A global pandemic may be the only thing that can stop Leinster this season, if Friday night’s nine-try win over Glasgow at the RDS is anything to go by.

PRO 14 Scoreboard here with this one Leo Cullen said Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final will be a litmus test for him and his coaching team’s player management system.

Connacht 26 Glasgow Warriors 27

Connacht’s decline after winning the PRO 12 title in 2016 started immediately in the first game of the defence of the crown when they fell to a record 41-5 loss to Glasgow Warriors at the Sportsground.

Tadhg Beirne hopes back-to-back titles with the Scarlets can help him cement his place in the Ireland squad to tour Australia this summer.

Connacht make their final away trip of a disappointing season when they face another searching evening in Glasgow against a Warriors side aiming to wrap up a home quarter-final in the PRO14.

There was some degree of befuddlement in UCD earlier this week when Ross Byrne and Ross Molony found themselves being quizzed on the possibility of featuring in a Rugby World Cup in Ireland in 2023.

Glasgow are not the first team to come to Galway and deal better with the wind and rain than the home team, but new coach Kieran Keane was anxious not to blame the weather for losing their opening game of the season to the same opposition for the second year in a row.

Leinster 31 Glasgow Warriers 30: A youthful Leinster side had to deal with a second-half Glasgow power surge and a floodlight failure, the latter coming only 90 seconds out from the final whistle, before securing a 10th straight Guinness PRO12 win last night.

Player management was the name of the game when Rassie Erasmus yesterday ann-ounced his Munster squad for tonight’s (7.35pm) Guinness Pro 12 clash with Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park.

Glasgow Warriors 35 - Connacht 24: This time last year Connacht fans were holding their breath in anticipation. Sitting pretty at the top of the table, having only lost five times all season, Connacht were working their way to a first Guinness PRO12 trophy and Champions Cup rugby.

Peter O’Mahony returns to captain Munster in tonight’s Guinness Pro12 clash with Glasgow Warriors on their 4G pitch at Scotstoun and is joined in the back-row by Tommy O’Donnell who makes his 100th appearance for the province.

Here’s the lowdown on four big games across Europe...

Glasgow Warriors lay in wait to ambush another Irish side when Leo Cullen’s troops trot out at Scotstoun this afternoon (3pm).

Tommy O’Donnell, Donnacha Ryan and James Cronin return to action for Munster in tonight’s Guinness Pro12 clash with Glasgow Warriors on the 4G pitch at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock.

Munster back-row duo CJ Stander and Tommy O’Donnell are among a seven-strong contingent from the Irish provinces to have been voted onto the Guinness Pro12 Dream Team for this season but there is no representation from outgoing champions Leinster.

Connacht 13 Glasgow 31 :Pat Lam promises his under-pressure Connacht can rescue their sixth place promotion spot after Saturday’s Guinness Pro12 setback against Glasgow.

Guinness Pro12

Leinster head coach Matt O’Connor has criticised the IRFU’s highly-lauded player management system and the dictatorial manner in which Joe Schmidt and his staff decide when and where the top Irish players can play for their clubs.

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

Glasgow Warriors and Munster are in the same frame of mind going into today’s top of the table Guinness Pro 12 encounter at Scotstoun, kick-off 2.40.

Ulster 29 Glasgow Warriors 9

Glasgow Warriors 22 Leinster 20

Isaac Boss is set to make history at Scotstoun Stadium this evening, when he will become the first player to make 100 appearances for two Irish provinces in Leinster’s opening Guinness Pro12 encounter against Glasgow Warriors (kick-off 5.15pm).

Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend believes his team are coming to Thomond Park at the right time and in the right frame of mind.

Leinster 17 Glasgow 15

RABODIRECT PRO12

In a night of farewells, Connacht bring the curtain down on this season’s RaboDirect Pro12 tonight when they entertain semi-finalists Glasgow Warriors at the Sportsground.

Glasgow 51 Munster 24

Leinster 22 Glasgow 17

RABODIRECT PRO12: Leinster v Glasgow

The odds of Ulster having Ireland and Lions flanker Stephen Ferris available before their Heineken Cup clash with Saracens in April have lengthened after the latest medical update following surgery on his ankle in December.

Glasgow Warriors 0 Leinster 6

Glasgow Warriors 27 Connacht 17

THE loss of Ireland international Kevin McLaughlin and openside Dominic Ryan to ankle injuries leaves Joe Schmidt without 23 first choice players for Saturday’s trip to The Scarlets in the PRO12 League.

LEINSTER back rower Dominic Ryan is looking forward to inflicting more torture on Glasgow Warriors at the RDS tonight (6pm) in the first of at least four encounters between the sides this season.

A TRY either side of half time paved the way for Munster to maintain their winning start to the Rabo-Direct Pro12 and in the process created a new league record by winning a dozen games on the spin.

MUNSTER may have found what they’ve been looking for, after signing Australian code-jumping sensation Will Chambers on a short-term contract.

Leinster 38 Glasgow Warriors 3

WITH only their second try bonus point this season, Connacht produced a five-try blitz to dispose of the Glasgow Warriors at the Galway Sportsground last night.

Connacht 19 Glasgow 19

FOR the first time since December, Connacht enjoy a return to the Galway Sportsground where they host playoff hopefuls Glasgow in tonight’s Magners League fixture.