Devin Toner’s World Cup ambitions remain intact with the news that the Leinster second row faces just a 4-6 week recovery period from the knee injury suffered against Munster in last week’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final.

French referees will take charge of the Irish provinces' Champions and Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Second-half tries from Garry Ringrose and Sean Cronin did the damage for Leinster in their 20-3 Guinness PRO14 derby win over 14-man Connacht at the Sportsground.

Scrum-half James Hart believes Munster’s two-match tour to South Africa is the perfect way to build up for the Champions Cup showdown with his former club Racing 92 on Sunday week.

OSPREYS 32 LEINSTER 18: Leinster limped back into Dublin late on Saturday night having fluffed their lines in their dress-rehearsal for the Champions Cup quarter-final with Saracens and licking their wounds after a mauling by the Ospreys.

Scotland 32 France 26: A relieved Greig Laidlaw has demanded improvements from Scotland despite seeing them come from behind to see off France in the NatWest 6 Nations.

"Subs have been running roughshod all over the place, like a herd of buffalo".

Munster Development XV 10 Ireland U20 26: Two tries in the dying minutes by right winger Peter Sullivan gave Ireland U20 a flattering 26-10 victory over a Munster Development XV in a hard-fought but scrappy encounter at Thomond Park yesterday.

It was not as if Leinster put Ulster to the sword in a lively, if disjointed Guinness PRO14 derby at the weekend, they simply sliced and diced them!

Gloucester 17 Stade Francais 25: Gloucester let an early 10-point lead slip to go down to Stade Francais at BT Murrayfield as they failed to impose themselves in the European Challenge Cup final.

Just one week after proving to all of Europe how dangerous he is in the No 15 shirt, Joey Carbery is back to orchestrate another Leinster victory, only this time he will be wearing number 10.

Neil Jenkins has assured Joe Schmidt and his Irish team there will be no more dithering from Leigh Halfpenny if he gets the chance to shoot for goal against them next week in the Six Nations battle at the Principality Stadium.

Ospreys 29 Connacht 7: Connacht’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions Cup quarter-finals were hit when out-half Jack Carty added to their growing injury list in a 29-7 defeat to the Ospreys.

Leinster’s South African star Zane Kirchner says Ruan Pienaar has been left “heartbroken” by the IRFU decision to block Ulster’s plans to re-sign the star.

Tipperary’s John Lacey will referee next month’s European Challenge Cup final between Harlequins and Montpellier.

Glasgow Warriors 27 Ulster 17: Title holders Glasgow Warriors extended their winning run in the Guinness PRO12 to five matches with a hard-fought 27-17 victory over Ulster at Scotstoun.

The British Army GAA team that survived a proposal to eject them from the London JFC will play under the name Naomh Pádraig and not The Irish Guards banner that was their original billing.

Scotland 9 England 15: Eddie Jones has urged England to build momentum behind their RBS 6 Nations quest by giving Italy a “good hiding” in Rome.

GAA bosses have quashed the controversial proposal to throw a British army team from the London Junior Football Championship.

Leicester Tigers 33 Stade Francais 20: Leicester Tigers got their European Rugby Champions Cup campaign off to a flying start with a four-try demolition of French champions Stade Francais.

Welshman Nigel Owens has been appointed to referee Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham, with Ireland’s John Lacey taking charge of the bronze medal match between South Africa and Argentina.

WALES 23 FIJI 13: Warren Gatland insists he will remain a neutral spectator this weekend — even if Australia hold Wales’ immediate World Cup destiny in their hands against England at Twickenham.

Pool D: Wales v Fiji

Scotland 45 Japan 10: The neutrals may have left Kingsholm disappointed not to have witnessed another monumental Rugby World Cup upset, but Scotland will not care one jot after this bonus-point success kicked their Pool B campaign off in the perfect fashion.

Galway 1-20 Wexford 0-11: Holders Cork will face familiar opposition in next month’s All-Ireland intermediate hurling final after Galway cruised to a maiden Leinster title success last night.

Welshman Nigel Owens, regarded by many pundits as the world’s leading rugby union referee, has been appointed to oversee Ireland’s crucial Rugby World Cup Pool D clash with France.

Guinness Pro12

Gordon D’Arcy hasn’t given up on making Ireland’s World Cup squad later this year.

Newport Gwent Dragons 26, Ulster 22: Ulster suffered a blow in their charge for the Guinness Pro12 play-offs after strugglers Newport Gwent Dragons claimed a 26-22 victory at Rodney Parade yesterday.

Champions Cup round up: Guy Noves’ Toulouse handed Leinster a home Champions Cup quarter-final after blowing the chance to top Pool 4 by squandering a 20-9 lead yesterday.

Guinness Pro12

Sam Warburton says he does not feel any sense of surprise after Wales finally ended their southern hemisphere hoodoo.

Wales finally cracked the code of success against major southern hemisphere opposition as full-back Leigh Halfpenny’s relentless goalkicking saw off Millennium Stadium visitors South Africa.

I know nothing. I really don’t. 130 tests later, if you haven’t it all figured you’re dumb, writes Ronan O'Gara. 

Saracens 30 Clermont Auvergne 23

It’s not just team-mates and opponents getting younger for Munster veteran Paul O’Connell.

Connacht 10 Leinster 9

Glasgow 27 Ulster 9