Finn Russell could return for Scotland’s July tour after holding talks with head coach Gregor Townsend.

Exiles product and Connacht full-back Oran McNulty will have every reason to feel right at home when the Ireland U20s get their Six Nations underway in Cork next Friday as he visits his father’s hometown for the opener with Scotland.

DAN McFarland was looking forward to a day of watching rugby on the couch yesterday as the extent of the challenge awaiting Ulster in the spring slowly unfolded in front of his eyes.

Controversy-hit Saracens' late 27-24 victory win over Racing 92 has set up a repeat of the 2019 final, with Leinster to have home advantage at the Aviva Stadium.

Ulster secured the home win they needed against Bath to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals for a second consecutive season.

A win for already-qualified Leinster at Benetton on Saturday will see the four-time champions finish the pool stage as the No 1-ranked club.

Nash has been named to start on the wing as Keith Earls misses out due to a minor knee injury in one of two changes to Johann van Graan's side.

Small margins separate a very good season from a title-winning one and Alan O’Connor says Ulster have identified three areas where they need to add an extra one per cent in order to get over the line in big games.

While a win over Ospreys is well within their compass, the fact that holders Saracens can still advance as a best runner up will suit them just fine.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline.

Before Ulster start getting ahead of themselves with giddy thoughts about a home quarter-final in the Champions Cup this season, beware the Clermont back three.

England suffered an injury scare just three weeks before the Six Nations when Anthony Watson limped out of Bath’s 25-19 Heineken Champions Cup defeat against Harlequins.

The Champions Cup is supposed to be the pinnacle for professional club rugby in Europe.

Bath’s nightmare Heineken Champions Cup campaign continued as Stuart Hooper’s men were hammered 52-26 by Clermont Auvergne.

Edging tight games has become a hallmark of Ulster’s Champions Cup campaign, with a combined winning margin of seven points across the three pool matches.

Three wins from three in the Champions Cup, but Dan McFarland says Ulster still have a long way to go to be considered a top-eight side in Europe.

The chief executives of the Six Nations renewed talks in London yesterday aimed at finalising an offer designed to change the face of the game. Having already forked out some €400m to buy stakes in the English Premiership and PRO14, the private equity firm CVC Partners are willing to pay the Six Nations almost as much again for a share of the tournament’s commercial rights.

After a year when everything he touched turned to gold, 2019 has not been the follow-up act that Jacob Stockdale had hoped for, but it is one he was prepared for.

The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

Ulster know what to expect from Harlequins in general and their front-five talisman Joe Marler in particular when the Champions Cup resumes this weekend.

Mark McCall believes the addition of Stephen Larkham and Graham Rowntree to the Munster coaching team has made them more formidable opponents

Brian Ashton was a prophet in a land that couldn’t understand his message when he took over as Ireland head coach in the 1990s.

Romain Poite will take charge of Saracens' visit to play Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday week as the referees for the back-to-back Champions Cup games were announced.

As he prepares to lead Ulster out at home for the first time since taking over as captain, Iain Henderson has a vision of what he wants.

Ulster squeezed out a vital 17-16 victory at Bath in their opening match in Pool Three of the European Champions Cup.

Stuart McCloskey says Ulster must “have a bit of fear” to extract the optimum performance from themselves in today’s Champions Cup opener at The Rec.

Keith Earls will make his first Munster appearance of the season in tomorrow's Champions Cup opener against the Ospreys.

The text message came through on Billy Burns’ phone seconds after the draw was made.

The competition in Ulster’s back three means a shiny new three-year contract guarantees Rob Lyttle nothing — but he is more than willing to fight for every chance he can get.

The improvement in Ulster’s away form in Europe last season under Dan McFarland is something the head coach wants to see maintained and, if possible, bettered as they head into the unknown.

Here's the route Ireland's provinces must navigate to emerge from their Champions Cup pools.

Move over Dean Richards, Harlequins, and ‘Bloodgate’, there is an even bigger bad news story to overtake you in the annals of English club rugby history, writes Rob Cole.

South Africa claimed their first win of the 2019 World Cup with a 57-3 thrashing of Namibia.

England have beaten Ireland 57-15 in their World Cup warm-up Test at Twickenham.

The importance of Munster getting a good start to their Champions Cup campaign was underlined by the release of the pool fixtures this morning.

Former Leicester and Bath wing Steve Booth has died at the age of 42.

Conor O’Shea has ruled himself out of becoming the new Munster CEO, insisting his focus is on getting Italy ready for the World Cup in Japan.

Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup due to a clavicle injury, the Welsh Rugby Union has announced.

Munster’s new-look brains trust will have little time to brace for their first intensive exam on the back of a Heineken Champions Cup draw in Lausanne yesterday which did the province few favours.

Munster have been left holding the short straw for next season's Heineken Champions Cup with the two-time champions plunged into the clichéd 'Pool of Death' after Wednesday's draw in Lausanne.

Munster received a tough draw against reigning champions Saracens in next season's Champions Cup pool stages.

Tom Willis’ last-minute try ruined the Ireland Under-20s’ final quarter fightback as England won a titanic play-off 30-23 in awful underfoot conditions in Rosario.

Tom Willis’ last-minute try ruined the Ireland Under-20s’ final quarter fight-back as England won a titanic World Rugby U-20 Championship play-off 30-23 in awful underfoot conditions in Rosario.

Rob Kearney has agreed a “nine-month extension” to his IRFU contract and will play with Leinster next season.