credentialled of modern-day flankers but he is not alone. The Springboks narrowly lost their World Cup semi-final against the Wallabies last year largely because their man, Heinrich Brussow, departed early, allowing David Pocock to dominate. Likewise, when Hooper is not wearing the No. 7, the Brumbies are a lesser team. Australia has been replete with flyers over the years and in the established Pocock of the Western Force, and the emerging talent of Liam Gill, Chris Alcock, Hooper and others, it has some useful muses at different stages of their development."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Matt Burke pines for a little more breathing room in the modern game.

"With the existing laws in defence off a ruck or maul, the teams have to be behind the last man's feet. Can anyone please tell me when you have seen this law enforced in the past couple of years. Players in the defensive roles have been creeping up the last foot, leg even, so far as standing one-third up their side of the ruck. The effect of this is that they get a flying start and usually knock the team with possession back behind the advantage line, perhaps no more than one pass from the ruck, maybe two.

"With the eventual slow ball we now have a scenario where the halfback waits with the ball at the back of the breakdown and gets his forwards organised to smash it up only one pass from the previous ruck. I find this part of the game frustrating. Why are you playing slow? I know the answer is to set up for the next play but how many times have we seen a turnover from that ruck, or worse, a knock-on by a forward who received a bullet-like pass from the halfback around the ankles or even around the toes. The result? Scrum."

Writing in the Irish Times, Matt Williams urges the Irish Rugby Football Union to join the Sevens party.

"Two weeks ago Australia won the IRB sevens tournament held in Tokyo. No Irish team participated.

"The Australians were one of the youngest to ever feature at an IRB event. Their coach, Michael O’Connor, stated that it was hard to keep cohesion in the group because as soon as they created a winning team the players were contracted into Super Rugby teams. The Australians Sevens budget is also lower than it was three years ago.

"So the Australian sevens programme is cheap. It is creating players for senior provincial teams. It is providing a pathway for talented players under the age of 20. The team is regularly winning tournaments. It is not impinging on Australian club rugby because the numbers for the sevens are so small and the windows of their absence are so infrequent.

"In short, the Australian sevens programme is living, working proof that the official IRFU arguments for not playing international Sevens are false. In the words of “the dissident,” the IRFU are unjust in denying Irish players the opportunity to play international sevens rugby."

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Brian Moore reflects on Wasps' recent struggles on and off the field.

"Saturday saw Quins dispatch Wasps 33–17 a result which, combined with the Newcastle beating Gloucester, enhanced the prospect of a ’loser goes down’ final game between Wasps and the Falcons.

"The plucky but miserable performance of the Wasps didn’t produce in me the expected delightful schadenfreude, it produced sadness at witnessing of a mere shadow of former teams, in particular that led by Lawrence Dallaglio which dominated domestic and European rugby.

"The decline in fortunes is explained only partly by a ruinous litany of injuries. The surrounding uncertainty about ownership of the club, an inability to develop a purpose built and wholly owned home stadium and the non retention of players are also contributory factors.

"At the root of trouble is the failure to use a business model that reinvested the proceeds and compensation from the sale of the Repton Avenue ground, where Wasps played in their amateur days, in the purchase of land on which a stadium could be built. Their tenancies of Loftus Road and Adams Park did see major on field success but the loss of a spiritual home."

Sir Ian McGeechan will leave Bath at the end of the current campaign © Getty Images

The Sunday Telegraph'sPaul Ackford talks to Sir Ian McGeechan about Bath and the Lions.

"It’s a glorious, sunlit afternoon on the outskirts of Bath and Sir Ian McGeechan is reflecting on a life in rugby, which is soon to come to an end.

He’s a little annoyed, if truth be told, at pains to correct erroneous impressions that he’s been shown the door by Bath.

It was a two-year appointment,” he says, “which has arrived at its natural conclusion. My role was to set up team structures and offer advice on Bath’s new training facility here at Farleigh House [which has cost owner Bruce Craig an estimated £11 million].

"I’m happy with how it’s gone. The culture is good now. You should see the results over the next two or three years.”

Advice is what McGeechan, 65, does these days. He was one of the four wise men who counselled RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie on whether Stuart Lancaster was up to the England job, and he is contracted to the 2013 British and Irish Lions as a consultant. As yet he has no formal role on that trip to Australia, but will be going as a Lions VIP."

The Irish Independent's Neil Francis claims that Munster need to be wary of a knee-jerk reaction as to who they appoint as their next boss.

"I was talking to quite a few Munster supporters throughout the week. Perplexing conundrums. They haven't worked it out yet and the answer to a lot of their vexations lies in the questions that they have been asking. Ulster, they maintained, were on the cynical side of crafty. 'They killed our good ball, wouldn't roll away, hands everywhere. Ref did nuttin' about it.'

Times were when you walked into the junkyard, the junkyard dog sank its teeth into the flabby folds of flesh on your buttocks and wouldn't let go until the owner came out of his cabin. Time was when sticking your arm over the other side of the ruck to slow ball down was like bobbing for piranhas when you played at Thomond. Chris Henry, who had a sensational game, spent 70 minutes plying a retardant buffer on proceedings at the breakdown. He left the field with a clear, unblemished facial complexion and his jersey was neither torn nor pock-marked with a studded impression. He got away with murder -- or more succinctly he was let get away with murder.

Tony McGahan is unquestionably a quality coach -- he knows his stuff, but under his stewardship he has tried to sanitise certain parts of the way Munster play their game. It hasn't worked. The junkyard dog is gone and it is incumbent on the people charged with responsibility for Munster's affairs to bring it back."

The Sunday Independent's Hugh Godwin talks to Sale CEO Steve Diamond about his plans to turn Sale into a 'super club' and where Danny Cipriani fits in.

"Steve Diamond is nothing if not an optimist. The sporting director and chief executive of Sale Sharks – or the putative "northern super club", as he describes the Manchester team he used to play for and coach – says he has no qualms over handling next season's fly-half Danny Cipriani. "The controversy that surrounds the lad is his celebrity and that's not a drama for us," says Diamond. "He's coming to a massive city where if we're talking about celebrity and sportsmen they had the best, didn't they, in George Best? That's the least of our worries."

Best might be an odd exemplar for the occasionally wayward Cipriani. But Diamond, though he will make a 10-day trip to Australia in May to bond with his new signing from Melbourne Rebels, insists he is not giving Cipriani a licence to spill. The Sharks, he points out, have assimilated the Wales tearaway Andy Powell with no apparent problems."

Bath front-row David Flatman, writing for the Independent on Sunday, looks at the balance between the gym monkey tendency and the need for performance.

"As soon as rugby union turned professional, money seemed to get the blame for everything. It was, and is, said that the camaraderie has disappeared from the game, as its proponents are now just mercenaries. Whenever a team underperforms and the paying supporters begin to verbalise their discontent, there is always one voice near the back labelling the day's runners-up a pack of overpaid apes.

And so the euro is now being blamed for our English sides being brutally tossed aside by their French counterparts in the Heineken Cup. This issue is raised around this time every season and, to my mind, those with this opinion have a point.

More money buys more players, which means injuries and fatigue matter less as one top-class practitioner will be replaced by another. Any holes left by absent internationals during Test periods are dealt with in the same manner."

The Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford provides his take on Stuart Lancaster's mission to find a replacement for Andy Farrell.

"Precisely two weeks into a permanent position and the first significant issue for Stuart Lancaster. Andy Farrell's decision to stick with Saracens is regrettable from an England perspective, not because he is a good coach.

