Dragons 8 Connacht 24

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Ireland captain Paul O’Connell makes his return to Munster colours ahead of schedule tonight having been cleared by the IRFU to face Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

RABODIRECT PRO12

RABODIRECT PRO12: Ulster 31 Dragons 5

Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Leinster 26

Connacht 30 Newport Gwent Dragons 11

Billed as a must-win for both sides, Connacht return to the Galway Sportsground for this evening’s RaboDirect Pro 12 joust with the Newport Gwent Dragons.

Newport Gwent Dragons 14 Connacht 3

Team manager Guy Easterby has played down a historic double and warned Leinster they have won nothing yet.

Leinster will have to plan without Luke Fitzgerald for the rest of the season.

Connacht overcame the Newport Gwent Dragons to grab only their second away Rabo Direct Pro 12 victory since their opening day visit to Treviso.

Munster double centurion Mick O’Driscoll reckons Saturday’s victory over Newport Gwent Dragons was crucial to Red Army’s Pro12 hopes.

A Munster career going back to 1998 will be marked tonight when Mick O’Driscoll captains the RaboDirect Pro12 champions in a crucial fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons for what will be his 200th career for the province.

Ulster jumped up to fifth place in the RaboDirect Pro12 League after treating themselves to a bonus-point success over the Dragons at Ravenhill last night.

Ulster have been rocked by the loss of influential skipper Johann Muller ahead of tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 League clash against the Dragons at Ravenhill.

OSPREYS replacement Dan Biggar held his head in his hands as his last-gasp drop-goal to win an enthralling Welsh derby with Newport Gwent Dragons hit the post.

CONNACHT returned to winning ways last evening, but it took a huge second-half effort to overcome a physical Dragons side at the Galway Sportsground.

THIS was more like it.

IT was more spit than polish at Musgrave Park as a workmanlike Munster kicked off their RaboDirect PRO12 campaign with four winning points on Saturday night.

TOMÁS O’LEARY suffered another blow yesterday when he was forced to withdraw from Munster’s squad for tonight’s opening clash with Newport-Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park.

Things are going from bad to worse for Tomás O'Leary who has been withdrawn from the Munster squad to face Newport-Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park on Saturday (7.45pm) because he is still suffering from lower back trouble.

TOMÁS O’LEARY, John Hayes, James Coughlan and Johne Murphy are named in the 28-man Munster squad for Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 opening fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park (7.45pm).

MUNSTER strengthened their hand at the top of the Magners League with a bonus point win with an inexperienced side at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan will give youth its fling in tonight’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).

CONNACHT bid to end their worst losing run since the game went professional over a decade and a half ago when they take on the Dragons at Rodney Parade this evening. (7.35pm).

WASPS director of rugby Tony Hanks was delighted with the pay-off for the hard work which ensured yesterday’s Heineken Cup clash with Newport Gwent Dragons went ahead.

MUNSTER failed to extend their lead at the top of the Magners League table after falling to a disappointing defeat to the Dragons at a snowy Rodney Parade last night.

A SIXTH win on the trot moved Leinster up into fourth place in the Magners League at the RDS last night as their second string brushed the Dragons aside and picked up a bonus point en route.

CLINT NEWLAND makes his debut for Leinster tonight against the Dragons at the RDS (7.05pm), when the New Zealand Maori prop lines up in a front row which includes Heinke van der Merwe and Richardt Strauss.

ERIC ELWOOD had every reason to be “chuffed” about his side’s unexpected demolition of the Dragons on opening day.

CONNACHT dented the Newport Gwent Dragons’ Magners League play-off hopes with a controlled performance at the Sportsground last evening.

MUNSTER’S worsening away form threatens to scupper their hopes of defending the Magners League title following this latest defeat.

MUNSTER’S prospects of achieving a favourable outcome from Saturday’s Magners League clash with the Newport Gwent Dragons (6.30pm) were given a major boost last night by the news that Ronan O’Gara will line out at out-half.

Ulster 22 Newport-Gwent Dragons 22

WALES star Stephen Jones gave national coach Warren Gatland an injury worry just four weeks before they play England at Twickenham as the Scarlets claimed a vital Magners League win at Rodney Parade.

SIMON EASTERBY has been ruled out of the remainder of the Scarlets’ Heineken Cup campaign.

GLOUCESTER boss Bryan Redpath has put his team on red alert tonight for their Heineken Cup clash against a Newport Gwent Dragons side he believes will show “no fear”.

THE word panic is clearly not in Michael Cheika’s dictionary; the Leinster coach has handed home debut opportunities to three players for tonight’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at the RDS (7pm).

KEITH GLEESON could join a select band tonight by earning his 100th cap for Leinster in their Magners league tie away to the Cardiff Blues — but he will have to come off the bench to do it.

CARDIFF Arms Park has been a graveyard for Leinster’s Magners League ambitions this past two seasons and coach Michael Cheika accepts that they will be up against it again when they return to the Welsh capital this Friday.

Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins has dropped Brent Cockbain from his World Cup plans - and given a surprise call-up to uncapped Gloucester lock Will James.

LEINSTER fly-half Felipe Contepomi will captain Argentina in the first test against Ireland in Santa Fe on Saturday.

Gavin Henson has today been named in the Wales squad for their Test matches against Australia on May 26 and June 2.

IN a game that could have gone either way, Connacht were forced to accept a draw against a side touting title hopes.

MUNSTER have been given a huge boost with the news that John Kelly and Trevor Halstead have been restored to full fitness.

Munster coach Declan Kidney makes four changes, from the side that started against Border Reivers, for Friday's Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues.

MARK JONES has recovered from ankle ligament damage and is named on the wing for Wales’ RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland at Murrayfield.

Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins believes axed centre Gavin Henson is struggling to cope with the pressures of his celebrity status.