Ulster's victory over Toulouse in the quarter-finals of the European Cup last Friday night at Ravenhill has been described as one of the greatest wins achieved by the province. There is not a doubt about the substance of the claim. But I would go further. Given the circumstances last Friday night and what was at stake, I do not think it would be unjust to suggest that it was the greatest victory ever attained by Ulster.

I was present when Ulster beat the Wallabies and that was a great occasion and a superb victory. Likewise, I remember Ulster going through an 18-match winning run at Ravenhill back in the 1980s when they not only beat the other Irish provinces but some very formidable teams from abroad as well. But the win last Friday night eclipses anything attained at that time.

It is a tremendous incentive and lift for rugby in the province and for rugby in Ireland and proof yet again of the wisdom of the decision to get the Irish players back from England.

Ulster's outstanding achievement and Munster's quarter-final place offers further encouragement to those who are still playing outside Ireland to return. There is reason to believe that at least some of the dwindling number still playing in England will be back next season. Once the IRFU got the considerable increase in income from the televising of the Five Nations series, they had the revenue to contract 21 full-time and 10 part-time players in each province. That is costing millions but is money very well spent in the current professional climate. Ulster would be an even more formidable force if players such as Paddy Johns and Jeremy Davidson returned to Ireland. Bear in mind, too, that Eric Miller is also with the province but is not eligible for the European Cup.

The Ulster team stands a very good chance of beating Stade Francais in the semi-final, especially at Ravenhill now that European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC) has decided to let the match go ahead there.

Initially there was some doubt about the venue for the quarter-final as the ERC recommends that a semi-final venue should have the capacity to hold 20,000 people and Ravenhill does not have that capacity. As matters stand it holds 12,000 but that will be boosted to the required 20,000 by the erection of temporary stands, the Ulster branch have confirmed. There was not an alternative venue in Ulster with a greater capacity and that had to be a factor. While Ulster would have got great support at Lansdowne Road, ERC were right to allow the match to go ahead at Ravenhill.

Because of television requirements the match against Stade Francais will probably be played on the afternoon of Saturday January 9th. That should not in any way diminish the enthusiasm that will be generated from the stands, temporary and permanent, at Ravenhill.

What makes Ulster's achievement in reaching the semi-final all more commendable is that they did not make a good start to the European Cup. They had drawn their first match at home to Edinburgh Reivers. Then lost away to Toulouse 39-3. Their chances of making the quarter-finals at that stage looked slim in the extreme. But they have come up with five successive wins since that defeat in Toulouse. Those, of course, include two victories over Toulouse and wins over Ebbw Vale, twice, and Edinburgh Reivers in Edinburgh. That scarcely leaves any doubt about their worthiness to be in the semi-final.

Meanwhile we have yet another proposal from the English clubs for a so-called British League next season. Once more, as we have come to expect, it is loaded in favour of the leading English clubs who call the tune in Twickenham.

The Irish provinces and the Scottish Districts and most of the Welsh clubs have been given the left-overs in the latest proposals, being consigned to what is effectively a second division. Of course, clubs like Bath, Leicester, Wasps, Harlequins and Saracens will all be together in what is in reality the first division.

Quite candidly there is not an attractive fixture in what is proposed for the Irish provinces. They would be asked to play 22 matches and to travel all over Britain to play nearly half of them.

Bearing in mind recent history and actions by the English clubs, the IRFU is and, rightly so, very reluctant to pledge the future of the Irish provinces to the English clubs. Some Irish players know from bitter experience what a mistake they made a few years ago by doing just that. IRFU president Noel Murphy and IRFU officials George Spotswood and Eddie Wigglesworth were in London last Wednesday for discussions on the league issue.

The way ahead for the Irish provinces is through the European Cup - with or without the English clubs. And of course the presence of English clubs would enhance the competition, the European Cup is ideal for the Irish set-up. That allied to the interprovincial championship - this season's series was the best on record - and additional matches that can be arranged to give the provinces something between 16 and 20 matches, with most played by January. This gives and will continue to give far better rugby than playing in what is in essence a second division through the proposed British League. Nor is there any real enthusiasm by the English clubs to have Ireland included but, of course, under the most recent proposal, they would be handy to make up the numbers.

The current set-up suits Ireland and allows the players to assist their clubs in the AIB League. That is the primary domestic competition in this country and should not be devalued.

Furthermore I fail to see how young and promising players can make the necessary level of progress playing in a national league that does not include the best players in the country. As is the situation this year, the AIB League should continue to run in tandem with the Five Nations Championship. An AIB League with the clubs deprived of their best players would be totally devalued and would not have a great deal of spectator appeal. Clubs have enough financial problems as it is.

There is talk about a European League. The French do not have any enthusiasm for that. They would like the top English clubs in the European Cup. The European Cup suits the French who rightly value their own domestic championship.

We will await developments on the those issues, but the European Cup and indeed the Conference, or as it is now called the Shield, have proved to be excellent competitions with or without the English clubs. No doubt if things did not suit the big boys in England, the British League would be scuttled in due course as the goalposts are shifted yet again to pay for their inability to balance their books.