Australia have the potential to cause yet another Rugby World Cup surprise later this year in Japan, according to former New Zealand captain Richie McCaw.

Leinster 22 Exeter Chiefs 17: There are any number of arbitrary ways to measure a team’s progress, but it seemed the obvious thing to think back to Leinster’s semi-final loss to Clermont Auvergne last April as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday evening.

Leinster overcame the reigning English champions and league leaders for the second time in six days this evening.

A massive litmus test awaits Connacht this evening when they host Leinster at the Galway Sportsground (5.15pm).

Ireland's five-match unbeaten run against France came to a punishing end as Guy Noves' side edged home a tight Six Nations encounter at Stade de France today.

Connacht 47 Enisei-STM 5: France beckons again for Connacht in this year’s European Challenge Cup quarter-finals and a meeting with Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble in April.

Connacht 3 Ulster 10: Ulster’s European winning form continued in the Guinness Pro12 when they took the spoils in a tight festive derby at the Galway Sportsgound on St Stephen’s night.

Connacht 21 Brive 17: Connacht remain top of their European pool but have been left counting the cost of injuries ahead of their meeting with Munster on Saturday, having taken a heavy hit on personnel during their victory over French visitors Brive in the Sportsground on Saturday.

Connacht continued their remarkable start to this season’s Guinness Pro12, grabbing a fifth win on the trot at the Galway Sportsground last evening. And following Leinster’s win over the Scarlets, Pat Lam’s side have now taken top spot.

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt toasted fly-half Johnny Sexton after his playmaker helped get his team's World Cup Pool D campaign off to a flying start with a seven-try rout of Canada.

Cian Healy will have to come cold to the World Cup later this month after the Leinster loosehead was omitted from the Ireland team to face England in the last of the four warm-up games, in Twickenham on Saturday.

Munster 12 Connacht 28: Connacht scrum-half Kieran Marmion could hardly be blamed for feeling more than a little aggrieved last week when he was released back to Connacht by Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt without having had a reasonable chance to press his claims for a place in Ireland’s World Cup squad.

Last week, Tyler Bleyendaal, Munster’s major signing from New Zealand, made his first appearance in the red jersey after dealing with 12 months of deep frustration because of a career-threatening injury. He came through in style.

Connacht 19 Grenoble 52: Bernard Jackman returned to Connacht with his Grenoble troops and blitzed the westerners for eight tries at the Sportsground. 

Guinness Pro12

Guinness Pro12: Scarlets 32 Connacht Rugby 14: Connacht’s top six qualification hopes were give a shake-up when they were outgunned by fellow hopefuls Scarlets in yesterday’s lunchtime Pro12 clash.

Joe Schmidt finally had some good news to share as he named a trimmed-down Ireland squad for the first two rounds of the RBS 6 Nations, with first-choice scrum-half Conor Murray expected to be fit to face Italy in Rome on Saturday.

La Rochelle 20 Connacht 30: European Chellenge Cup Pool 2: A "bit of X-factor" combined with a huge team effort is what vLam credits for Connacht’s dramatic four-try bonus win over La Rochelle, which sealed their quarter-final place as last seeds in this season’s European Challenge Cup.

Jack Coonan, the highly-promising Leinster back-row forward and Connacht prop Nathan White, are the only uncapped players in the extended 46-strong Ireland squad announced yesterday by head coach Joe Schmidt. 

Australia have reunited Quade Cooper and Will Genia at half-back for tomorrow’s non-cap international against the Barbarians at Twickenham.

Exeter Chiefs 33 Connacht 13

Michael Cheika has been appointed as the new Australia head coach.

Connacht Rugby 48 La Rochelle 12

Connacht Rugby 48 La Rochelle 12

Connacht 24 Cardiff 24

Guinness Pro12:

Three weeks into the season and the Guinness PRO12 has finally thrown the floating voter a bone they can get their teeth into in the form of tonight’s meeting of Connacht and Leinster at Galway’s Sportsground (KO: 7.35pm).

The return of Ireland international Robbie Henshaw is one of three changes to Connacht’s starting XV for this evening’s Guinness Pro 12 fixture with Edinburgh at Murrayfield (7.35pm).

Connacht 16 Newport 11

Coach Ewen McKenzie knows Australia must take risks if they are to end New Zealand’s 17-game winning streak on Saturday, and hopes the surprise selection of Kurtley Beale at fly-half will provide the spark in their Rugby Championship clash in Sydney.

Scarlets 32 Connacht 30

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Dragons 8 Connacht 24

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Connacht 38 Treviso 6

Saracens 64 Connacht 6

Connacht 20 Zebre 3

Connacht 14 Newport Gwent Dragons 11

Connacht take on Edinburgh this evening desperate to break a losing run of seven RaboDirect Pro 12 fixtures.

Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is fit to return and take a seat on the bench for Australia in their autumn international clash against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Connacht 12 Glasgow Warriors 19

RABO DIRECT PRO12

It does not get any easier for Connacht as the Ospreys, one of only two unbeaten teams this season, are the visitors to the Galway Sportsground for this evening’s Pro 12 fixture.

Connacht 7 Ulster 18

RABO DIRECT PRO12: