Peter Stringer and Brad Thorn don’t share too many attributes as rugby players, but the Irish scrum-half may yet match the Kiwi by stretching his professional career beyond his 40th birthday.

Munster coach Anthony Foley believes Peter Stringer will make another big impact with a new English club after it was confirmed that the durable 37-year-old scrum-half has been signed by Sale Sharks on a one-year contract from Bath.

European Champions Cup Pool 1

Scotland coach Vern Cotter has handed four Edinburgh players their first call-ups after naming his squad for next month’s RBS 6 Nations opener with France.

Sale 26 Munster 27

Ian Keatley had a shot at glory. The clock showed 79:47 as Conor Murray flung the ball towards the Munster fly-half, deep in the pocket, his side trailing 26-24 in the dying seconds.

New competition, new Munster and a new approach.

Four-try Leinster overcame the early departure of Brian O’Driscoll to beat Glasgow Warriors 34-12 and become the first team to retain the RaboDirect PRO12 title.

Ireland lock Donncha O’Callaghan is one of four players added to the Barbarians’ 24-man squad to face England on June 1.

Glasgow Warriors coach Gregor Townsend landed a selection surprise at Munster’s door ahead of tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final at Scotstoun by dropping some star names from his in-form side.

Glasgow Warriors skipper Chris Cusiter was well aware of the significance of this result. Apart altogether from it being Glasgow’s first win over Munster in Ireland since 2008, it also propelled them into fourth place in the RaboDirect Pro12 table.

Glasgow Warriors became the first Scottish team to win away at Munster in six years as they took the scalp of the Heineken Cup semi-finalists with a 22-5 victory at Thomond Park today.

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

Italy 20 Scotland 21

Italy 20 Scotland 21

If Joe Schmidt was anxious in the build-up to his first ever Six Nations encounter as head coach, the close fought nature of the opening two fixtures on Saturday would have done little to ease his nerves in the hours before taking on Scotland.

Glasgow 7 Cardiff Blues 9

RABODIRECT PRO 12:

Toulon full-back Delon Armitage has been slammed by former and current players for his behaviour during Saturday’s Heineken Cup final win over Clermont.

RABODIRECT PRO12: Leinster v Glasgow

Scott Johnson will only make a decision on whether to extend his stay as interim Scotland coach once he has had the chance to impress in the RBS 6 Nations.

Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend is aware of the threat posed by Eric Elwood’s Connacht outfit who visit the Warriors new home Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night (7.35pm).

Ospreys 10 Glasgow Warriors 28

Samoa 16 Scotland 17

Gethin Jenkins is hoping his Welsh team-mates will have learned the harsh lessons of the second Test against the Wallabies in Melbourne when they try to salvage something in Sydney in Saturday’s third and final game.

Already a game that was struggling to escape the shadow of next week’s Heineken Cup final, tonight’s RaboDirect PRO12 play-off has been relegated to the margins yet again by yesterday’s injury news concerning Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney.

Glasgow Warriors have today named the side to face Leinster in the RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final at the RDS on Saturday night (kick-off 7.35pm).

Glasgow 24 Connacht 3

Glasgow 31 Cardiff 3

Centre Nick De Luca has been restored to the starting line-up in Scotland's only change for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations wooden spoon decider with Italy.

Scotland wing Lee Jones is making “good progress” following the head injury which forced him from the field in last night’s 32-14 RBS 6 Nations loss to Ireland in Dublin, team doctor James Robson has said.

Scotland 17 France 23

Wales head coach Warren Gatland hailed the maturity of his side after seeing them take a second step on the road to a potential RBS 6 Nations Triple Crown with a 27-13 victory over Scotland at the Millennium Stadium yesterday.

Wales 27 Scotland 13

Scotland have made two enforced changes for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff, with Greig Laidlaw set to make his first Test start.

Andy Robinson has told his Scotland players to do their talking on the pitch in Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener with champions England at Murrayfield.

Bath 23 Glasgow 18

Glasgow 16 Leinster 23

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson is today set to announce his squad for the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations and supplement experience with an injection of youth.

Glasgow 17 Edinburgh 12

Edinburgh 23 Glasgow Warriors 23

Montpellier 13 Glasgow Warriors 13

FERGUS McFADDEN must be one frustrated guy this week.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has urged his side to hit the ground running in the World Cup Pool B opener with Romania in Invercargill on Saturday.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has told his 30-man Rugby World Cup squad to now seize a place in his starting XV.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson today confirmed a 30-man Rugby World Cup squad featuring few surprises and Alastair Kellock as captain.

Scotland 23 Italy 12

Rory Lawson is far from complacent about taking his place in Andy Robinson’s 30-man Scotland squad for the Rugby World Cup despite being named as captain for Saturday’s EMC Test with Ireland.

Graeme Morrison will return to the Scotland team for Saturday’s EMC Test with Ireland, with Rugby World Cup heartache the driving force for him to perform and secure a place in the squad for this year’s tournament in New Zealand.

Scotland scrum-half Chris Cusiter has flown to Australia for a short-term playing stint in a bid to improve his match fitness ahead of the World Cup.