Royal Wedding: Brian O'Driscoll to miss Kate and William's big day for Leinster rugby match

Ireland rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll has snubbed an invite to Friday’s royal wedding as he is playing for Leinster in the Heineken Cup 24 hours later.

The 32-year-old admitted it was a 'big honour' to be invited but the game was more important than being a guest at Westminster Abbey.

Leinster play Toulouse in the semi-final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium at  3.30pm on Saturday - the day after Prince William and Kate Middleton’s nuptials in London.

'I have a captain’s run on Friday and as big an honour as it was to be invited, I can’t ask for team runs to be at 6pm,' he told The Guardian. O’Driscoll’s wife, actress Amy Huberman, will attend the ceremony.

'It’s a small thing but waking up here, at home on Saturday morning, is really important' I’ll be up early enough for breakfast and lounging around, watching Soccer AM. I’ll make my usual lunch at 1230. My missus knows to leave me alone. She won’t be getting much chat out of me. And then it’s off to the game.'

Prince William, who is vice royal patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, is likely to share his big day with some of the sport’s leading figures.

England and Gloucester centre Mike Tindall is engaged to Prince William’s cousin Zara Phillips and will be attending, as will as fellow British and Irish Lions flanker Martyn Williams.

Williams has been granted time off by club side Cardiff Blues, even though his attendance at the wedding will mean missing a Magners League match against Newport Dragons on the same day.

Gareth Thomas, who now plays for rugby league side Crusaders, is also set to be amongst the congregation.

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Toby Flood wants Leicester to banish ghosts of Dublin against Leinster

Toby Flood believes England's grand slam disappointment will not adversely affect Leicester's chances of Heineken Cup quarter-final success over Leinster in Dublin this weekend. Flood and his half-back partner Ben Youngs both had poor games against a rampant Ireland at the Aviva Stadium last month but the fly-half insists the Tigers will not fall into the same trap as the national side.

With the benefit of hindsight, Flood accepts England were insufficiently braced for Ireland's furious early assault and Leicester are determined not to make the same mistake. "Having already played the Irish side there, we're aware of the ferocity of it all and the aggression they showed.

"Leinster are very similar to Ireland in how they play, they have the same type of defensive strategy and we have to be ready for their physical challenge. It's going to be a pretty hectic first 20 minutes. Hopefully we'll try and keep this game really tight and turn the pressure on in the last 10-15 minutes."

Flood is adamant he and Youngs carry no mental scars from Ireland's convincing 24-8 victory, stressing that club games are "very different beasts" from Test matches. "There's not been a question of me lying awake at night questioning what I'm about. If anything it's made me determined to be better.

"Sometimes it takes time to bounce back but it is reinvigorating to come back to your club. It was good to have that 'You're back at Leicester' kick up the arse. We were quite flat but the rugby environment here is quite cut-throat in terms of humour. It brushes away any ailments you have."

The Tigers will be without the prop Marcos Ayerza after opting not to appeal against the Argentina international's two-week ban for butting the Harlequins' prop Joe Marler. Richard Cockerill, their director of rugby, described the disciplinary panel's decision as "fair" but remains concerned that financial inequality is making it harder for English clubs to compete with their bigger European rivals.

"The landscape of the club game and the finances has changed even since we were last in the final," said Cockerill, a firm believer that the Premiership salary cap is too low. "I don't think there's any disgrace in not having won it in the last eight years. The players we had in our squad in the last World Cup season in 2007 are nearly twice as expensive as they are now but the salary cap is virtually the same."

Northampton, who face Ulster in Milton Keynes on Sunday have signed the Saracens winger Noah Cato. The 23-year-old spent four years at Saracens, for whom he made 63 appearances.

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