He is. But because it affects the chemistry of what was obviously a very compatible coaching group. Those who know and have worked with Farrell say he brings an energy and an excitement which is truly invigorating.

That's what Lancaster needs to replicate, and it makes siren calls for New Zealand's Wayne Smith, The Telegraph's Will Greenwood, Clermont Auvergne's Alex King and Fylde's Brian Ashton - whoever - to replace Farrell completely meaningless."

England reject Mike Tindall reflects on the infamous World Cup, in the Mail on Sunday.

"Mike Tindall knows that most people have already made up their minds about what happened during England’s ill-fated Rugby World Cup campaign in New Zealand last year.

He knows the tournament was widely perceived as an embarrassing failure of turgid performances, wrapped up in chaos and bad behaviour, epitomised by one fateful drunken night out in Queenstown.

And he knows that some headlines will endure, that people will speak of England and dwarf-throwing forever more — even though there never was any dwarf-throwing — and that he, as captain in England’s opening game against Argentina, will be held up by some as symbolic of the ignominy."

Could former England international and current Clermont Auvergne assistant coach Alex King be about to join Stuart Lancaster's coaching team? © Getty Images

England are set to turn their attention to Clermont assistant coach Alex King after Kiwi coach Wayne Smith played down reports of an imminent switch - the Daily Telegraph's Gavin Mairs reports.

"The Daily Telegraph revealed on Thursday that King, the former Wasps and England fly-half, was under consideration for a role, possibly on an interim basis for the tour.

"It now looks certain that the RFU will seek to make contact with King this weekend to sound out whether he would be interested in a role.

"If King, who has a year to run on his contract with Clermont, accepted an interim position for the tour, he would be in pole position to demonstrate to Lancaster why he should be given the job permanently.

"Given King’s credentials, however, it would not come as a surprise if Lancaster had already earmarked the 37 year-old as his preferred candidate for the permanent position.

Where Gareth Anscombe now goes, the Blues should go - according to the New Zealand Herald's Dylan Cleaver.

"The most instructive moment of the latest Blues' horror show against the Sharks was the sight of the 20-year-old first five-eighths barking out orders to the huddle when they were double-figure digits down in the first half.

"There was shades of Grant Fox about the way he was seizing control of the moment.

"That's not to suggest Anscombe is Fox. He doesn't have the authority, the unshakeable faith in himself and those around him to do the right thing at the right time, but Anscombe in that moment marked himself as a leader.

"He's not even the most talented young five-eighth in the country, but he's not far off and the Blues are hardly in a position to look a gift-horse in the mouth in this fragile state of disintegration.

"Aaron Cruden, Beauden Barrett and, arguably, Lima Sopoaga look more physically advanced, more capable of playing on the advantage line and more likely to create space on their feet or through their hands."

Reds and Wallabies star Will Genia is just another member of the clan back at the family home in Port Moresby, writes the Sydney Morning Herald's Georgina Robinson.

"The 2011 Super Rugby Player of the Year is a four-hour flight and a million miles from rugby right now. He has taken an opportunity presented by the Reds' round eight bye to nip home for a few days to see family and help launch an Australian Rugby Union program using the game to teach life skills to school children.

"This mid-season visit is a rare treat. Genia usually comes back for a month-long stint at Christmas, when the whole family drives three hours east to their village, Lalaura. But in the back of his brother's ute on a languid Easter Monday afternoon in Papua New Guinea's wild and bustling capital, the 24-year-old is relishing the break.

''It's good to be home,'' he says. ''I always feel really free when I get back home, away from everything. All the troubles you leave behind and elsewhere, you come back and it's just so laid back, you can do whatever you want, sit in the back of utes, drive around town. It's just carefree and that's the best thing about it.''

The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly believes Ulster's success highlights a pressing problem for the Irish Rugby Football Union.

"Internet outrage is a fact of life and last week's assertion in these pages that an Ulster quarter-final win would not necessarily be the best result for Ireland ahead of their summer tour produced a predictably vitriolic response. However, the kernel of the argument has not altered.

"There's no more pressing issue in Irish rugby (as recognised by the IRFU's Player Succession Strategy) and the realisation has to dawn that Heineken Cup success is not an end in itself -- under the assumption that the national team should always take precedence.

"Ulster's overseas contingent formed a third of their starting side in Limerick last weekend and all were hugely influential in fashioning a seminal victory.

"And, while helping the province to reach their first Heineken Cup semi-final since 1999 has to bring on the Irish players making the starting side around them, the fact is that non-Irish qualified players are simultaneously impeding others, and not just in Ulster."

Matt Banahan is the most famous rugby player to have emerged from the Channel Islands, but he might not be for much longer if the rapid rise of Jersey, the giant England wing’s old club, continues.Paul Bolton reports for the Daily Telegraph.

"Jersey are on the brink of clinching a place in the RFU Championship, England’s second-tier league, with a third straight promotion. They will secure the National One title on Saturday afternoon if they beat Macclesfield at their St Peter headquarters and second-placed Ealing Trailfinders fail to take a point from their home game against Coventry.

"Two years ago Jersey were playing regional rugby and their meteoric rise, with a side evenly divided between home-grown youngsters and experienced imports including former Wales prop Ben Evans, has surprised even their head coach, Ben Harvey.

“I think everyone has been taken by surprise by how far we have come in a short time,” Harvey said. “We are ambitious but things have happened very quickly. Outside the island people probably know very little about Jersey rugby. People will know that Matt Banahan played for us and Fraser Waters, the former England centre, lived on the island for a while. But we do have a lot of good youngsters here and we are trying to give them opportunities and see how far they can go."

Stuart Lancaster has played an integral part in securing the RFU a new partnership with BMW © Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph's Gavin Mairs writes that the RFU's new deal with BMW may not have happened if Stuart Lancaster hadn't repaired England's damaged reputation.

The four-year deal, announced on Thursday, is thought to be a fourfold increase on the RFU’s previous arrangement with Land Rover.

BMW’s investment targeted the development of elite players and includes shirt sponsorship for the England under-20, under-18 and under-16 teams.

Lancaster’s hard-line stance on the discipline of his players and the appointment of Ian Ritchie as chief executive, following last year’s political infighting at the top of the governing body, were on Thursday claimed to have been key in repairing the RFU’s commercial value as a brand.

“We had to learn some things and we had to do some things differently,” said the RFU’s chief commercial officer, Sophie Goldschmidt.

“The partners we have spoken to have been appreciative of that.

"As an organisation we have really come together and gone back to the key principles and implemented them on and off the pitch.

"What Stuart has been able to do has been fantastic and definitely had an impact.”

As Wasps continue their search for a new buyer, in an attempt to secure fresh investment to prevent the club going into administration, it was confirmed that their back-row forward and former captain, John Hart, had been forced to retire because of a shoulder injury. Hart made 165 first-team appearances and captained Wasps 38 times.

Ulster prop John Afoa will miss the Heineken Cup semi-final against Edinburgh this month after receiving a four-week ban for a dangerous tackle on Munster full-back Felix Jones during last Sunday’s quarter-final in Limerick.

Wynne Gray, writing for theNew Zealand Herald, looks at the problems currently enveloping Super Rugby side the Blues.

For the last eight years there has been a recurring inquiry about the Blues.

The thrust is, how could a region rich in resources and significant playing numbers perform with such modest results in Super rugby?

