Stuart Lancaster has been formally set the challenge of leading England into the 2015 Rugby World Cup as one of the two top-ranked nations.
Calum Clark is a doubt for England's tour of Uruguay and Argentina after an ankle injury ruled him out of Saturday's Aviva Premiership final.
Ben Foden aims to put a disappointing season behind him by helping Northampton to their first Aviva Premiership title on Saturday.
Stormers captain Jean de Villiers has explained that getting his side back to winning ways is the most important thing for him at the moment.
Take a World Cup and increase the pressure and intensity even more and that is what you get from a British and Irish Lions Tour according to Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
Defence again holds the key for the Kings, when they take on the Cheetahs in their all-South African derby match in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Nick Evans is relishing the chance to play at fly-half for the Barbarians against England on Sunday.
Leicester fly-half Toby Flood is desperate to get rid of the "bitter taste" of back-to-back Aviva Premiership final defeats
Leinster out to hand Joe Schmidt, Jonathan Sexton and Isa Nacewa the perfect send-off in the PRO12 final against Ulster.
Leicester have opted to keep changes to a minimum as they look to claim the Aviva Premiership title against Northampton.
Reds captain James Horwill admitted that his side have spent a fair amount of time this week preparing to counter the Stormers' driving maul.
The Rebels achieved another first - a win over the Waratahs. The men from Melbourne edged their Sydney rivals 24-22 on Friday.
Leicester's ninth consecutive Premiership Final will see them face East Midlands rivals Northampton at Twickenham on Saturday.
Brumbies tackle-busting loose forward Fotu Aeleua has been named in the preliminary Combined Country team to face the British and Irish Lions in Newcastle on June 11.
Joe Lydon has been appointed England's new head of international player development.
