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While last weekends Heineken Cup action wasn’t as exciting as the previous, Munster once again stole a game at the death through another brilliant Ronan O' Gara drop goal to get 4 vital points from their trip to the south of France. With Northampton having suffered a surprise defeat to the Scarlet’s at Franklins Gardens, the winner of this group will be determined by the home and away legs between Munster and the Welsh side in December. Castre made the strange decision to move the Munster game from their home stadium to Toulouse’s, which can hold a larger crowd. They were obviously hoping to cash in on the famous Munster travelling support with Toulouse an easier place to fly in and out of. However while there was a decent travelling support given the current economic climate and the proximity of Christmas there was only a crowd of 11,000 and the atmosphere wasn’t nearly as hostile as it would have been in Castre. Castre also made some strange selections and its questionable whether it was their first choice side out.

Munster are a team in transition and its interesting to note that of the team that started the Heineken Cup final in 2008 that Munster won only 5 started against Castre. However they are now two from two and if they can get out of their group no team will want to get them in the draw for the quarter finals. They made plenty of mistakes on Saturday but the pride passion and honesty of effort was there for all to see. They have two World Class players in Paul O’Connell and Ronan O’Gara and the process of rebuilding the team has begun with Conor Murray, Peter O Mahoney and Danny Barnes injecting youth. Niall Ronan had his best game ever in the Heineken Cup and their summer signings BJ Botha and Will Chambers have strengthened them. Chambers was only signed on a short-term deal but he looks to be very creative and could be a coup.

Leinster were very impressive at the RDS against Glasgow and had the bonus point in the bag by half time. Eoin O’ Malley showed his talent by scoring two tries and the strength in depth that Leinster have in the center position is frightening. While Glasgow took a 3 point lead with an early penalty Leinster got the first try after only 3 minutes when Isa Nacewa fielded a brilliant cross field kick from Johnny Sexton and just before he was tackled into touch he threw a

Wonderful one handed offload into Rob Kearney who touched down. While Glasgow battled hard in the second half Leinster never looked like they would be caught and they finished the game with a fifth try when replacement Isaac Boss scored at the death. The biggest positive for Leinster apart from the 5 points was the performances of official man of the match Jamie Heaslip and Luke Fitzgerald who were both superb. Leinster are now in control of the group and have a double header with Aviva Premiership side Bath to look forward to in December.

Both Connacht and Ulster failed to get anything from their matches at the weekend and I think that Ulster coach Brian McLoughlin will have more regrets than Eric Elwood. It was a special night to be in the Sportsground on Saturday where over 9000 people attended. That was a record crowd for a rugby match in the west of Ireland and they did everything in their power to lift their side. Toulouse showed Connacht real respect by selecting the side that they did and also the way they approached the game. They were so clinical and took the points that were on offer at all times whether that was through a penalty or drop goal. If Connacht were to have caused an upset they really would have needed to get a lead early and rattle Toulouse but it wasn’t to be. Entry to the Heineken Cup is brilliant for Connacht but they will need to learn fast if they are going to get some points on board.

The focus returns to the Rabo Direct Pro 12 league for all 4 Irish Provinces this weekend, which will give some fringe players a chance to stake a claim. The Irish Management will be keen to look at all the options likely to be available to them when the first National squad is announced in the New Year. I expect Glasgow to really come out full of fire against Ulster following their tepid performance against Leinster and with Ulster being forced to rest Stephen Ferris, Rory Best and Paddy Wallace the Scottish side should prevail. The Scarlets will beat the Dragons at home. Connacht will now focus on the Rabo Direct after 2 exciting weeks in Europe. Its important for them to get points at home in the Rabo Direct if they are to qualify for the Heineken Cup next year. The Ospreys are a good side and it will be difficult for Eric Elwoods team to get the win. Leinster travel to Treviso and they should have too much talent for the Italians who are always tough at Home. I expect Munster to beat Edinburgh at Thomondpark although Michael Bradleys side will be confident after their great comeback against Racing Metro last weekend

If we ever doubted about the quality and drama that the Heineken Cup provides us year on year well then last weekends first round of pool games demonstrated that it is a better competition to watch than the Rugby World cup or the Six nations. In the Heineken Cup nearly every game is ultra competitive and its worth noting that no team won a 4 try bonus point this weekend which shows that even the pundits expected whipping boys (the Italian Sides) have closed the gap on the frontrunners.