A fourth place finish for David Nucifora's mob in 2007 and a similar result for Pat Lam's crew last season. That's it, the best outcome for the Blues since they last annexed the title under Peter Sloane's command in 2003.

This season? Who would place a wager when the Blues are stalled in last place in the New Zealand pool and searching for their second win of the series.

There are festering issues across the franchise which contribute to the dysfunction. Those areas of responsibility can be split roughly into three - the Blues' chief executive and board are one group, the coach and his staff comprise another while the players make up the other.

Mark Souster, writing forThe Times, says Wayne Smith is the favourite to become England's permanent assistant coach, but Brian Ashton could be the perfect choice to take the reins on a short-term basis.

There are not many coaches of Ashton’s pedigree around and certainly none available immediately. Ashton, who is a consultant with Fylde, the National League One club, applauded Lancaster’s appointment and the two share similar values.

With Ashton, 65, the short-term answer, attention also needs to turn to a permanent replacement for Farrell. Wayne Smith fits the bill and has said he would be interested after his commitment to Waikato Chiefs in the Super 15 ends in September.

Yesterday’s developments could yet prove a blessing in disguise as Smith would bring with him a level of creativity and expertise that would only serve to expand England’s attacking repertoire. The chance to secure the services of the former All Black, who has made clear he would be happy to serve as a No 2, cannot be overlooked.

Andy Farrell's future is still uncertain © Getty Images

The Daily Mail's Chris Foy writes that the RFU's talks with Saracens over Andy Farrell's future have stalled.

"Stuart Lancaster's hopes of retaining Andy Farrell in his England management team are in the balance as talks with Saracens have stalled.

While forwards coach Graham Rowntree is on a rolling RFU contract, Farrell has returned to his job as head coach at Sarries, where his contract has at least two years to run.

When the RFU opened talks with Saracens, the club made it plain that they wished negotiations to be conducted with urgency to prevent a distraction at the business end of the season.

However, four days after they went out of the Heineken Cup, there has been precious little progress in resolving Farrell's future.

Privately, Saracens are dismayed by the RFU's apparent lack of urgency."

Reds boss Ewen McKenzie, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, looks at whether having limited knowledge can prove to be dangerous.

"Waratahs coach Michael Foley made a comment the other day that made me think about what the real expectation was of incorporating new players into a different playing environment.

"Sitaleki Timani has, through coming back from Japan late, undertaken a three or four-week crash course on how we are playing,'' he said.

The timeline given was probably a little longer than most people would assume it would take to get a player up to speed. The impression some people have is that rugby is rather homogenous and therefore the next player should automatically step-up and be able to fill in. The reality is this view is far too simplistic."

The Western Mail's Andy Howell asks whether George North could fill in for Wales in the centre berths.

"Warren Gatland has much to ponder as he starts his recuperation from his nasty fall back home in New Zealand.

For the Wales coach – who is already back at work despite the imminent need for surgery on his right heel – faces a dilemma ahead of the Barbarians’ visit to Cardiff and the three-Test series with Australia Down Under in June.

His first-choice inside-centre Jamie Roberts is out of the equation because of a knee injury that requires an operation to fix.

The absence of Wales’ main backline ball-carrier is seen by many as a hammer blow to Gatland’s men downing the Tri-Nations kings.

But as one door closes... and someone might be ready to walk through the one which opens on a permanent basis."

Ronan O'Gara, talking to the Irish Independent's David Kelly, admits that he is concerned over Munster's waning powers.

"Like another famous Cork sportsman, whose response to disappointment was a swift hike with the pet mutt, there are occasions when Ronan O'Gara just needs some time alone with man's best friend.

Just as a brooding Roy Keane would often respond to professional setbacks by hitting the road with his four-legged friend, so too O'Gara.

Last Sunday's Heineken Cup defeat to Ulster was another such instance.

And so boxer bitch Tia, who joined the O'Gara clan when Munster won the first of their two Heineken Cups in 2006, enjoyed another long outing amidst the rain-soaked Douglas streets on Monday morning.

Sadly, such days are becoming painfully familiar for the Irish out-half of late."

Chiliboy Ralepelle levelled gouging accusations at the Crusaders © Getty Images

Gregor Paul lashes out at the Bulls following their run-in with the Crusaders over allegations of eye-gouging in The New Zealand Herald.

"A bit like Oscar Wilde's assertion that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about, the only thing worse than eye-gouging, is making false accusations about eye-gouging.

"Shame on the Bulls - first for their clearly malicious and entirely false allegations that two of their players were gouged late in the game against the Crusaders; and then their refusal to apologise after the citing commissioner was unable to find any video evidence to substantiate the claims."

Stormers back-rower Nick Koster reports back from their tour base in Queenstown for Supersport.

"Deon Carstens was the buggy-racing champion. He claims it’s all skill but the rest of us are convinced it was just his weight advantage. And the fact that we believe he’s been on at least 100 overseas tours, since he started his provincial and Springbok career before most of us were born.

"I have really enjoyed having Deon around. He’s been around the block – more than a couple of times – and has many stories to tell. He is a keen gambler and managed to rope a few of the guys into a poker game on Thursday night. Burton Francis took everyone's money. By the end of the game, Frans Malherbe was so sleepy that he mistook an Ace for a four. It cost him big-time!"

Hugh Farrelly reflects on coaching and entertainment value in the Six Nations following the latest round of Heineken Cup action in The Irish Independent.

"Another gripping weekend of Heineken Cup action and one which, unfortunately, highlighted the entertainment gap that now exists between European rugby's flagship club and international competitions.

"The Six Nations has tradition, national pride and the continent's best players grouped together but, while there were some decent contests in this season's championship, it is struggling to compete with the Heineken Cup in terms of drama and intrigue.

"Last weekend's quarter-finals are a case in point. You had the excellence of Leinster and Clermont, the exuberance and to-hell-with-reputations success of Edinburgh and the history-altering ferocity of Thomond Park."

The Stormers' Bryan Habana and Duane Vermeulen celebrate victory © Getty Images

Paul Cully runs through the five things he learned in the latest round of Super Rugby, beginning with the pace-setting Stormers, in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"The Stormers are Test-like in their quality. This is no guarantee that they'll win the competition come August – on current evidence they'll lose half their side to Springboks duty in June – but you can only applaud what they are now. And they've done it by throwing numbers into the tackle, not the breakdown. It's a tweak on what Ireland did to Australia at the World Cup, but instead of holding up the ball-carriers, the Stormers' gang-tacklers are driving them back."

Chris Rattue calls for the Blues to employ Sir Graham Henry in their bid to rescue a miserable season in The New Zealand Herald.

"Sir Graham Henry for the Blues. Now. The World Cup-winning coach is needed in his old stamping ground to nurse a dishevelled side through to respectability or perhaps inspire a miracle recovery act in what is shaping as the Blues' most disgracefully disastrous season ever.

"The Blues board must perform radical surgery on the fallen giant, starting with the immediate sacking of coach Pat Lam. They could leave Bryce Woodward in the assistant role, and tug on Henry's heart strings should he need any persuading. Henry, who won two Super titles with the Blues and assisted them to their last triumph way back in 2003, would come in as an interim head coach before a giant cleanout takes place at Eden Park before next season."

Gerry Thornley reviews the weekend's Heineken Cup action from an Irish perspective and finds plenty to thrill, in The Irish Times.

