Despite couple being missing for more than 24 hours police say there is still hope the couple may be alive

Stepping down from a job is a challenge for mere mortals - the loss of status, structure and income can have a grave psychological impact. For a football god it will be much harder.

Clermont survive late Irish fightback to reach Heineken Cup final as province fall just short

Serves 4

In the UK, unfortunately, we don't have an annual pig slaughter, but in Spain the animal is a little more revered and many Andalucian families still carry out the traditional celebratory matanza. This involves killing the animals humanely and dissecting the various cuts and curing and brining them to ensure that the family has a supply of good-quality meat to last through the year.

The accusation alone of blasphemy has led to violence that has claimed countless lives. And the cases themselves are usually about something else

I never know what I'm going to do on New Year's Eve. That is, I can take a very vague guess: what I presume I will do is lie around for most of the day, then go somewhere, get drunk, wonder what all the fuss was about and go to sleep fully clothed round my friend's house.

1. He gave me an illuminated globe for Christmas when I was 11. Who gives an 11-year-old boy an illuminated globe? Why did I get that while Adam - who was a really nasty piece of work - got Reebok trainers and a Sega Mega Drive?

Rant

Munster 15 Saracens 9

An invitation to join in the blending of González Byass' new Palmas range doesn't come along every day, so when Martin Skelton, who heads up the UK office, invited me, it didn't take me long to say yes please. Imagine a game-loving monarchist being invited on a shoot at Balmoral with the Queen. Maurizio González Gordon, who runs the traditional family Jerez firm of González Byass, is sherry royalty, so the opportunity to join in the blending was not to be missed.

I grew up in a house that was crowded with dogs. Most of them belonged to my aunt, though a few of the less popular ones were passed on to my grandmother. As head of the household, my grandfather had to summon the vet from time to time, an excruciating business as he did not trust the telephone and, being unable to see whom he was speaking to, would raise his voice, making him sound very rude.

England clearly needed a pick-me-up in Poland. Steve Tongue looks at what history has to offer

Racing Metro 22 Munster 17