Anthony Foley said earlier this week that any time there is a meeting of two Irish sides in any rugby competiton an added edge is brought to proceedings and it will be no different this Saturday when Leinster travel to Limerick to take on Munster in Thomond Park.

Munster have done well over the winter and early Spring period without their Ireland contingent while the same could also be said of Leinster who despite trailing their provincial rivals will be very much in the hunt towards the latter end of the competiton.

The meeting of Ireland and England at the Aviva stadium is just one part to an enormous jigsaw of sport this weekend which includes national football league action here in Ennis, boxing with "Big Bang", local soccer with Avenue Utd in Munster action and plenty  more.

Starting with the rugby and it is hard to imagine that Ireland really have nothing to play for than pride when they take on England on Saturday.

The Clare senior footballers and hurlers both will be hoping to exploit home advantage to the fullest this weekend when they take on Down and London respectivlye. in the national league

The footballers have their first game of the season in Ennis and with the league title and hopes of promotion badly damaged so far by losses to Carlow and Leitrim another defeat would seal the sides fate for 2011.

Last nights draw for the county championships in hurling at all grades has kick started the season with talk already turning to the opeing rounds in May and June.

The defending champions in both codes will be pleased enough with having avoided possible groups of death but it will be interesting to see how Doonbeg cope with taking on Liscannor again while Newmarket's early credentials for the championship will be tested against the holders Crusheen.

Three games and four red cards and worse of all just one win-not pretty reading for Clare football manager Michael Mc dermott this morning after his side slumped to a disastrous defeat to Carlow yesterday.

Clare lost two men and the possibility of promotion by many's reading of yesterday's game as the chance to gain a valuable two points away from home slipped from their grasp.

To be sent off is bad enough but to have it infllicted for two off the ball incidents is sickening.

Coming up this Friday on Sideline View:

We look ahead to this weekend's crucial national football league encounter between Clare and Carlow while the Clare camogie side take on Galway looking for their first win of the new year.

Also we take a look at Ireland's chances of beating Scotland in the Six nations and in a special debate we hear from  referees from Gaa,camogie and ladies football,soccer and rugby to hear what life is like for the men and women in the middle of the nations favourites sports.
 

The Clare senior footballers take on Carlow this weekend knowing anything less than a win over the Leinster outfit will almost certainley mean the end of their hopes of promotion.

Despite a big win over Kilkenny Clare will once again have to up theitr performance for Carlow who are short on confidence having lost their opening three games already this year.

Clare are without David Tubridy and Gordon Kelly which means more Clare players are likely to see action which may be a blessing in disguise

Clare escape once more down south with a narrow win from bBlfast but the 2011 victory will carry more significance than any other game perhaps in this campaign.

Clare showed some of the qualities that fans have been expecting to see for the last 12 months including a desitre to battle  and a maturing of some of the younger players.

Both players an