"The Heineken Cup doesn’t do dull, does it? It doesn’t do predictable either. Not alone did the weekend’s quarter-finals buck the trend of previous years, and a 77 per cent winning ratio for home teams at that juncture, with Sunday’s brace of away wins, but three of the four games went against the bookies’ favourites.

"The one glorious exception was, of course, Leinster but Edinburgh, Ulster and Clermont were seven, six and three-point underdogs, and between them extinguished the interest of the four and two-time champions in Toulouse and Munster, as well as England’s last hope of reaching the Twickenham finale.

"How the mighty have fallen? On the corresponding weekend three seasons ago, Munster destroyed a Lions- and Grand Slam-studded Ospreys side 43-9 with as clinical a performance as they’ve ever produced."

Tony Ward picks apart Munster's loss to Ulster and puts forward his view of their next move in The Irish Independent.

"Up front, there is some serious material with which to work. Munster will never want for the right stuff from numbers one to eight and, in the likes of Mike Sherry, Donnacha Ryan, Peter O'Mahony, Tommy O'Donnell and James Coughlan, a new generation is already in place.

"Behind the scrum, however, there are very real issues to address, extending from half-back out. I admire Ronan O'Gara's self-belief in his assertion that he would continue to play until he is 38 but what does that say about underage/academy back-up in the province? O'Gara is still clearly the main man to nurse the emerging generation through, but he also needs to be pushed."

Joe Schmidt has turned Leinster into Europe's most exciting side © Getty Images

Hugh Farrelly calls for Ireland to second Leinster coach Joe Schmidt as a specialist backs coach for this summer's tour to New Zealand in The Irish Independent.

"Consider the following ... Ireland do not have a specialist backs coach. Leinster coach Joe Schmidt is a specialist backs coach. Leinster have the most exciting backline in Europe made up of Irish players and Isa Nacewa.

"While Ireland's attack improved in the Six Nations, the same players look far more threatening in blue than they do in green. Ireland have a three-Test tour to New Zealand, where they will have to be at their absolute peak to avoid humiliation. The IRFU are the ultimate paymasters and are tasked with doing what is best for the national team.

"Simple isn't it? Second Schmidt for the summer tour, just as Ireland are prepared to do with Munster's Anthony Foley if Gert Smal cannot travel; just as they have already done with Greg Feek at Leinster; just as Wales do with Shaun Edwards -- bring in the specialist to do the specialist job. It makes sense on every level, even down to the fact that the Schmidt could stay on for a holiday when the tour is over."

Brian Moore analyses the differences between Heineken Cup knockout games and the Six Nations in The Daily Telegraph.

"The Heineken Cup quarter-finals raised a few eyebrows and reignited a few hoary arguments about its composition, where it sits in the pantheon of world tournaments and its relationship to international rugby, particularly the Six Nations.

"The easiest answer is that it is the best club tournament in the world, despite being anomalous as it has features both clubs and provinces. It is never less than compelling and, crucially, the gates demonstrate that it works for the paying public.

"The intensity and technical aspects of the later knockout rounds have reached the level of Six Nations games but, at that point, comparisons become of limited or no use because differences remain that prevent Heineken games from ever having the importance of internationals, and nor will they pose players the same problems."

The Guardian's Rob Kitson was at Vicarage Road to see Clermont Auvergne hammer Saracens on Sunday, an he believes it's all down to the cash at the French club.

"A significant slice of unwanted English history was made on a damp, grey Easter Day in Watford. Aside from the years when they boycotted the tournament the Premiership clubs have never previously failed to have a presence in the semi-finals of both European club competitions, as will be their fate this season. The defeat by the Michelin-funded giants of Clermont Auvergne on Sunday was not entirely without honour but the English are now officially down and out with the Eurotrash.

"The reasons why were neatly summed up before this game even kicked off. While Sarries may be masters of their own backyard, Clermont have a spectacular array of costly artillery and the financial largesse to replenish it annually. The top bananas of the Massif Central do not always travel well but the all-star backline of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Aurélien Rougerie, Wesley Fofana and Julien Malzieu gives a clue to the spending power at their disposal. The English, with their substantially lower salary cap, can assemble that sort of cast in their dreams only."

Simon Thomas predicts a tough couple of years for Cardiff Blues after Saturday's humbling Heineken Cup loss to Leinster in The Western Mail.

"It's the end of an era for the Blues and a sad one at that, one which leaves you fearing just what the future holds for them.

"As the players trooped disconsolately onto the team bus after their Heineken hammering at the Aviva Stadium, you came to realise just how many of them have now played their final European game for the region.

"For one reason or another, Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams, Casey Laulala, Paul Tito, Ben Blair, Rhys Thomas, Richie Rees, Dan Parks and John Yapp are all moving on at the end of the season, with maybe more to follow suit yet."

Wynne Gray compares the Stormers to the All Black sides of old following their win over the Highlanders in The New Zealand Herald.

"Ferocious forward deeds created the "big black blanket" phrase used to describe the All Black pack.

"The deeds came from men of the Meads era, like brother Stan, Kel Tremain, Ken Gray, Brian Lochore, Waka Nathan, Bruce McLeod and Wilson Whineray, a group who hunted with collective intent and purpose. Their power was in their unity, their influence based on cohesion.

"The same could be said of the Stormers, the only unbeaten side in this year's Super 15 after grinding out their sixth straight win on Saturday."

The likes of David Strettle will need to be at their best if they are to beat Clermont © Getty Images

The Observer's Eddie Butler writes that Saracens must front up against Clermont Auvergne if they are to stand any chance of beating the French giants.

"It is not easy to think of a return to Vicarage Road, Watford from anywhere as an upgrade, and especially not from Wembley and the crowd of 83,761 that last Saturday set a new record for attendance at a club game. But Saracens are back at their dilapidated home – characterful, in need of some modernisation, as the estate agents might put it – and their fixture on Sunday eclipses that top-of-the-table domestic clash with Harlequins.

The quarter-final against ASM Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Cup is grand enough in its own right, but it also sets Saracens apart as the sole representatives of the English system in Europe's knockout stages. The players may have better things on their minds right now than the relative ease with which the three Irish provinces in the last eight qualified for the Heineken Cup in the first place, but it does appear that Saracens will be more widely embraced as ambassadors of a victimised Aviva Premiership than as the defending champions of that league. At a time of victories determined by tiny margins, a sense of unfair play may help."

The Sunday Independent's Hugh Godwin talks to Sarries flyer David Strettle ahead of their quarter-final showdown with Clermont Auvergne.

"Dave Strettle is one of life's energy-givers; the sort of bloke who wouldn't think twice, or possibly even once, about meeting the press wearing a Superman baseball cap. Knowing Strettle's club, Saracens, it may have been for a bet, or just the wing being allowed to be himself. Either explanation fits a set-up where a group of young coaches, among whom Andrew Farrell is being coveted by England, "treat the players like mates", as Strettle puts it.

Saracens' team spirit, forged famously on private-jet trips to the Munich beer festival and zooming around Miami in rented motorhomes in mid-season breaks, faces one of its greatest tests today when a highly talented, cosmopolitan Clermont Auvergne side hit Watford for the only Heineken Cup quarter-final to feature an English club. While Leicester, Northampton and the rest fell by the wayside, the Premiership champions won a group featuring the Ospreys, Biarritz and Treviso. The enticing prize is a semi-final in the winners' home country – for Saracens, that would mean Twickenham."

The New Zealand Herald's Gregor Paul claims that it is time for the Blues to dismiss Pat Lam.