For the Irish provinces it was a very positive weekend as a far as I am concerned. It started with Connacht travelling to London to play Harlequins on Friday night where some bookmakers were giving Connacht a 24-point start! They underestimated how hard Connacht have worked to get to the Heineken Cup having spent 15 seasons underneath the radar in the Challenge Cup. This Connacht side are a dogged determined bunch and they outscored their hosts by 2 tries to one but conceded too many penalties and with Quins having a kicker of the quality and accuracy of ex All Black Nick Evans that was always going to be costly. Their performance will have made Toulouse and Gloucester who share their group sit up and take notice and the 10 points that they may have expected to gain from the home and away fixtures wont look as likely now. This weekend Connacht face the ultimate test when the Top French team Toulouse travel to the Sportsground. It promises to be a special night in Galway and it’s a real opportunity for Connacht to build a fan base that will secure their future financially long term. Toulouse weren’t impressive in their defeat of Gloucester in France Sunday and that will make them more focused. If Connacht can replicate their defensive effort again this match will be competitive.

The other three Provinces can be thankful to their outhalves for playing key roles in their results. David Humphrey’s younger brother Ian got the match-winning try in what was a famous victory at Ravenhill over Clermont. I still fancy Clermont to win the group outright but they will need to play with more passion and desire to do so. Ulster this weekend must travel to Welford Road, which is up there with Thomond Park as one of the fortresses of Europe. Its very hard to see Ulster get anything from this game even though the Tiger’s recent form hasn’t been impressive.

Leinster will be disappointed to have only got the two points against Montpelier away but I firmly believe that they will be crucial at the end of the group stages. Leinster played well and were a little unfortunate that a few uncharacteristic turnovers really cost them. Sean Cronin came off the bench to replace Richardt Straus and he demonstrated the pace that makes him one of the best ball carrying hookers in the game. His try was a brilliant individual effort and it really swung the momentum in Leinster’s,favor in the dying minutes. Leinster turned down a kickable penalty at one stage to kick to the corner and try and win the match but in the end, they were grateful for a last minute penalty, which Johnny Sexton calmly slotted. I cant see either Bath or Glasgow beating Montpelier in France and the French team wont beat Leinster in Dublin so Leinster are still in pole position ahead of Glasgow’s visit to the RDS this Sunday. Glasgow will come to the RDS with a lot of confidence having won there in the Rabo Direct last month and having beaten Bath in Scotland last week. I expect Leinster to win comfortably but the 15-point start that Glasgow receives might prove to be over generous and could be the value bet.

The game of the weekend was at Thomond Park where Northampton arrived full of belief that they could conquer Munster. The men in Red have only ever lost once at home in the Heineken Cup and they needed every ounce of the European experience that they have in abundance to withstand a brave Northampton effort. I have never witnessed a finish like it at any level of Rugby. The fitness, desire, skill and composure that Munster showed to keep the ball for 41 phases of play as they went from Normal time to injury time was incredible. Denis Leamy carried the ball 10 times in that passage of play alone. That’s more that some players get over 80 minutes. Ronan O’Gara lives for the pressure and he drop goaled it straight between the posts when he was 40 meters out but happy that Northampton wouldn’t be able to block it down. Northampton were out on their feet at that stage and weren’t able to send anyone to pressurize Rog as they were punch drunk with fatigue. This win could and should boost Munster massively and it could break the Saints will. Munster introduced three Heineken Cup debutants in Conor Murray, Peter O’ Mahoney and Danny Barnes and it looks like the next generation are made of the same stuff as the old. Saturday Munster travel to Castre looking to pick up a invaluable away win. I was part of a Leinster team, which lost to Castre away in 2009, and it is a difficult ground to get a win at. I expect this game to be very tight and with Munster getting something from the match if not the win.

