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.

Leinster have got a a bonus-point win over the Dragons at the RDS this evening.

Munster have gone to the top of the Pro 12 after a comfortable 46-3 home win over Benetton Treviso in this afternoon's clash.

Munster Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus yesterday paid tribute to Joe Schmidt’s Ireland following their sensational victory over the All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday night.

Munster have added Rhys Marshall, Thomas du Toit and Cathal Sheridan to their squad.

Scarlets 17 Connacht 8: After a third successive loss, Connacht are in choppy waters, and Edinburgh’s impending visit to the Sportsground has taken on a must-win feeling.

Jerry Flannery enjoyed an outstanding career as a hooker with UCC, Shannon, Galwegians, Connacht, Munster, and Ireland, and completed his Masters in Sports Performance when he received a welcome call from an old friend and team mate.

There were a lot of positive feelings towards Connacht captain John Muldoon tonight after he saw his side win the Pro 12 title today.

Rugby, they say, is all about brawn and brains, and Leinster must answer questions in both departments when they face Ulster in the RDS this evening.

Connacht have revealed plans for a 10,000 seater stadium as Galway turns green in advance of the province’s biggest fixture in its professional era.

Connacht earned a home Guinness PRO12 semi-final courtesy of a 14-7 win over Glasgow Warriors at the rain-soaked Sportsground.

That uncomfortable sensation Munster players are experiencing this week has little or nothing to do with a shake-up at management level, writes Ronan O’Gara

Grenoble 33 Connacht 32: Heartbreaking, but scintillating. Connacht and Grenoble produced an epic European Challenge Cup quarter-final that upped the profile of this second tier European competition and dazzled the 14,876 fans present on Saturday night.

Ulster 18 Connacht 10: For Ulster the misery of the a month which saw them slump to fifth ended in a hard-fought win in Belfast over a Connacht side which never took a backward step but was undone by injuries and some unforced errors.

Munster 47 Zebre 0: From as early as the 12th minute when Leinster referee Dudley Phillips harshly awarded a penalty try against the hapless Italian side Zebre at Thomond Park last night, a bonus point, runaway win for Munster was a cast iron certainty. 

Connacht boss Pat Lam doesn’t believe Robbie Henshaw will be affected when he comes up against his prospective new Leinster teammates in this weekend’s Pro12 top-of-the-table clash.

“It’s like every game we play from here on, we’re in cup final mode.”

Zebre 34 Connacht 51: Connacht are preparing to step it up as their season becomes considerably tougher with the visit of the Ospreys next up in the Galway Sportsground.

A fifth bonus-point win is the target for Connacht in this evening’s Pro 12 fixture with Zebre in Italy (4.30 Irish time). Sitting level on 45 points with Ulster at the top of the table, Pat Lam knows every point will count in their bid for Champions Cup rugby next season.

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.

If Jerry Flannery believed his close association with Paul O’Connell was at an end when the great second-row ended his Munster career prior to last year’s World Cup, he was badly mistaken.

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’s European campaign becomes a lot more serious today when they face Brive in a must-win Challenge Cup fixture in France tonight.

Munster coach Anthony Foley is hopeful winger Keith Earls and scrum-half Conor Murray will be fit for Saturday’s Champions Cup showdown against Stade Francais.

“I just hope that people afterwards don’t write off whoever wins.”

Very few Irish players have the happiest memories of the Rugby World Cup and Munster coach Anthony Foley is no exception.

A look around the UL Bowl yesterday quickly indicated that Munster should be in a much better position regarding player availability this season than was the case for the Guinness Pro 12 final against Glasgow Warriors only ten weeks ago.

“Nobody thinks now about the 2014 Six Nations — except me, of course!” jokes Ulster and Ireland winger Andrew Trimble, at last confirming himself ready, willing and healthy to return to rugby after an injury-ravaged year.

In the end, joy and elation for a long-serving second row stalwart, but not the one we had hoped for. 

Guinness Pro12 final 

IN a country more than willing to celebrate great sportsmen and women, very few have made such a positive and inspiring impression as Paul O’Connell, the Young Munsters, Munster, Ireland, British and Irish Lions forward, and leader among leaders. 

How appropriate the two sides finishing first and second in the regular season contest the Guinness Pro 12 final in Belfast next Saturday. Like the league, both semi-finals went to the wire with a single score separating the teams after two great clashes over the weekend.