Brian O’Driscoll scored with the last play of the game to earn Leinster a bonus-point victory over Brive at the RDS.  O’Driscoll stormed over in the right corner for his side’s fourth try to seal a 27-10 win and condemn Brive to a fifth straight loss in Pool Six of the Heineken Cup.

Leinster led 7-0 courtesy of a penalty try after a disappointing first half but the game improved as a spectacle after the break as Isa Nacewa, Gordon D’Arcy and O’Driscoll all got on the scoresheet. Brive produced a determined defensive effort in marked contrast to some of their earlier Heineken Cup matches this season and scored two tries of their own through Retief Uys and Scott Spedding, although they were always chasing the game.

Defending champions Leinster now sit top of Pool Six with 20 points, five clear of London Irish, who play the Scarlets on Sunday.

London Irish will play their Heineken Cup Round 6 showdown against defending champions Leinster at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, 23 January. The kick-off time remains at 6.00pm.

The fixture has had to be moved due to Reading Football Club’s potential progression to the next round of the FA Cup, which has now been scheduled for the same weekend.

Andy Martin, London Irish CEO, said: “We’ve had to make a difficult decision to move our sell-out fixture against Leinster to Twickenham Stadium. However we are delighted that more of our fans can now come and support us on what promises to be an excellent evening of top class rugby.”

The switch from the Madejski Stadium to the home of England rugby will increase the possible attendance for the potential Pool 6 decider and will be the third Heineken Cup Pool match played at Twickenham Stadium, currently celebrating its centenary year.

When Harlequins played Munster at Twickenham Stadium in the 2004/05 tournament they attracted a crowd of 33,883 and there were 33,282 at the ground when London Wasps met Leinster last season.

And it will be the sixth tournament match staged at Twickenham Stadium following the Heineken Cup finals at the ground in 2000, 2004 and 2007.

With a combined crowd figure for those three finals of 222,574 it means the London Irish v Leinster match later this month will see over 300,000 people having gone through the Twickenham Stadium turnstiles for six Heineken Cup matches.

Connacht’s Magners League match against the Dragons, scheduled for Friday evening at the Sportsground, has been called off because of the weather.

The decision was taken following a combination of the Dragons having difficulty travelling from Wales and doubts over whether the surface at the Sportsground would be playable on Friday evening.

Connacht CEO Gerry Kelly said that all options were considered, including moving the game to an afternoon start on Saturday as well as looking at other venues.

The pitch at the Sportsground has been covered since last Thursday and since then heaters and another cover have been applied.

The game will be rescheduled and tickets purchased for Friday’s game will be valid for the refixed game.
Also one other game has fallen victim to the freezing weather.

The Ulster v Ospreys Magners League fixture, due to take place on Friday 8th January 2010, kick off 7.05pm, has now been officially cancelled.

A pitch inspection was undertaken at Ravenhill today, by the IRFU Referees’ department, who based on the current condition of the playing surface and the weather forecast for the next few days’, have deemed the pitch at Ravenhill Stadium unplayable, for Fridays scheduled fixture. The match will be rescheduled for another date.

Tickets purchased for Friday’s Ulster v Ospreys match will be valid for the rearranged fixture date.

The Leinster squad to face the Glasgow Warriors in Friday night’s Magners League clash at the RDS (KO: 8pm) has been named.

Jonathan Sexton has recovered from injury to take his place in the extended panel alongside wing forward Shane Jennings – who will captain the side – for the visit of the league leaders to the RDS.

The St. Mary’s College duo join 11 other Ireland internationals – including the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney and Brian O’Driscoll – while there are also 10 recent graduates from the Leinster Academy in the squad.

The likes of Nathan Hines, Isa Nacewa and Stan Wright are also in contention for selection and the team is expected to be named on Thursday lunchtime.

Leinster squad to face Glasgow…

FORWARDS: John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Malcolm O’Kelly, Mike Ross, Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, Stan Wright

BACKS: Shaun Berne, Girvan Dempsey, David Kearney, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, Paul O’Donohoe, Brian O’Driscoll, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton

Other than those ruled out through injury, the Munster squad named today for the Scarlets clash on Sunday in Musgrave Park, includes most of those who featured in the game a fortnight ago in France.

John Hayes is one who sits out this game and Jerry Flannery is also omitted with the a return likely sometime over the next two Heineken Cup games.

Munster trained today in UL, in the morning inside in the gym with the afternoon session taking place on the not quite all-weather soccer pitch beside the Bowl, half of which was frozen under a light covering of snow.

They plan to have another training session in Cork on Friday and indications from ground staff in Musgrave Park is that the game will go ahead as planned on Sunday although there will be further pitch inspections on Friday and again on Saturday.

The pitch there is covered and a further ‘warm blanket’ covering was added this afternoon.

Munster Squad: D Hurley, I Dowling, D Howlett, T Gleeson, J de Villiers, K Earls, L Mafi, P Warwick, R O’Gara, D Williams, T O’Leary, P Stringer, W du Preez, S Archer, T Buckley, D Fogarty, D Varley, P O’Connell, D Ryan, D O’Callaghan, M O’Driscoll, A Quinlan, N Ronan, B Holland, D Wallace, J Coughlan

Munster back-row Denis Leamy has been ruled out for 4-6 months with a serious knee injury. The news is a severe blow for the Tipperary native, who was back to his very best form in Munster’s epic 14-37 win over French Champions Perpignan in the Heineken Cup on Sunday. The injury was sustained in the last play of the match, at the end of which Munster secured their crucial fourth try through New Zealand wing Doug Howlett. Munster said that the 28-year-old, who has played with strapping on his right knee for most of 2009 having injured it playing against Llanelli in December last year, had a scan on Monday and was operated on in a Dublin clinic yesterday.