Having spent 5 years playing my trade West of the Shannon and striving to play in the Heineken Cup tonight’s opening match at the Stoop where Harlequins entertain Connacht is one I am looking forward to greatly. Connacht may have gained entry only by virtue of Leinster win last season but they must now capitalize on that opportunity and grow as a team and as a brand over the coming months. I am delighted for “Mr. Connacht Rugby” as far as I am concerned Eric Elwood who now gets the chance to coach his native province in a tournament that he would have loved to have played in. Eric is an emotional man when it comes to Connacht Rugby and the team needs to tap into that emotion and desire to challenge Quins this evening. When the draw was made Connacht fans probably expected Toulouse and Gloucester to be the harder fixtures in the group but Harlequins are the form team in England and are 8 from 8 in the Premiership so far. However they are a side that Connacht are familiar with having locked horns with the team frequently in the Challenge cup in recent years. Conor O’Shea’s outfit are a very well balanced outfit but I am'nt sure if they have the squad to fit a major battle in two tournaments of the quality of the Heineken and the Premiership yet and I believe that Connacht can get in amongst them tonight and stay within the Handicap of 16 points.

Leinster have a tough opening fixture against the French side Montepellier and all the talk this week has been about Brian O’Driscoll's injury. While Brian will be a massive loss on the field he will be a great addition off it and his absence gives Fergus McFadden a great opportunity to play a run of matches in his favorite position. Leinster will have worked very hard on their scrum and defensive lineout maul this week and that is where Montpellier will test them. I was very impressed with Leinster's attack last week and with the Montpellier players a little short of game time together having had their match called off last week due to an outbreak of the mumps amongst their opponents Lyon I expect Leinster to win.

Munster have been the best team in the History of the Heineken Cup and they face another huge challenge with Northampton arriving at Thomond Park. Harlequins beat Munster in the Challenge Cup last season and Leicester were the only team to have ever beaten Munster in the Heineken Cup there so it really is a Fortress. On paper Northampton look like they could have Munster’s measure but with the experience and hunger in that Munster side it’s very hard to bet against Munster.

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The bet of the weekend for me is the match at Ravenhill where Clermont travel with their star studded outfit to play Ulster. I recognize that Ulster at Ravenhill in the Heineken Cup are a formidable side and Stephen Ferris adds a lot to the men in white but having watched Ulster frequently this season I feel that they haven’t built on the momentum they gained last year from finishing 3^rd in the Magner's League and making a quarter final in the Heineken. This is Clermont’scentenary year and they have been very open about the fact that Europe is their number one focus this season. They have H Cup experience and have shown an ability to get wins on the road in recent years and I make them my Banker bet this weekend minus 1 point at 10/11. Click the Bet Now button to make money for more Heineken over the weekend.

And then there were two. We are in the last week of the Rugby World Cup and the pre tournament favourites are very short odds to win their first World Cup since 1987. In their way stands France who on form don’t deserve to be any where near a final but they are a team who have caused the Kiwis heartache at two previous tournaments and that will help focus the All Blacks minds this week as I am sure the hype and expectation will be massive. They deserve to win it in my opinion as they have been the standard bearers of World Rugby for most of the last 20 years and one World Cup is a very poor return for that domination.

