Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery and flanker Alan Quinlan have agreed extensions to contracts that will keep the players at Munster for the foreseeable future. The province also announced that Tony McGahan will succeed Graham Steadman as defensive coach.
The 27-year-old Flannery has agreed a three-year deal while Quinlan (31), has signed a two-year extension. This follows on the recent three-year deal agreed with Paul O'Connell.
Australian born, McGahan who will be 34 in July, comes to Munster from Japanese side IBM. Prior to that his coaching experience included stints with Australia A, the Brisbane Broncos (League) and as coaching co-ordinator with the Australian Under-19 World Cup squad. He played rugby league with Brisbane Broncos having also represented Queensland schoolboys and Eastern Districts in the union code.
Connacht coach Michael Bradley has announced that his captain Andrew Farley (25), has signed a two-year extension to his contract. A former Australian Under-21 international, Farley has been superb for the Irish province since arriving from Swansea almost three seasons ago. He will be Irish-qualified this June.
The Irish province has beaten off interest from French side Narbonne and a couple of Scottish suitors.
Farley admitted: "I am delighted to have agreed a new two-year term with Connacht. I have really enjoyed my rugby since I came and can see a bright future for us."
Leinster will play Italian club side Petrarca Padova in a final warm-up game ahead of their Heineken European Cup quarter-final against Toulouse next month. The match will take place next Friday at Donnybrook (6.0).
Petrarca are the former club of Leinster assistant coach David Knox. The Australian played there for three seasons and helped guide the Italians to their national championship in 1986/'87 season.
They are coached by South African Paul Roux and have agreed to the fixture that will be viewed as a massive boost to Leinster's preparations.
Admission is free for season ticket holders with entrance into the ground on the day 10 (adult) and 5 (schoolchildren). Leinster supporters have until Monday lunch-time to purchase tickets for the Toulouse match. At this point over 4,500 tickets have been sold.
The Ireland Under-21 team to play Scotland tomorrow night in Dubarry Park, Athlone, shows three changes to the side that lost narrowly to Wales. Jonathon Sexton takes over the outhalf position from Conan Doyle, who is named in the replacements.
Darragh Hurley, who had to withdraw from the starting side for the Wales game due to a hamstring injury, returns to the squad but must be content with a spot on the replacements as Callum Black holds his position at loosehead prop. In the backrow, Ross Noonan returns to the starting side in place of Michael Essex.
Gavin Henson has been named on the bench for Wales's clash with Italy on Saturday.
Henson took full responsibility for Wales's thumping 31-5 defeat against Ireland but caretaker coach Scott Johnson has kept faith with the Ospreys centre and included him among the replacements in a Wales squad featuring three changes. Winger Shane Williams returns to the side in place of Dafydd James after recovering from a dead leg and is the only change to the starting XV.
France have brought in scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili and prop Sylvain Marconnet for Sunday's clash with England in Paris.
Yachvili replaces Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, who drops to the bench after starting France's first three games of the Six Nations against Scotland, Ireland and Italy.
Marconnet comes in for Olivier Milloud as loosehead prop in the only other change from the starting team that defeated Italy 37-12.
FRANCE (v England, Stade de France, Sunday) T Castaignede; A Rougerie, F Fritz, D Traille, C Dominici; F Michalak, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, R Ibanez, P de Villiers, F Pelous, J Thion, Y Nyanga, O Magne, T Lievremont. Replacements: D Szarzewski, S Marconnet, L Nallet, J Bonnaire, J-B Elissalde, L Valbon, C Heymans.
WALES (v Italy, Cardiff, Saturday): L Byrne; M Jones, H Luscombe, M Watkins, S Williams; S Jones, D Peel; D Jones, R Thomas, A Jones, I Gough, R Sidoli, C Charvis, M Williams, M Owen. Replacements: M Davies, G Jenkins, J Thomas, A Popham, M Phillips, N Robinson, G Henson.
IRELAND U-21: F Carr (Blackrock College); P Durcan (Galwegians), F McFadden (UCD), D Cave (Belfast Harlequins), M Williams (Bristol Shoguns/Hartpury College); J Sexton (St Mary's College), P Marshall (Ballynahinch); C Black (Worcester Warriors/Hartpury College), S Philpott (Belfast Harlequins, capt), P Doran-Jones (Dublin University); D Toner (Lansdowne), D Touhy (Gloucester/Hartpury College), R Noonan (UCC), E Uzoigwe (Hartpury College), S O'Brien (UCD). Replacements: S Cronin (Shannon), D Hurley (UCC), D McGowan (Buccaneers), B Holland (UCC), D Williams (UCC), C Doyle (Garryowen), T Gleeson (Cork Con).
