The French rugby federation (FFR) has confirmed that former France wing and current Toulon sporting director Philippe Saint-Andre will take over from Marc Lievremont as coach of the national team after the World Cup.
Georgia coach Richie Dixon has announced the 30-man squad to represent the Eastern Europeans in next month's World Cup in New Zealand.
There will be a fitting finale to the first round of fixtures in the Currie Cup this weekend as the Lions and the Sharks do battle for top spot in their clash in Johannesburg.
Jonny Wilkinson is in the box seat to be England's Rugby World Cup fly-half after replacing Toby Flood for Saturday's warm-up against Ireland.
The Wallabies learned it is time to get physical and are ready to harden up, jilted players left to their own, Premiership gets ready to kick off, a Dan Carter exclusive and more from this edition of What the Papers Say.
Ireland's build-up to the World Cup continues to be hamstrung by worrying developments on the injury front.
On a day when the South African Rugby Union was called to appear before Parliament's portfolio committee on sport over the anthem bungle earlier this week, the country's most infamous anthem butcher, Ras Dumisane, saw fit to criticize Ard Matthews.
Provincial pride has nothing to do with Heinrich Brüssow's concerns that he will not have his Free State skipper Juan Smith at his side during the World Cup in New Zealand next month.
Senior players Brian O'Driscoll and Sean O'Brien have been ruled out of Ireland's World Cup warm-up against England in Dublin on Saturday as coach Declan Kidney errs on the side of caution ahead of the global showpiece.
All Black flank Adam Thomson says his Wallaby counterpart, Rocky Elsom, could pose a renewed threat to New Zealand in the deciding Tri-Nations match Saturday now that he is unburdened by the Wallabies captaincy.
Sharks coach John Plumtree has tweaked his backline and brought back skipper Keegan Daniel into the starting XV for the top-of-the-table clash with the Lions in Johannesburg this weekend.
The International Rugby Board has written to Tonga's prime minister demanding assurances the parliament of the Pacific nation will cease meddling in its rugby administration.
Richie McCaw may be the All Blacks captain, but Dan Carter is indisputably the on-field director - a peerless pivot responsible for keeping the All Blacks at the top of the world.
Manawatu made heavy work of it but in the end they ground out a late 27-23 victory over Tasman in Nelson to secure their spot in the NPC championship final next month.
Brian O'Driscoll and Sean O'Brien will miss Ireland's clash with England at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday through injury.
