The Hounds are out and Wasps take on Harlequins in the spiritual home of rugby, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi

An Irish Wolfhound yesterday (picture from http://bit.ly/ed2joZ )

This weekend all the leagues take a break and we have the LV cup and a sprinkling of 6-Nations ‘A’ games to fill in. Blues and Ospreys could be a feisty encounter, and Exiles and Saints should produce some fireworks as well. Then we have Wasps and Harlequins performing in the spiritual home of rugby, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. Yes, this famous venue, a tribute to the hot bed of rugby that exists in the middle east, welcomes two English teams to play in the desert, for the money. Flights are a snip at £500, get in there all the real fans!
Irish Wolfhounds v Scotland ‘A’

I like the look of this Irish team. There are a few starters in contention for the senior team, mainly Duffy and O’Malley but Johnne Murphy must be in with a shout as well. C’mon the Hounds!

SCOTLAND A -- J Thompson; H O'Hare, B Cairns, J Houston, L Jones; D Blair, G Laidlaw (capt); J Welsh, D Hall, G Cross; S MacLeod, F McKenzie; R Wilson, A MacDonald, J Beattie. Reps: F Thomson, M Low, R Harley, R Grant, C Gregor, P Murchie, C Shaw.

WOLFHOUNDS - G Duffy; J Murphy, E O'Malley, N Spence, D Hurley; I Humphreys, T O'Leary; B Wilkinson, D Varley, T Buckley; I Nagle, D Toner; K McLaughlin, W Faloon, C Henry (capt). Reps: N Brady, J Hagan, A Browne, D Ryan, I Boss, N O'Connor, I Whitten.

LV= Cup

Friday , January 28

Sale vs Newport-Gwent D'gons 19:45

Saturday , January 29

Bath vs Newcastle 14:15

Scarlets vs Saracens 15:00

Exeter vs Leicester 15:00

Cardiff Blues vs Ospreys 18:30

Sunday , January 30

London Irish vs Northampton 15:00

Leeds Carnegie vs Gloucester 15:00

Wasps vs Harlequins 15: