AIB League champions Garryowen will represent Ireland in an amateur rugby tournament in France next month. The Limerick club participate in the Languedoc-Roussillon event, which takes place from September 3rd to 15th.

Garryowen qualified to represent Ireland in the tournament following their win over Cork Constitution in the Division One final. They will wear specially commissioned Irish jerseys bearing their own club crest.

They will compete against representative club sides from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Argentina, Romania, Catalonia and Cambridge University.

All Blacks 'past it'

Former Australia captain Phil Kearns, who played in the 1991 and 1999 World Cup-winning teams, has claimed the All Blacks have been on the slide for the past year and a half.

"I think New Zealand peaked 18 months ago when they played the British (and Irish) Lions and they have not played as well since that time," Kearns said at yesterday's farewell luncheon for the Wallabies in Sydney.

"I think they're starting to worry. They're asking themselves some questions and I think they seriously could get beaten."

The former coach Rod Macqueen, who masterminded Australia's 1999 victory, said he thought the current New Zealand team were showing signs of being one-dimensional.

"One of the things that probably might be their Achilles heel is do they have a Plan B or a Plan C because I've only seen them play one way,"

Casey is captain

Former Leinster and Ireland secondrow Bob Casey (28) will lead London Irish this season, succeeding Mike Catt as club captain.

Cohen in limbo

Ben Cohen's immediate rugby future remains clouded in controversy and confusion after his public split with Northampton.

The 2003 England World Cup winner has effectively gone on strike in protest at Saints' appointment of Bruce Reihana as captain for their National League One campaign, which starts against London Welsh on Saturday week.

He has not trained with Northampton since they made the Reihana announcement last week. And the 28-year-old subsequently informed Saints chairman Keith Barwell of his intention to leave Franklin's Gardens.

English Premiership champions Leicester have been rumoured as a possible destination for the powerful wing. But Tigers would almost certainly baulk at the six-figure sum Saints will require to free Cohen from the remaining year of his contract.

At this stage, Cohen will be on the sidelines for club and country when the new campaign kicks off. Saints continue their pre-season preparations by hosting Harlequins on Saturday.

Cohen, meanwhile, withdrew from England's World Cup preparations earlier this year to spend more time with his wife, Abby, who is expecting twins.