Ireland’s Six Nations home game against Italy on Saturday week could be set for disruption following a Government review into mass gatherings due to the ongoing spread across Europe of Covid-19 coronavirus.

Restrictions on public gatherings and sporting events put in place by the Italian authorities apply in the Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto regions.

Jack Conan has returned to on-field training for the first time since suffering a foot injury at the World Cup last October.

Leinster maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 21-13 victory over Ospreys at the Gnoll in Neath.

Robin McBryde hopes Leinster can maintain their winning roll tonight, at the Gnoll (7.35pm, TG4).

Conway has been rewarded with his longest Munster contract yet, a three-year deal, after a year in which he became Munster's third-highest try-scorer in history.

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

The head coach retained 23 players for a two-day camp in Cork last week, while 13 others returned were released back to their provinces to get game-time.

Hooker Scott Otten crossed for two tries as Ospreys celebrated only their second Guinness Pro14 victory of the season as they edged out Ulster 26-24 at a rain-swept Liberty Stadium.

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.

The competition for places on both Munster wings is fierce enough that stellar talents like Calvin Nash must wonder if they will get a chance on the biggest days.

Chris Farrell and Jack O’Donoghue return to Munster.

It was only last week that Andrew Conway was asked whether, in light of the changes in the Ireland coaching ranks and the different lessons for players to learn, you could teach old dogs new tricks.

Andy Farrell is convinced there is plenty of road left for Conor Murray to travel in his Test rugby career after backing his under-fire scrum-half to steer Ireland in their Six Nations opener against Scotland in Dublin this Saturday.

Six Munster players have signed new contracts with the province, including three academy players who have been promoted to the senior squad.

The expectation in South Africa is that Felix Jones will continue to work with the Springboks under the new coaching team. As for the man himself, he was tight-lipped on his future yesterday when asked what comes next after his World Cup experience.

The European debuts came thick and fast as Munster said their farewells to the Heineken Champions Cup for another season and made a determined change of direction towards the Guinness PRO14.

On an explosive Saturday that saw Saracens relegated from the Gallagher Premiership on the eve of a must-win Champions Cup pool game against Racing 92, Munster took their exit from this season’s competition without firing a shot.

Johann van Graan is optimistic both Keith Earls and Chris Farrell will prove their fitness for Ireland ahead of the Guinness Six Nations opener at home to Scotland in 12 days.

Results over the weekend ended Munster’s slim chances of qualifying before a turnstile opened in Thomond Park on Sunday, writes Tom Savage.

Having trailed 6-0 after 14 minutes, Munster added their points in sevens to take a 14-6 lead into the break but it was not until Conor Murray pounced off the back of a ruck in 47th minute that the home side truly put this game beyond Ospreys in front of 19,891, the biggest crowd of the weekend in the Champions Cup. Not bad for a dead rubber.

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.

A trip to Thomond Park has and always will hold a degree of trepidation for any Welsh region, but as the Ospreys prepare to take on Munster again the Swansea side are arguably at their lowest ebb.

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.

Dave Kilcoyne may well be playing in a dead rubber at Thomond Park on Sunday if results elsewhere in the Heineken Champions Cup fail to fall Munster’s way but he knows how important a win over Ospreys will be, regardless of their European fate.

When Munster players file into the dressing room at Thomond Park after the game against Ospreys on Sunday, here’s a selection of what could make the menu: Tart cherry juice, chicken skewers with sweet chilli sauce, and a high-energy recovery drink.

A team playing at Thomond Park this Sunday in desperate need of a victory to kickstart the second half of the season?

Munster lock Jean Kleyn has emerged as an injury doubt for Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup pool finale at home to Ospreys, with Johann van Graan insisting his side is still alive in the competition.

Former Wales star James Hook is to retire at the end of the season when his Ospreys contract expires.

Peter O’Mahony was left to regret missed opportunities throughout Munster’s Heineken Champions Cup pool campaign but the captain is confident his province has the right mix to compete with the European elite in future.

In the end, there was simply too much firepower for Munster to cope with. They had battled hard for 70 minutes, taking a 22-20 lead into the endgame and keeping hopes of another European miracle alive.

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.

Munster head coach Johann Van Graan admitted Racing 92’s late sucker punch was a bitter pill to swallow as his team’s Heineken Champions Cup hopes were all but ended.

Devastating finishing in the final 10 minutes sent Racing 92 into the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals as the Parisians finally broke Munster’s brave resistance and left their hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds hanging by a slender thread.

It says much about Munster’s standing in rugby country that their current state of ill health is consuming more column inches and debate than Leinster’s relentless march towards further glories.

Racing 92’s head coach Laurent Travers is readying his side for a proxy European Cup knockout dogfight this weekend describing tomorrow’s clash as a “last-16 match”.

All good things come to an end. The question, when it comes to Leinster’s current unbeaten run, is when.

Jeremy Loughman ended 2019 on a high after a stellar breakout year with Munster and the front-rower has every intention of continuing his good run of form through 2020.

Munster coach said that 20-year old scrum-half Craig Casey has a bright career in front of him after an impressive first start.

Munster have been counting the cost of their losses, with four Ireland internationals among those injured at Allianz Park.

Simon Zebo scored his first try of the season to secure the bonus point for Racing 92 before the break at the Paris La Défense Arena.

Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan will remain central to Racing 92’s bid to strengthen their grip on Pool 4 when they start for the Parisians at home to Ospreys tonight.

He will miss Munster's return game against Saracens and two PRO14 games, against Connacht and Leinster.