The standard of the All Blacks 20-6 win over Australia on Sunday morning was far higher than what we witnessed on Saturday morning when the Welsh team who had beaten Ireland so impressively were unlucky losers to the French. In my opinion and this goes against the Majority I know, Sam Warburton the Welsh captain should have been given a Yellow Card rather than the Red that Alain Rolland issued. Rolland is one of the best referees in the game and he refereed the final at the last world cup so is obviously highly though of by the head honchos at the IRB too. The IRB want to stamp out the “Spear Tackle” out of the game and they have instructed referees to come down heavy on this act. However I have taken note of at least 4 tackles that I would deem to be more dangerous during this tournament that has only resulted in a Yellow Card. We need greater consistency. I would argue that because Red Cards are so rare in rugby, this was only the 16^th ever in the Tournament, that the referee should use the video ref for any decision that the ref may feel warrants a red card just as they do for tries about which there is a doubt. Making a decision at the spur of the moment without the benefit of another experts opinion can ruin a match. This tackle was very different than the spear tackle that Brian O Driscoll suffered on the Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005 where he was picked up at a Ruck and rammed into the ground head first by two players. He didn’t have the ball at the time and the action was far more dangerous than what Warburton did. I would argue that as a ball carrier a certain amount of responsibility lies with you to ensure that you fall correctly. Its very rare in training or a match to be able to get both legs of a ball carrier and it’s a very fine line between a perfect tackle and what was deemed a “spear’ in that Match. The Tackled player Clerc is a much smaller man than Warburton and that is why he was easy to pick up.

If Warburton had only received a yellow card then I have no doubt that they would have won as they had to play 60 minutes with only 14 men and they still were only beaten by 1 point. They scored the only try of the match through scrum half Mike Phillips and instead of showboating he could easily have tried to make it under the posts which would have guaranteed the conversion which Stephen Jones missed. It’s a sign of how much this talented French team have slipped back that confronted with only 14 men they decided to kick the leather off the ball and never went for the jugular. It defies best practice that with a dysfunctional relationship between the Head Coach and the players they are still in the tournament but I feel that they will be exposed on Saturday.

The All Blacks are too efficient at the basics to allow the French cause them any trouble and I fear that if New Zealand can get a lead earlier then it could be a whitewash which wouldn’t be good for the game with a huge audience set to be watching around the World.

With Weepu at scrum half having lost 7 kilos during the tournament in much better shape and kicking for goal well this is allowing 3^rd string Out Half ArronCruden settle in and pull the strings in attack. For a small man his defence is very good as he understands his physical limitations and chops the opposition down at the ankles.

While the odds are stacked heavily against the French, they have defied the odds many times before and should not be underestimated completely. France are the first team to make the final despite losing two games and, although they benefited from a controversial red card, have created history nonetheless. They have had a couple of wins from their past nine visits to Eden Park which is better than anyone else in world rugby at this venue. In their last visit to New Zealand, France also inflicted the last loss the All Blacks had on home soil, in Wellington during 2009

So it all comes down to the All Blacks and France. I'm not too sure many would have tipped that as the World Cup final – I certainly didn't.

While the odds are stacked heavily against the French, they have defied the odds and should not be underestimated. France are the first team to make the final despite losing two games and, although they benefited from a controversial red card, have created history nonetheless.

We shouldn't be too quick to write off the French. It is particularly worthy to note that they have had a couple of wins from their past nine visits to Eden Park – probably better than anyone else in world rugby at this venue. In their last visit to New Zealand, France also inflicted the last loss the All Blacks had on home soil, in Wellington during 2009.

France were no match for the Kiwis in their earlier pool match at this tournament receiving a 37-17 hammering.

Since then, France have lost to Tonga and have experienced numerous internal issues within the management and the squad apparently. The reality is, though, the French rugby culture is driven by emotion, conflictand they wear their hearts on their sleeves. You never know where they are on the rollercoaster. Their cycle is predictable in its lack of predictability. Marc Liveremont has done himself no favours again this week with his media outburst and I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see him coaching professionally again.

It would be the biggest shock in World Cup history were they to win and it would defy all the believes about what sort of unity and preparation that you need to win a Tournament of this nature. I really believe that New Zealand will win but I hope that France do themselves Proud on the night.

In the 3^rd and 4^th place play off match I feel that Wales will over turn a Wallaby team that have suffered physical hammerings over the last two weeks and this will tell when the Welsh lift the pace of the game as they are bound to do.

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