Harlequins’ hopes of progression in the Champions Cup were virtually extinguished as they crashed to a third-consecutive defeat in Europe, a 17-5 loss at home to Ulster.

Leinster’s turbulent season will come to an end in Murrayfield this afternoon, when Matt O’Connor’s side face Edinburgh in the final round of the Guinness Pro12 (3pm).

Edinburgh 3 Munster 34: Edinburgh scarcely represented Munster’s biggest hurdle in their march towards the knockout stages of the Guinness Pro12 league but nevertheless the visitors were in ruthless form in Scotland on Saturday afternoon.

Anthony Foley has wasted no time in recalling Ireland’s Six Nations heroes as the province continue to seek the victories required to help them to a top two Guinness Pro12 finish.

Ireland threw down the gaunlet to England on the final day of the RBS 6 Nations by routing Scotland at Murrayfield and setting their title rivals a tough target in their tournament closing game down at Twickenham.

Ian Humphreys will again be dictating matters for Ulster when they travel to face in-form Edinburgh at Murrayfield this evening.

Scotland coach Vern Cotter has defended his decision to call up New Zealand-born flanker Hugh Blake for his RBS 6 Nations squad.

Connacht coach Pat Lam is taking nothing for granted after victory over Munster, naming virtually an unchanged side for tonight’s visit of Edinburgh to the Galway Sportsground (7.35pm).

Rising star Teddy Thomas has been dropped for tomorrow’s Test against Argentina by France manager Philippe Saint-Andre for missing a training session by arriving two hours late.

Former Rugby League star, Ben Te’o, makes his Leinster debut in tonight’s Guinness Pro12 clash with Edinburgh (RDS, 7.35pm), as the champions aim to secure back-to-back league victories for the first time this season.

Ulster 30 Edinburgh 0

Ian Keatley will start at out-half for Munster in their Guinness PRO12 opener at home to Edinburgh tonight (KO: 7.35pm) nursing the same injury he had to manage throughout the last campaign.

Leinster 15 Edinburgh 13

Edinburgh have issued a worrying decree — Munster will have to fight for a productive result in Scotland tonight.

RABODIRECT PRO12: Edinburgh 24 Connacht 32

Leinster head-coach Joe Schmidt has recalled Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald for tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash against lowly Edinburgh in Murrayfield.

Connacht 23 Edinburgh 24

Injuries have robbed Connacht of a host of front-line players for the visit of Edinburgh to the Galway Sportsground today (5pm).

Scotland 22 New Zealand 51

When Rob Penney was still coaching Canterbury to NPC success back in New Zealand, he received a delegation of coaches from Edinburgh, eager to pick the Kiwi’s brains and discover the secrets of his success.

Rob Penney has been able to name Ireland internationals Donncha O’Callaghan and Mike Sherry in his first competitive squad for Munster’s RaboDirect Pro12 opener at Edinburgh tomorrow night.

Holland-born Edinburgh wing Tim Visser is one of five uncapped players included in Scotland’s summer tour squad.

Leinster’s second-string put in a first-class performance at the RDS last night as they scored eight tries on the way to an impressive annihilation of a sorry Edinburgh side.

Edinburgh captain Greig Laidlaw hailed the record-breaking Murrayfield crowd for helping them over the line in their “exhausting” Heineken Cup win over four-times champions Toulouse.

Edinburgh will be aiming to become the first Scottish team to qualify for the Heineken Cup semi-finals as they host Toulouse today.

Ulster kept themselves in the race for the RaboDirect Pro12 play-offs by chalking up their fifth win from their last six league games against an under-strength Edinburgh outfit.

Former Irish and Munster scrum-half Michael Bradley has ruled himself out of the Munster job.

FORMER Springbok Stefan Terblanche will start at full-back for Ulster’s in Edinburgh tonight.

SOME not so clever defending made this victory more difficult than it should have been for Leinster but it also contributed to a hugely entertaining game of rugby.

LEINSTER have named 10 Irish internationals in their starting line-up for tonight’s clash against Michael Bradley’s Edinburgh in Murrayfield.

DESPITE being short a host of internationals, Munster continue their rotation policy for tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 away clash at Edinburgh.

EDINBURGH took the spoils last night to claim their first win of the RaboDirect Pro 12 season at Connacht’s expense who had to settle for an away bonus point.

MUNSTER may be struggling for team silverware this season but the personal accolades continue to head towards the southern province.

A RIP-ROARING contest that could have gone either way before Connacht atoned for their slip-up in Italy to record their sixth home win on the trot.

IT is redemption week for Connacht, according to coach Eric Elwood. After a disappointing loss to Aironi in Italy, Elwood is banking on home advantage to help the province record their sixth win on the trot at home to Edinburgh this evening.

WALES wing George North made a try-scoring return from injury as the Scarlets ended a run of six straight defeats in all competitions with a narrow Magners League victory at Parc y Scarlets.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan wants his side to bounce back from what he termed “one of the more disappointing results” of his tenure, when they meet Edinburgh in a must-win Magners League clash at Thomond Park tonight (7.50pm).

LEINSTER will battle to retain the services of prop forward Mike Ross next season with increased speculation the Cork native is set for a return to his Munster roots following the departure of Tony Buckley to Sale Sharks.

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood is hoping there will be no repeat of last year’s hammering at the hands of Edinburgh when the two sides meet this evening in Murrayfield (7.05pm).

ANDREW CONWAY marked his first Magners League game of the season with a fine try and some memorable cameos as Leinster’s young guns helped secure a hard-fought win over battling Edinburgh at the RDS on Saturday.

MUNSTER cast aside their pre-match nerves to secure their first win outside Ireland for over a year with a deserved victory over Edinburgh at Murrayfield last night in the second round of the Magners League, to make it two from two in the competition.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan clearly sees stability as the key to Magners League success this season.

IRELAND’S Tommy Bowe bids for another trophy on Monday night when the Magners League Players’ Player of the Year Award is announced at a ceremony in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

LEINSTER and the Ospreys have been given a pre-Magners League Grand final boost with seven of their players named in the League Dream Team of the season.

Coach Rob Moffat has made five changes to his Edinburgh to tackle Leinster in the Magners League at The RDS on Sunday (kick-off 6.15pm).

Connacht 22 Edinburgh 21

A HOST of injuries has forced coach Michael Bradley to make yet more changes to his starting line-up for tonight’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh at the Galway Sportsground (6pm).

ULSTER came out of cold storage to strangle the life out of Edinburgh and take their outside chances of reaching the knockout stages a step further.

Sharpshooter Chris Paterson will lead Edinburgh into battle with Ulster in the Heineken Cup at Ravenhill on Friday.