Niall will lead a team that includes his younger brother Rory and their cousin, Jack O'Sullivan.

Conference A leaders Leinster continued their unbeaten season with a 36-12 bonus-point win over Cheetahs at a rain-lashed RDS.

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland accepts it “won’t be the end of the world” if his team slip up and lose a game over the next few weeks.

Leinster hope to have Jack Conan back in time for their Champions Cup quarter-final with Saracens in April – with Dan Leavy close behind.

Chris Farrell and Jack O’Donoghue return to Munster.

Saracens will be visiting clubs such as Ealing Trailfinders, Ampthill, and Hartpury RFC in the Green King IPA Championship next season, writes Donal Lenihan.

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.

Cardiff Blues ended their four-game winless run in the Guinness PRO14 with a 30-17 victory over the 14-man Cheetahs.

Stephen Larkham earned himself a deserved reputation as one of the most stylish rugby players of his generation when representing Australia on 102 occasions.

Eddie Jones and Rassie Erasmus were both celebrating at full time when England and South Africa last contested a World Cup final, at the Stade de France 12 years ago.

World Cup demands deprive both Munster and Ospreys of the majority of their top players when they meet in the Guinness PRO14 at Musgrave Park tonight.

Those newcomers are among five changes by Johann van Graan to the side which lost their last Pro14 game 40-16 to the Cheetahs.

Johann van Graan’s Munster endured a first defeat of the season as Cheetahs doled out another heavy beating in this battle of the conference leaders in Bloemfontein.

The new PRO14 campaign may be in its infancy but for the Cheetahs their clash with Munster this evening kick-off 5.15pm) has a real end-of-season feel to it in Bloemfontein.

Dave Kearney returns for defending champions Leinster for their Guinness PRO14 clash with Edinburgh at the RDS tomorrow evening.

Munster claimed a second bonus-point victory in a week as their perfect start to the PRO14 season continued in Port Elizabeth against Southern Kings.

Munster back row Jack O’Donoghue knows there will be a tougher test at altitude next week in Bloemfontein but insists they also have their work cut out to deal with the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth today.

The 22-year-old Tipperary-native, who scored 29 points in 12 Munster appearances, replaces Billy Burns.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan knows all there is to know about South Africa’s major domestic competition, the Currie Cup. Given that the Cheetahs — one of his side’s two Guinness PRO14 opponents over the next fortnight — were recently crowned champions of the 130-year-old tournament, he is aware of the challenge awaiting his team.

It mightn’t have been a performance to set the pulses racing but Munster still got the new campaign off to a five-try, bonus point start by hammering the hapless Dragons - even without a dozen of their World Cup-tied players on duty in Japan.

Dragons new head coach Dean Ryan has described this afternoon’s Guinness PRO14 visit to Thomond Park as “a massive challenge”. His forwards coach, Ceri Jones, went a stage further in calling it “the acid test”.

Glasgow Warriors counted the cost of missing World Cup stars as their Guinness PRO14 campaign opened with a 48-14 defeat to the Cheetahs.

Champions Cup spots were up for grabs today.

This time 12 months ago, Munster and Leinster felt bulletproof as they approached their respective Champions Cup semi-final deciders against Racing 92 and Scarlets, with both squads densely fortified with players from Ireland’s all-conquering Grand Slam team.

Cheetahs fly-half Tian Schoeman scored 18 points as his side claimed a bonus point win over Dragons in Bloemfontein.

Johann van Graan sends a mix-and-match Munster side into Stadio Monigo tonight with one eye firmly on next weekend’s European semi-final with Saracens.

Munster survived an early scare at home to Guinness PRO14 conference bottom club Zebre to come from behind and grab a bonus-point victory on Saturday night.

Cheetahs prop Ox Nche has received an eight-week ban for his head hit on Leinster's Fergus McFadden.

The 23-year-old Springbok was sin binned at the time but referee Nigel Owens decided not to send him off.

Munster go in search of their eighth win in a row this evening when they take on Scarlets at Parcy Scarlets on an occasion to be marked by Rory Scannell’s 100th appearance for the province.

If the Cheetahs thought they might get an easy run out against Leinster during the Six Nations, the South Africans were sadly mistaken.

Ultan Dillane, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty and Tom Farrell will line-out for Connacht after their Ireland call-ups.

"I know I’m from Dublin, but I’ve lived here for the last eight years, and with my fiancée Lisa and daughter Beth born here, I know we will be back again. I’m from Munster and I’m a Limerick man now, and it holds a special place in my heart."

Over the years, when their backs were firmly pressed against the wall, Munster always found a way to prevail in Europe, writes Donal Lenihan.

There was a spell there when the old enmities inherent to the Munster-Leinster rivalry appeared to be buried beneath the bonhomie borne of Irish duties and Leinster’s dominance, so Saturday night was a return to the most bitter and biting of the good old days.

Farrell, a native of Ulster, has been desperately unfortunate with injuries.

If anyone in Munster underestimates the importance of a successful December in fulfilling European ambitions then the dark days of 2014 and 2015 should provide the necessary jolt.

Tom Farrell and Gavin Thornbury scored tries as Connacht secured a third successive Guinness PRO14 victory with a 21-17 win over Cheetahs.

Munster coach Johann van Graan praised stand-in captain Tyler Bleyendaal and his men for carving out a bonus point win at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein yesterday.

Returning out-half Tyler Bleyendaal will captain Munster in Sunday’s PRO14 encounter against Cheetahs, head coach Johann van Graan confirmed yesterday.

The opening European home game of the season is upon us and what a fine time it would be for Munster’s developing team and game plan to click into place.

Munster 64 Ulster 7

‘Mixed’ would be a kind word to describe Munster’s early season form in the Guin