He will now miss Ireland’s defence of their RBS Six Nations crown in February and March. He may be fit in time for Ireland’s summer tour of New Zealand and Australia in June. However, he must now be considered extremely doubtful for the Heineken Cup final in May should Munster make it to the decider. Munster must now make the best of their resources in the back-row, and will need someone to slot in alongside David Wallace and Alan Quinlan, the frontliners at present. Donnacha Ryan, who replaced Quinlan against Perpignan, is among the prime candidates after his influential 20 minute spell in that match. Mick O’Driscoll, Niall Ronan and Nick Williams, a specialist number eight, are others who may step in. Under Heineken Cup competition rules, Munster could also opt to strengthen their back row options in March, when each squad involved in the knock-out stages gets the opportunity to bolster its ranks by adding up to three additional players.

Leinster secured their second consecutive bonus point win in a 39-7 victory over the Scarlets in Saturday afternoon’s Heineken Cup round 4 clash in the RDS.

Speaking after the game, Heineken Man of the Match Jamie Heaslip said: “To come away with 10 points out of these two games is great and we’re happy with our performance. But in saying that we have plenty more to work on. We got some good quick ball which opened up space for our backs who were very clinical.

“But we won’t get carried away because the Scarlets are a very good team. to be honest we’re a bit annoyed that we let in a try, but all in all we’re pleased and we’re looking forward to the Ulster game on St. Stephen’s Day which will be another tough battle.”

Leinster began strongly and were rewarded for their eafrly dominance when Rob Kearney pounced into the corner to score a try in the eighth minute. Kearney then doubled Leinster’s lead in the 22nd minute when his effort went to the video replay after some excellent hands from CJ van der Linde and Shane Horgan. Horgan, continuing his excellent recent run of form, punced for his side’s third try in the 38th minute when he intercepted Deacon Manu’s pass in the Leinster 22 and sprinted clear to score past the despairing defence to leave the score 15-0 at the interval.

Leinster picked up where they left off in the 46th and Gordon D’Arcy’s effort through the Scarlets rearguard ensured a bonus point for the hosts, with Shaun Berne converting, to push the score to 22-0.

Though Rhys Priestland added a 66th minute try for the visitors, it was scant consolation as Leinster enjoyed dominance up front and Eoin Reddan was an effective conduit for some flowing back play.

Brian O’Driscoll, a constant menace for the Llanelli defence, scored the first of his two tries in the 56th minute – with D’Arcy adding his second on 59 minutes, which Berne converted – and then closed off his side’s seventh effort in the 72nd minute.

Tommy Bowe, the Ospreys wing (No 14), will appear before an independent Disciplinary Hearing as a result of a citing arising from the Heineken Cup Pool 3 match against Viadana at Stadio Giglio, Emilio Reggio on Saturday, 12 December, 2009.

The citing lodged by the Citing Commissioner for the match, Iain Goodall (Scotland), is for a dangerous tackle (Lifting a Player from the ground and either dropping or driving that Player’s head and/or upper body first into the ground whilst the Player’s feet are off the Ground) on Viadana wing Kaine Robertson (No 14) in contravention of Law 10.4 (i).

The independent Judicial Officer will be appointed as soon as practicable.

The Leinster squad to face the Scarlets in Saturday afternoon’s Heineken Cup round 4 clash in the RDS (KO: 3.45pm) has been named.

Gordon D’Arcy, Shane Horgan, Sean O’Brien and Shaun Berne – each try scorers in last weekend’s victory in Parc Y Scarlets – are included in the panel for Saturday’s return fixture in the RDS.

Jamie Heaslip, who made his 100th appearance for the province in the 32-7 victory, is one of seven Ireland international forwards in the panel.

Rhys Ruddock – who made his debut in the recent Magners League game against the Dragons – joins Chris Keane, Simon Keogh, Ronan McCormack and Devin Toner in the extended panel which is expected to be reduced on Friday lunchtime.

In addition to the usual ‘Family Day’ activities there will be a number of themed seasonal events for Leinster’s final home match before Christmas. Alexandra College Choir will be getting supporters in the festive mood around the ground on Saturday in aid of Fr. Peter McVerry’s ‘Welcome Home’ charity. Meanwhile, up and coming band ‘Theo and the Red Beats’ will also be performing at half-time.

Tickets for Saturday’s Heineken Cup game against the Scarlets have now sold out online. There are a small number of tickets still on sale in the Leinster Rugby Store and Spar shop in Donnybrook. This will be a ticket only match and there will be no tickets on sale at the gate on the day.

Meanwhile, over 16,000 tickets have now been sold for the Magners League clash between Leinster and Ulster in the RDS on St Stephen’s Day. Tickets for the upcoming fixtures against Ulster and Glasgow in the Magners League and Brive in the Heineken Cup in January are on sale on www.leinsterrugby.ie

Leinster squad to face the Scarlets…

FORWARDS: Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O’Brien, Malcolm O’Kelly, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Stan Wright

BACKS: Shaun Berne, Gordon D’Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, Paul O’Donohoe, Brian O’Driscoll, Eoin Reddan

David Attoub, the Stade Francais Paris replacement prop (No 17) and scrumhalf Julien Dupuy are both due to appear before an independent Disciplinary Hearing as a result of a citing arising from the Heineken Cup Pool 4 match against Ulster at Ravenhill, on Saturday 12th December 2009, a match which the French side lost by 23-13.

Both citings lodged by the Citing Commissioner for the match, Tony Lanaway (England), is for alleged contact with the eye / eye area of Ulster player Stephen Ferris (No 6) in contravention of Law 10.4 (l). If found guilty both players could be suspended for up to 8 weeks, therefore making it difficult for Stade Francais to progress out of their pool

The independent Judicial Officer will be appointed as soon as practicable.