PLANET RUGBY: ROSS FORD was the toast of Edinburgh over the weekend, having beaten Ireland's Rory Best to the Lions hooker job.

For disgruntled Ulstermen who saw Ford perform against Ireland and wonder why he got the call, well, he had this to say:

“I’d say myself that the Ireland game wasn’t great by my own standards. And if they placed a lot on that then maybe that’s affected their selection. But I know that was a rare drop below the standards I set myself.”

Brown directs party operations

THE LEINSTER squad struggled into the Edinburgh departures lounge on Saturday night as a horde of delirious supporters sought to embrace them. After a function in the Burlington Hotel many of the players floated into Harcourt Street for a party in Krystle nightclub.

Entry wasn’t a problem as the squad’s “Director of Entertainment” Gary Brown (who, sadly, retired after the game) had it all covered.

Before they even left Murrayfield, Brown stamped his team-mates with “Leinster Heineken Cup winners 2009 – Krystle VIP area”.

It always helps to be prepared.

VIP treatment

THIS IS the one and only time this will be mentioned. But could it be true that the Wags (wives and girlfriends of the Leinster players), who took the short trip to Edinburgh on Saturday morning, were siphoned off from the rest of the charter and supplied with a private bus to the city?

A Welsh accent

WELSH REFEREE Nigel Owens may be the toast of parents across the land. The Heineken Cup final whistler was heard over the ref link scolding Australian flanker Rocky Elsom. He kindly asked the big Aussie to mind his language because people were listening back home on television. The pet.