Conference A leaders Leinster continued their unbeaten season with a 36-12 bonus-point win over Cheetahs at a rain-lashed RDS.

Leinster strung together four second-half tries as they handed Edinburgh a 40-14 defeat at the RDS Main Arena that ended the Scots’ winning start to the Guinness PRO14 season.

Leinster maintained their 100% start to the Guinness PRO14 season in a game of two halves at a blustery RDS.

The promotional posters for this game pitted Iain Henderson and Jacob Stockdale against Jamison Gibson-Park and Adam Byrne.

Edinburgh gave themselves a confidence boost ahead of their crucial European Cup quarter-final match against Munster next Saturday at BT Murrayfield with a forward orientated bonus point win over Leinster last night.

A game badly compromised by the absence of almost two dozen Six Nations stars was rescued by another star turn from Leinster’s James Lowe who continued to entertain long after the final whistle on Saturday afternoon.

Leinster weathered the huge hits and the heavy bruising from Montpellier’s giants on Saturday – but the five points are what will leave the biggest mark after a winning start to their Champions Cup challenge.

It took a while in coming, but this was a more than decent start to the new Guinness Pro14 season for Leo Cullen’s Leinster as they emerged deserved winners over the Dragons.

Jamaal Lascelles rescued Newcastle with an 81st-minute equaliser as Rafael Benitez's men maintained their one-point lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-2 draw at Norwich.

Brighton stormed back to the top of the Sky Bet Championship table with a 4-1 victory over struggling Burton.

Tom Ince fired Derby into the FA Cup fourth round as two quickfire Rams goals stunned West Brom.

Leo Cullen has played down fears of Johnny Sexton being forced to take an extended break from rugby, with the Leinster head coach suggesting the 31-year-old will be out of action for around three to four weeks.

Glasgow Warriors 12 Leinster 6: Connacht can sleep easily this weekend after Leinster failed to knock the Galway men off their top perch in the Guinness Pro12 last night at Scotstoun with defeat to Glasgow in a match that produced not a single try.

Former Premier League striker Marcus Bent has escaped jail as he was sentenced for confronting two officers with a meat cleaver and a kitchen knife while in a “delusional” state under the influence of cocaine.

Leinster 37 Dragons 12: Isa Nacewa and Fergus McFadden led by example at the RDS on Saturday, when their combined tally of 27 points helped Leinster to a comprehensive victory over Newport Gwent Dragons in the Guinness Pro12.

Leinster 23 Cardiff Blues 15: It proved a successful competitive home debut for Leo Cullen at the RDS on Saturday evening, as Leinster held off a game display from Cardiff Blues to secure their first win of the Guinness Pro12 season.

Despite being short 17 players following World Cup squad announcements, Leo Cullen is able to call on plenty of experience for his opening Guinness Pro12 encounter as head coach of Leinster against Edinburgh in Meggetland tonight (7.35pm).

Joe Schmidt has capped a remarkable rise to prominence for rookie prop Tadhg Furlong by asking him to prepare to play on both sides of the front row.

Ireland’s teamsheet in Cardiff last Saturday held within it no shortage of heart-warming subplots.

Edinburgh 23 Leinster 36

Dragons 25 Leinster 22: Leinster’s reign as Guinness Pro12 champions appears all but over after Matt O’Connor’s side surrendered a 22-8 lead at Rodney Parade.

Guinness Pro12

Guiness Pro12

Darren Bent believes Aston Villa will benefit from a fresh approach after Paul Lambert’s sacking and backed the club to stay up.

Leinster have opted against registering either Cian Healy or Sean O’Brien for Europe ahead of Saturday’s round six visit to Coventry, where they meet Wasps to decide who finishes top of Pool 2 in the Champions Cup.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has hit back at claims from record signing Darren Bent, insisting his decision to let the striker leave on loan was “nothing personal”.

Leinster head coach Matt O’Connor will have to play out the final stages of Champions Cup pool qualifying without Ireland loose head prop Jack McGrath after the province decided not to appeal his three-week suspension.

Leinster 21 Connacht 11

Two luxury cars have been stolen from the home of Aston Villa striker Darren Bent.

Aston Villa 1 Southampton 1

WHEN reviewing the performances of the three Irish provinces on the opening weekend of Europe’s new Champions Cup, one word springs to mind for Donal Lenihan: character.

It’s been so long since Wasps carried a truly venomous sting in their tail it seems slightly surreal to recall the soon-to-be Coventry club remain the last English winners of European rugby’s biggest prize.

Christian Benteke is named on the Aston Villa bench for the visit of Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City.

Leinster 37 Cardiff Blues 23

All the team news from around the grounds ahead of Week 5 in the Premier League - more to follow as it comes in.

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has named an unchanged XI for today’s Barclays Premier League home clash with Newcastle.

All the team news from around the grounds ahead of Week 2 in the Premier League - more to follow as it comes in.

10 teams are starting their Premier League campaigns this afternoon.

Emerging Ireland 31 Romania 10

Ireland won their first IRB Nations Cup in Bucharest tonight but only after a dogged fight from a gritty Romanian side.

Animal welfare campaigners have warned of a growing problem of horses being abandoned on public and private property and left to fend for themselves.