"It's time to pull the plug on Pat Lam - let him go while he still has a shred of credibility and the potential to find a job elsewhere.

Prolonging the agony will do neither him nor the Blues any good. The 2012 campaign has, almost irrespective of what happens in the next eight weeks, a good claim to be considered their worst. A solitary victory in their first six games - that's a disaster and it's increasingly difficult to see what can be salvaged now.

The mistakes have been obvious for all to see: inconsistent and erratic selections; a refusal to commit to individuals; poorly constructed game plans and non-existent defensive patterns. Bad luck has played a major part, too, with the injury toll unkindly high but that shouldn't be seen as a basis to legitimise their failures - more a means of highlighting that the initial squad had major holes in it."

The Irish Independent's Brendan Fanning writes that Munster will need to come out of the blocks fast if they are to beat Ulster.

"If you buy into the idea that Munster need a shellacking in the league the week before they go into Heineken Cup knockout in order to get themselves right, then they are in a great place.

Two years ago, for example, they were tryless and not far off hopeless when losing to Leinster only to go out the next weekend and blow away Northampton with a four-try performance.

Mind you, they managed to reverse the result against Leinster last season and then held it together to beat Brive away a week later. So best not to read too much into those seven-day turnarounds. Focus instead on whether or not they have it in them to fix what was wrong against Leinster, because if Ulster are anyway decent then Tony McGahan's mob will need to be very good indeed."

Bath prop David Flatman gives his views on the latest saga in Gavin Henson's career, in the Sunday Independent.

"A year or so ago, I wrote a column about Gavin Henson. To be honest, I wanted to write it as I felt strongly that this was a fragile bloke in need of something other than another inky hammering. In summarising my thoughts I suggested that his legacy would be one of a flower among house bricks; a beautiful athlete who made those around him – at whatever level – look as cumbersome as he was accelerative.

Sadly I was wrong. It still, for good or bad, is not in me to rip Henson to pieces for being less perfect than we wanted him to be. So many of the men we see becoming sporting heroes and role models manage naturally to toe the line and behave in a manner we deem appropriate. Inevitably, there will also be some who fall short, in our minds at least."

The Observer's Michael Aylwin goes in search of the 'Hask' who is currently residing in New Zealand.

"If you should ever fancy an airgun pellet between the shoulder blades, you could do worse than cavort through the backcountry around Dunedin shouting, "Woo-hoo, The Hask!" The chances are you will tweak the nerves of James Haskell, who will almost certainly be out hunting somewhere nearby, armed with said weapon and urged on by Andrew Hore and his other new team-mates at the Highlanders.

"Please don't refer to me as The Hask," he says politely, but with a clear undertone. Then he complains they all call him that in Dunedin, the latest city he calls home, before launching into an explanation of the provenance of a nickname he considers a travesty. It's something to do with a perception that he promotes himself as a brand.

It is true that he has his own website and is an avid user of social media, but for all his love of gadgets and techno-geekery there is something very old-fashioned about him as well. For a start, there's his proclivity for lying low in the wilderness of the South Island alongside grizzled All Black front-row forwards."

The Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford questions whether Andy Farrell can be objective if he has to be about selecting Owen Farrell for England.

"Andy Farrell is a fine coach. No doubt about that. Owen Farrell is a fine player. No doubt about that either.

But is it in the national interest that Farrell senior should have a say in whether Farrell junior turns out for his country? Because that is what will happen if Stuart Lancaster and the Rugby Football Union get their way and Andy Farrell leaves Saracens to join up with England.

Before we go any further, I’m not suggesting nepotism is the issue here. All my dealings with Andy Farrell have convinced me that he is a man of the utmost integrity and would not for a moment entertain the thought of soliciting preferential treatment for his son. Consciously. But whether the nature of his relationship with Owen allows him to be absolutely dispassionate, objective, in short, professional, on the subject, well, that is another matter entirely."

Leinster will hope Brian O'Driscoll is at his best against the Cardiff Blues on Saturday © Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph's Will Greenwood writes a character profile of Ireland and Leinster legend Brian O'Driscoll.

"Cameramen get paid to watch what happens. They set up, pick their shots, monitor audio levels and make sure that everything is captured. They do not say a lot, and usually roll to their own beat.

But occasionally they capture a moment or subject absolutely perfectly – and not always on film. I was in Dublin last week for an audience, or rather a television interview, with King Brian. Some call him “BOD”, and while the religious invocation is a nod to his ability, Ireland’s evergreen centre Brian O’Driscoll is no god.

For a start he has had to suffer the mortal failing of being injured. Secondly, his critics are more than happy to tell him that he has failed to deliver an Ireland team on the biggest stage of all, the World Cup.

When O’Driscoll decided to get his shoulder fixed, an operation that meant him sitting out most of the current season, there were plenty of people only too happy to predict that their country’s rugby saviour was going to become yesterday’s man; Lazarus without the bounce-back."

In a full and frank interview, WRU chairman David Pickering talks on all matters Welsh Rugby, in the Western Mail.

"David Pickering vows today that the WRU will fix the ailing regional game - and insists there is 100% commitment to retaining four elite teams in Wales.

In a wide-ranging interview, Pickering reflects on a decade as chairman of the governing body that has brought three Grand Slams and seen the way the game is run here transformed.

He also insists there will not be any complacency as the dust settles on the 2012 success under Warren Gatland."

The Scotsman's David Ferguson calls on Edinburgh to front up against Toulouse in their Heineken Cup quarter-final showdown.

"Murrayfield will today play host to the biggest game of professional rugby in Scotland since the game was declared “open” in 1995 with a fervent hope that it would produce a long-lasting benefit to Scottish sport.

Following Edinburgh into today’s Heineken Cup quarter-final is a palpable excitement and it could not be better timed, the astonishing sale of 35,600 tickets providing belief that pro rugby could have a future in this small country just when Scotland have slid to a record low of 12th in the world rankings.

With buses and cars heading for Murrayfield from the north and east, all down the west coast and various parts of the Borders, to add their support to the hardy few thousand of Edinburgh regulars, fresh hope is springing across the country from this match.

Toulouse have been in the Scottish capital many times, winning and losing, and even being arrested, in the case of their passionate head coach Guy Noves who insisted on climbing over stewards and into the Murrayfield stands to celebrate his side’s Heineken Cup win over Stade Francais in 2005. But they remain rugby’s “kings of Europe”."

Hugh Farrelly, of the Irish Independent, talks up the threat of Ulster ahead of their match with Munster on Sunday.

"Only a blinkered few would dispute the fact that Leinster have been top provincial dogs in Ireland since their Heineken Cup semi-final win over Munster in 2009.

That was the afternoon that saw the power shift from south to east in Irish rugby, as Michael Cheika's work came to fruition and was then expanded upon brilliantly by his successor Joe Schmidt, with two European titles providing tangible evidence.

Munster were consigned to the status of second province, but they have held off Ulster's challenge for that role pretty securely, picking up league titles in 2009 and 2011, coming through this season's Heineken Cup pool stages as top seeds and continuing to provide a greater number of front-line players than Ulster for the national side."

The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary provides his take on Saracens as they go for a spot in the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

"As he has done for many years, Saracens chairman Nigel Wray on Friday attended the captain’s team run, a familiar presence ahead of tomorrow’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Clermont Auvergne. After the game he will go into the dressing room, win or lose, and shake the hand of every player.

Are these personal touches alone, this sense of extended family in which players, wives, even parents receive a handwritten letter of welcome from Wray, enough to explain why Saracens are so high-achieving from a low base, defending Premiership champions and the only team left in the Heineken Cup? Of course not.

