Former Leinster and Ireland hooker Shane Byrne fears “the floodgates could open” following news that Jonathan Sexton will be moving to France in the summer.

Isaac Boss hopes Leinster’s low try count in a troubled Heineken Cup campaign doesn’t come back to haunt them.

Ulster Head Coach, Mark Anscombe, has made eight changes to the team that lost to Munster last Saturday for tomorrow night’s top-of-the-table clash against Llanelli Scarlets at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

Munster coach Rob Penney is expecting fireworks at Thomond Park tonight when his side battle for a RaboDirect Pro12 top four spot against Glasgow Warriors.

Cian Healy will be watching a rerun of the recent Argentina and South Africa clash, a rugged affair in which both sides put physicality before quality.

Gavin Henson looks set to miss the start of the Aviva Premiership season after suffering a suspected fractured cheekbone in London Welsh’s 23-17 friendly defeat against Llanelli Scarlets.

Munster rugby has finalised the division of 11 Rabo Direct Pro12 games to be played between Musgrave Park and Thomond Park for the coming season, with the lion’s share of games being hosted in Limerick as normal.

Heineken Cup champions Leinster will earn another big pay day when they play French rivals Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium.

Paul O’Connell is back to boost Munster’s prospects of defeating Llanelli Scarlets in Wales tonight and keep his side ahead of the posse in the race for a RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final place.

Injured duo Ronan O’Gara and David Wallace will again be absentees when Munster take on the Llanelli Scarlets in a crucial RaboDirect Pro12 game at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday.

It wasn’t perfect, but Munster’s overall display at Musgrave Park on Saturday was a whole lot better than the previous two weeks and good enough to reward them with four RaboDirect Pro12 points to keep them on course for a semi-final spot.

Mick O’Driscoll will keep his charges well in rein as Munster go in search of another crucial RaboDirect Pro12 victory over Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade tomorrow night.

IT’S much change for Munster and minimum alterations for Treviso in advance of tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash at Thomond Park.

OVER the years, Munster have learned some opponents should be shown more respect than others and Treviso enter that category at Thomond Park tonight in a hugely important RaboDirect Pro12 clash.

AGE won’t be an issue for Doug Howlett in negotiating a new deal with Munster, even though his season has been brought to a premature halt because of injury.

PETER STRINGER has admitted to being deeply frustrated over his lack of game time in the last few months with Munster.

MUNSTER rugby does strange things to people.

LEINSTER’S new prop Nathan White has admitted he is in Ireland on a wing and a prayer after leaving Waikato, the recently defeated ITM finalists.

IT could well be a case of a youngster giving credit to another of his time, but Simon Zebo was effusive in his praise of the current Munster captaincy holder this week.

THE Cork-Swansea ferry is to reduce its number of winter sailings this year and concentrate more on “chasing the money” by ensuring its service fits in with major rugby fixtures.

THE Cork-Swansea ferry is to reduce its number of winter sailings this year and concentrate more on “chasing the money” by ensuring its service fits in with major rugby fixtures.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan handed the captain’s armband to seasoned international back-rower Denis Leamy, but named an experimental side to face Llanelli Scarlets in tonight’s Magners League clash in Wales.

Ireland’s Geordan Murphy misses tomorrow’s trip to the Aviva, but plenty of his Leicester colleagues have a difficult experience at the new stadium to call on. Simon Lewis reports

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL is in a race against time to be fit for Leinster’s Heineken Cup clash against Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, December 18.

APART altogether from skipper Paul O’Connell, the Munster heavyweights are available for tomorrow’s Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park (5pm).

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL hasn’t yet been ruled out of Leinster’s December Heineken Cup back-to-back games against Clermont Auvergne, despite suffering a suspected cracked jawbone in Ireland’s victory over Argentina on Saturday.

MUNSTER received a major boost last night with confirmation that Tomás O’Leary could be available for Friday night’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons.

RATHER than basking in the glory of an historic Thomond Park victory over Australia, Munster coach Tony McGahan was yesterday assessing how his side will withstand a Magners League barrage from Llanelli Scarlets at Musgrave Park on Sunday (5.35pm).

MUNSTER manager Shaun Payne revealed last night that Paul O’Connell could lead the province “in one of the two Heineken Cup matches against the Ospreys” next month.

MUNSTER have lost another first choice player through suspension for Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash with Toulon at Thomond Park.

LAST season’s British and Irish Cup finalists Munster made a bright start to the new season when they proved too good for Leinster in yesterday’s A Interprovincial at Donnybrook.

MUNSTER 15 GLOUCESTER 10

IRISH international Tommy Bowe last night completed a hat-trick of awards from his fellow players.

IAN DOWLING has recovered from the ankle injury sustained against Edinburgh last month and starts for Munster in tonight’s Magners League clash with Llanelli Scarlets at Musgrave Park.

MUNSTER have the ideal opportunity to atone for their disappointing performance against the Newport Gwent Dragons when they face the Llanelli Scarlets in a postponed Magners League game at Musgrave Park on Thursday, (7.35pm).

THE embattled MV Julia remained docked in Swansea last night after the 28,000-tonne vessel encountered even further mechanical problems.

Back row forward Andy Powell has been removed from the 35-man Wales squad for the RBS 6 Nations with immediate effect, the Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed.

The Welsh Rugby Union will today continue to monitor the progress of a police investigation after Wales rugby star Andy Powell was arrested for driving a golf buggy after defeating Scotland in a thrilling RBS 6 Nations match.

LIFEIMI MAFI relegated to make way for a centre alignment of Jean de Villiers and Keith Earls while David Wallace switches to number eight… those are the major talking points in the Munster team to play the Llanelli Scarlets at Musgrave Park tomorrow.

FINGERS are still firmly crossed that the current cold spell will not prevent Sunday’s Magners League game between Munster and Llanelli Scarlets at Musgrave Park from taking place.

GOOD news and bad news for Munster – Marcus Horan seems certain to be back in time for the remaining rounds of the Heineken Cup, but fellow prop Darragh Hurley could be out for the rest of the season with an eye infection.

HAVING scored four tries last week in Parc Y Scarlets and seven the last time Nigel Davies’ side visited Dublin, there must be a temptation among Leinster’s supporters to believe that this Saturday’s fixture against the same opposition is a done deal.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has decided rest and recuperation is more important than game time for his top players in advance of the crucial back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures against Llanelli Scarlets over the next couple of weeks.