Might it then be the hard-nosed South African influence in the boardroom as well as on the pitch? Or the cutting edge use of technology which saw the club investing £200,000 a couple of months ago in iPads, developing their own app so that the Friday team talk can be browsed for inspiration at any moment up to kick-off, or clips of the Clermont line-out studied?"

The New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray looks at how referees have tackled the problem of scrums in Super Rugby.

"Scrums remain the most debated Super 15 topic among coaches and former test forwards but Sanzar officials note they are also the most improved part of the game.

Referees have been told to concentrate most on scrum, tackle and offside issues in the Super 15 and game manager Lyndon Bray says statistics show improved compliance in all areas.

"The big one is the scrum which has been terminally ill up until this year as a phase in the game," Bray told the Weekend Herald."

James O'Connor dives in to score against the Blues © Getty Images

Michael Lynch salutes the Melbourne Rebels' big three - Kurtley Beale, Danny Cipriani and James O'Connor - following their victory over the Blues in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"In many cultures and religious traditions three is the magical number, the figure denoting unity and completeness.

"For those adherents of the Rebel faith the coming together last night of their own rugby trinity - James O'Connor, Danny Cipriani and Kurtley Beale - for the first time in a Super 15 match this season was supposed to bring strength and purpose to a side that was languishing at the foot of the league table.

"With only one win in five outings, and that by the narrowest of margins, a single point triumph over the Western Force in their last home game, the Rebels needed their three big-name players to impose themselves on proceedings."

Edinburgh's Sean Cox talks atonement and his excitement for Saturday's Heineken Cup clash with Toulouse in The Scotsman.

"For Sean Cox, atonement doesn’t get much better. The Edinburgh second row’s Heineken Cup campaign started with a citing after he came off the bench during the opening group game at London Irish and traded blows with an opponent whose dangerously high tackle had taken out colleague Dave Denton.

"A one-match ban followed but for Cox, 27, there was a pledge to “make amends in other pool games”. And he stuck to his word. Wins over Cardiff, London Irish (again) and Racing Metro have featured strong performances from the ex-Sale Shark, who also learned the feeling of what it is like to miss out – something he doesn’t intend experiencing again for the duration of this blue-riband competition."

Hugh Farrelly talks to former Ulster and Ireland skipper Paddy Johns about Paul O'Connell and the weekend's Munster-Ulster clash in The Irish Independent.

"It is an All-Ireland League match lost in the mists of time, but the Dungannon versus Young Munster clash in 2001 saw two of Ireland's greatest second-rows go head-to-head -- one winding down a long and illustrious career, one just starting out.

"That was the afternoon former Ireland, Ulster, Saracens and Dungannon second-row Paddy Johns got his first look at Paul O'Connell up close, and the fiery-haired beanpole in the middle of the Young Munster line-out made a hell of an impression.

"I remember it well," says Johns. "I was coming to the end of my time and he was just starting out, only a kid really, but you could see he had it, that he was going to be something special. He was head and shoulders the best player on their team and it has been no surprise to me to see what he has achieved in the game."

Shaun Edwards looks at the future as well as the here and now, beginning with Saracens' Brad Barritt before the weekend's Heineken Cup clash with Clermont Auvergne in The Guardian.

"I've seen the future and it runs, tackles, scores tries and is called Gaël Fickou. Think of a cross between a young Damien Traille and Wesley Fofana.

"He's a centre who plays for Toulon, although not on Friday night against Harlequins, because he's currently in Madrid as part of rugby's equivalent of the league of nations – the under-18 world championship. In comparison with this weekend's other big rugby event, the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, it couldn't be more different with the accent on mucking in, sharing hotels, eating together. But next year who knows?

"Fickou will play for France sooner rather than later and it's not too much of a mind-stretch to seeing him lining up alongside Jonny Wilkinson – assuming Toulon continue as they are currently progressing in the Top 14 – when next season's Heineken kicks off in the autumn. But if that's for another day, watching Fickou this week got me thinking about centres, such as Gavin Henson and Jamie Roberts, who have been in the news ahead of this weekend's four matches."

Paul Marshall has been forced to make do as an 'impact sub' at Ulster due to the presence of Ruan Pienaar © Getty Images

Hugh Farrelly argues that an Ulster victory over Munster in Sunday's Heineken Cup quarter-final would be bad for Irish rugby, given their reliance on overseas players, in The Irish Independent.

"It may not be the most politically correct assertion in a week of Heineken Cup hype, and certainly not the most popular among northern rugby supporters, but the fact is that an Ulster victory on Sunday would be bad news for Ireland and national coach Declan Kidney.

"Having three provinces in the last eight in Europe has created a self-congratulatory undercurrent among Irish supporters and pundits ahead of the weekend's quarter-final action, but this ignores the altered landscape following the World Cup and Six Nations failures.

"The IRFU's much-derided Player Succession Strategy has assumed even greater significance post-Twickenham, which very few have acknowledged, and it is encouraging to see how this policy has already begun to produce positive returns. Tommy Bowe, Roger Wilson and James Downey are all being repatriated after spells abroad, while Leinster's capture of Hurricances prop Michael Bent this week was another step in the right direction."

Former Munster and Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan calls for further effort to bring Sevens into the limelight in The Irish Times.

"Obviously, finances are a problem. In some countries, you have full-time sevens players on centralised contracts but I have a feeling people would take a bit of convincing before the IRFU would make moves towards doing something like that here.

"Maybe you could have four or five full-time centrally contracted players in Ireland but I doubt if that day is very close.

"Most of the guys playing in Hong Kong were full-time sevens players but some of them were young guys coming through the academies. I met Ieuan Evans out there who was telling me Alex Cuthbert was one of the big stand-out players in last year’s competition. Eleven months later, he was a revelation in the Six Nations."

Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie reflects on a difficult couple of weeks and sets out his goals for the remainder of the Super Rugby season in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Success has a thousand fathers and failure is an orphan. Never have truer words been uttered as cumulative losses build an intensity and focus on our 2012 campaign.

"One thing that always makes me smile when facing challenging situations is the predictability that comes with the circumstances. Press conferences always get bigger and people start to write to you more. There is something gladiatorial about this - a bit of blood in the water and the sharks appear.

"What you can control is how you handle yourself. No matter if we are winning or losing, we will keep fronting up and telling it like it is. There are always reasons for things happening and we didn't become a championship-winning team overnight, nor will we become a bad team overnight."

Could Jarrad Hoeata be the answer to the All Blacks' locking problem? © Getty Images

Gregor Paul looks at the All Blacks' lost stars - namely Brad Thorn and Jerome Kaino - and what it will take to replace them in The New Zealand Herald.

"The country needs a hard man - a big scary bloke who keeps the Wallaby pack awake at night. Someone just a touch mental - on the cusp of being feral.

"Ideally, two borderline psychos will emerge this year as the All Blacks have lost their enforcement department now that both Brad Thorn and Jerome Kaino have gone.

"Both Thorn and Kaino will be greatly missed for many reasons, but it was the volatility and extreme physicality they brought that will be hardest to replace."

Michael O'Connor, Australia's Sevens coach, reflects on their victory in Tokyo and the kicking exploits of youngster Matt Lucas in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"MIchael O'Connor knows plenty about pressure goal kicks - with his sideline conversion in teeming rain to win the match for NSW in 1991 among the most memorable State of Origin league moments.

"But even O'Connor, now the Australian Sevens rugby coach, was astounded when he witnessed something almost as spectacular on Sunday, when the 20-year-old newcomer Matt Lucas enabled his team to win the Tokyo Sevens tournament with a last-minute conversion, again from the sideline."

Jerry Flannery, Munster's recently-retired hooker, gives his thoughts on life after rugby and the dominance of Leinster in The Irish Independent.

"My lifestyle now is I get up early about 6.30 and I go in and train before college," he explains, just a week after the bell officially tolled on the two-time Heineken Cup winner's career.

"If I go up for food, I'll meet the lads. I know I said a lot of stuff about not being one of those sad players hanging around, but I had to get something yesterday and I went into the office.

"I walked in and Anthony Foley just saw me and said 'I thought you weren't going to be one of those sad players'. Next thing Paul O'Connell was there 'ah, here he is' and I just ran out of there with my tail between my legs."

Robert Kitson, writing in The Guardian, revisits the idea that the RaboDirect PRO12 is geared to give its combatants an edge in Europe.

"The quarter-final phase of the Heineken Cup is frequently described as the best weekend of the European rugby year. Watching the continent's best teams locked together like muscular scorpions certainly captures the imagination. Leinster are close to filling the Aviva Stadium for the visit of Cardiff Blues, there is not a spare seat for Munster versus Ulster and even Edinburgh expect in excess of 30,000 for the visit of Toulouse. Saracens and Clermont are not about to bring Watford to a standstill, but filling Vicarage Road has always been a murderous task.

"Nagging away in the background, though, is an uncomfortable question. Is there a genuinely level playing field in European club and provincial rugby, or does the last eight line-up highlight a flaw in the tournament's structure? Perhaps you would expect a hint of jealousy from those clubs not involved, but the presence of five clubs from the RaboDirect Pro12 is not impressing many coaches in England and France. There is a widespread view the Irish, Welsh, Scots and Italians benefit from a system spring-loaded in their favour."

Gavin Henson faces a mission to find a new club © Getty Images

Chris Hewett, writing for the Independent, provides his take on Gavin Henson's uncertain future.

""I'm not getting any younger, I'm playing for a contract ... this is it, really." So said the much travelled, much troubled Gavin Henson before his debut for Cardiff Blues in late December and as the Blues must now be added to his long list of former clubs, that may very well be that. The celebrity centre was sacked yesterday after a heavily publicised night on the sauce in Glasgow, followed by some drunken antics with some ice cubes on the flight home. Unfortunately for him, his apology cut no ice with his employers.

The Lions midfielder signed an eight-month contract with the Blues in October following a painfully drawn-out departure from Ospreys, a brief and deeply unsatisfying fling with Saracens and a high-profile move to the French Top 14 club Toulon that ended after a booze-driven ruckus with clubmates in a Riviera nightspot. It may not have been the long-term deal Henson was seeking, but it turned out to be plenty long enough for the Blues who, after a management board meeting, decided to write off the last two months of the agreement."

The Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden looks at the change to the Wallabies' coaching set-up.

"Tony McGahan will this week be confirmed as the Wallabies' new coaching co-ordinator, but Robbie Deans remains the top dog.

The Herald has been told that McGahan, who has just finished with the Irish province Munster, has accepted a senior position with the revamped Wallabies coaching panel and an official announcement is imminent.

In the Wallabies coaching pecking order, McGahan will be No.2 to Deans, who has been in charge of the Test team since 2008.

After McGahan's contract has been finalised, the Australian Rugby Union will appoint a scrum and lineout coach, and a skills coach. The most likely candidates to fill those roles are former Test prop Andrew Blades and former Edinburgh and Scotland A coach Nick Scrivener respectively."

The Western Mail's Delme Parfitt argues that Gavin Henson may yet have a rugby future.

"While Welsh rugby shouldn’t lose any sleep over the matter any more, it is still intriguing to consider where now for Gavin Henson?

Ever since he burst onto the Welsh rugby scene with his spiky hairdo and fake tan, Henson has been a player who has polarised opinion.

But, after this latest controversy with the Blues, I have never known such blanket condemnation of him in print, on the airwaves and, of course, the social media networks.

Can he possibly bounce back from this?

Again, there will understandably be those who don’t give a damn, but I wouldn’t write Henson off just yet."

The Irish Independent's Ruaidhri O'Connor talks to Ireland legend Brian O'Driscoll about his retirement plans - or lack of them.

"Brian O'Driscoll is refusing to set a date for his retirement from rugby as he prepares for Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final against the Cardiff Blues.

The 33-year-old had previously suggested that next year's Lions tour to Australia would be the ideal time for him to step away from the sport but, having just sat out six months of rugby after undergoing shoulder surgery, the Ireland captain is no longer willing to commit to a date.

Ronan O'Gara said last week that he intends playing until the age of 38, while O'Driscoll's new team-mate Brad Thorn won a World Cup at 36.

Now, having returned to rugby against the Ospreys and gone the full 80 minutes in Saturday's win over Munster at Thomond Park, the centre just wants to keep playing. "I don't know," O'Driscoll said when asked about a retirement date. "I'm not in a place at the moment where I am going to worry about how long I play for."

Has Gavin Henson played his last game for the Blues? © Getty Images

Brian Moore, writing for the Daily Telegraph provides his take on the saga of Gavin Henson.

"Gavin Henson is once again the centre of attention, for all the wrong reasons. His latest club, the Cardiff Blues, have suspended him pending investigation of an incident – for which Henson apologised on Sunday – that took place on a flight from Glasgow to Cardiff last Saturday.

That this escapade did not provoke indignation or vitriolic comment but rather a tired shaking of heads, says much about how Henson is now viewed by his public. Their indifference is far more chilling; the truth is much more damning – he is a lost cause and they have no more emotion to invest in him.

It is tempting to ask what goes through his head when these incidents occur. but the reality is that probably nothing does; he simply does not or cannot consider the fact that his behaviour has any wider ramifications. If he has moments of introspection, post-event, they are insufficiently enlightened so as to forge the will not to err again."

The New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray picks apart the All Blacks' embarrassment of riches for the fullback berth.

"When Mils Muliaina left the All Blacks we gave thanks for his brilliant career and for the fact that Israel Dagg was ready to wear the black No 15 jersey.

Muliaina was a threequarter who converted his skills to the demands of the modern fullback, a pattern Dagg has followed in his shift into the test ranks. He pushed Muliaina hard for his World Cup place and when the veteran pulled up lame, Dagg rode high in the No 15 jersey.

There would be no dramas, we thought, about the All Black fullback for some time, and that was probably correct. Anyway there was always Isaia Toeava to back up if he managed to escape his recent hip injury curse.

But it may not be such an easy ride for Dagg because a number of others have shown they are approaching national selection too."

The Irish Independent's Jim Glennon looks at whether Luke Fitzgerald has a future at Leinster amid rumours of discontent over his new contract.

"That Irish rugby, like the good Lord, sometimes work in mysterious ways is a long-established fact. Last week they reached new levels, however, with the publication of the status of a top player's current contractual negotiations, including existing and proposed salary levels, in a national newspaper.

The word is that the figures quoted in The Irish Times in connection with Luke Fitzgerald's prolonged contract negotiations were correct. It was reported that he had been offered a new deal "which would represent a drop of 30per cent from his current basic".

It's hardly surprising that discussion was generated among rugby folk -- surely professional players are entitled to the same privacy about their employment terms as anyone else?"

The Western Mail's Delme Parfitt provides his take on the Gavin Henson affair.

"In the wake of the latest controversy surrounding Gavin Henson, Delme Parfitt argues the Blues have far more pressing problems to address as they prepare to fly the Welsh flag in a Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster

When the Blues management team meets today to discuss how to deal with the continuing saga of Gavin Henson, let us hope the matter doesn’t occupy them longer than a couple of minutes. It scarcely warrants even that.

We are about to embark on the build-up to a Heineken Cup quarter-final which could mark the end of an era for Welsh regional rugby.

The Blues are our sole representatives in the last eight, but with the squad strengths of all four of our elite sides set to diminish sharply in the coming seasons because of financial cutbacks, it could be some significant time before we have an interest in the knockout stage of Europe’s showpiece tournament again."

The Guardian's Michael Aylwin talks to Edward Griffiths about his wish to have the Andy Farrell saga resolved sooner rather than later.

"It was almost lost amid the thunder of nearly 84,000 pairs of feet, but Saracens are at the heart of an unusually delicate set-to between club and country – and they want it resolved quickly, ideally in the next couple of days. Andy Farrell, their head coach, is wanted by Stuart Lancaster to serve in his England regime, but Farrell has a day job with Saracens that they insist is incompatible.

"We will have more discussions this week," said Edward Griffiths, Saracens' chief executive, of a negotiation that was begun on Friday, the day after Lancaster's appointment. "It is not very complicated to work out what the discussions are about, but the default position is that he is the head coach of Saracens, which is how it will stand if the discussions are not successful. We would like an early settlement, because we don't want any will-he-won't-he distractions going through the Clermont week."

The Clermont week means now, what with Saracens preparing for their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Clermont Auvergne at Vicarage Road on Sunday. Griffiths, once again, made it clear that he considers such commitments with a club to be as much as any man should have to deal with. "We have previously ruled out [a job share with England], because we think it is difficult to do both jobs. Maybe there was a different set of circumstances with Shaun Edwards [who juggled such commitments with Wales and Wasps]."

The Waratahs' recent afternoon clash with the Sharks proved popular with supporters © Getty Images

Former Australia fullback Matt Burke argues the case for more afternoon kick-offs in Super Rugby in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"As I reflected on the opening rounds of the 2012 Super Rugby season, I couldn't help but notice the excitement among the players and spectators generated by afternoon games.

"It's the long-standing debate about when the game should be played. The question needs to be asked. Is the game being played for the benefit of the teams, the spectators or the TV rights holders?

"The debate about day versus night games will go on forever. The players want to play in the day and here are the reasons why. There is a better sense of awareness when you're playing in the day. Based on a dry afternoon, the ball handling is far better. The ball is nowhere near as hard to handle as the night games when the evening dew makes for slippery conditions. Therefore, rugby is an easier game to play, the skill level is higher and, to put it simply, not having to wait around all day is a pleasure."

Richard Loe puts forward his choice as a replacement for Jerome Kaino in the All Blacks' back-row, Hurricanes flanker Brad Shields, in The Herald on Sunday.

"Jerome Kaino's departure to Japan leaves a big hole in the All Black ranks and most people are picking the Highlanders' Adam Thomson to be an automatic replacement. Or maybe Victor Vito. I'm not so sure.

"There are a few issues to be considered when you are trying to plug a gap the size that Kaino leaves. He is one of the world's best players, never mind loose forwards.

"He also brings a physical, hard approach - particularly on the tackle and at the breakdown - that neither Thomson nor other contenders such as Liam Messam and Vito have. Also, we have heard before that the time might be fast approaching for Richie McCaw to move to blindside flanker or No 8. Kieran Read is still playing very well at 8 - so I don't think the All Blacks' brains trust will move him."

Jim Glennon looks at the mess Irish rugby has reportedly made of Luke Fitzgerald's contract negotiations, and what in means on a wider stage, in The Sunday Independent.

"That Irish rugby, like the good Lord, sometimes work in mysterious ways is a long-established fact. Last week they reached new levels, however, with the publication of the status of a top player's current contractual negotiations, including existing and proposed salary levels, in a national newspaper.

"The word is that the figures quoted in The Irish Times in connection with Luke Fitzgerald's prolonged contract negotiations were correct. It was reported that he had been offered a new deal "which would represent a drop of 30per cent from his current basic".

"It's hardly surprising that discussion was generated among rugby folk -- surely professional players are entitled to the same privacy about their employment terms as anyone else?"

Hugh Godwin talks to Wales lock Bradley Davies - he of the Six Nations-ending dump tackle - about regrets and medals in the post, in The Independent on Sunday.

"There is just one quibble Bradley Davies has with the opprobrium over the violent "tip" tackle on Ireland's Donnacha Ryan that made him briefly the most talked-about man in the recent Six Nations' Championship, and eventually the forgotten outsider of Wales's Grand Slam. "I've had criticism off the coaching staff, which is fair enough," Davies says. "Everyone's got a right to criticise me, and what I did was not a good advert for the game. But some of the comments were harsh; there was no intent to inflict hurt on Donnacha and I'm really glad he made a full recovery and went on to have an outstanding Six Nations."

"For Davies, the Cardiff Blues lock, the tournament began and ended on the first rush-of-blood-to-the-head Sunday, when Wales won in Ireland but he was sent to the sin-bin, then cited and suspended for pulling Ryan away from a ruck, lifting him and dropping him head first."

Brian Moore applauds the appointment of Stuart Lancaster as England coach and calls for greater attacking invention on their June tour to South Africa in The Sunday Telegraph.

"I supported the appointment of Stuart Lancaster as permanent head coach for England because I witnessed first hand the change in atmosphere and ethos he wrought from the ashes of a dreadful World Cup campaign with a new squad and only three weeks to prepare for his first game in charge.

"I also understood that what he and his coaching team achieved was not, as some have claimed, easy, lucky or of little import. Given the lack of time to prepare, Lancaster’s tactical approach was always going to be limited. However, to beat Tri-Nations opposition, England are going to have to score tries, and that means having more options in attack.

"England’s defence was necessarily the first thing on which to concentrate. Defensive patterns are well known to players, so it is a case of choosing the system you want and making sure everyone is clear about their roles. When the plans don’t work it is a case of scrambling in defence, which is more about will than technique."

Eddie Butler praises Stuart Lancaster's character and outlines what he believes the England coach must do next in The Observer.

"Despite a clunky procedure, during which one candidate, John Kirwan, was discarded for lacking experience at international level, only for another, with none, to be ordained, England have their coach. Stuart Lancaster flogged himself to a standstill in the Six Nations and still had the strength to wade through the treacle of the interviewing process, through the molasses of Odgers Berndtson, the headhunters, through the five-man panel of the Professional Game Board, with its Scotsman, Ian McGeechan, and its Irishman, Conor O'Shea, and through a personal appraisal over a meal by Ian Ritchie, the new chief executive of the Rugby Football Union.

"What a test of character. Imagine looking up, eyes still red-ringed from the exertions of the past four months, to see Rob Andrew, one of the famous five, going through your cv. The Pilgrim's Progress was a doddle compared with the trials along Lancaster's pathway to his four-year contract. Throughout everything, he has been resolute and nothing has dented his two tiers of faith: enthusiasm, honesty, team spirit, positivity and hard work on the one; self-belief, balanced ego, self-control and toughness on the other. What he expects of his charges and what he demands of himself."