Munster chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald is confident his province will have two meaningful competitions to play in next season, despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the futures of both the Heineken Cup and Celtic League.

Ulster 29 Munster 19

Chris Henry and Iain Henderson have recovered from injury to start for Ulster against Munster at Ravenhill tomorrow night (kick off 19:05).

Cardiff Blues chief executive Richard Holland does not hold out much hope of a peace deal with the Welsh Rugby Union after the deadline of agreement for next season and beyond passed along with the New Year bells.

Munster 16 Scarlets 10

The Munster squad to face Cardiff Blues in round eight of the RaboDirect PRO12 has been named today.

Flanker Willie Faloon has signed a two-year contract extension with Connacht and the IRFU.

Word is expected today on whether Jonathan Sexton will be reeled back to France to play his 14th club game of the season this weekend or if the Irish out-half is finally afforded some desperately-needed downtime before the November internationals.

Wales’ four regional teams have pledged “full support” for the proposed Rugby Champions Cup mooted by England and France next season.

Edinburgh 29 Munster 23

What we'll learn from the Heineken Cup.

Cardiff Blues grabbed a vital 29-12 victory over RaboDirect PRO12 rivals Edinburgh to boost morale before the Heineken Cup begins next weekend.

RABODIRECT PRO 12:

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray has vowed that English teams will be prepared to carry out their threat to pull out of the Heineken Cup.

Premiership Rugby has backed proposals for a newly integrated global season that have been tabled by the International Rugby Players’ Association.

Northampton will face reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions and three-time European champions Leinster in the pool stages of next season’s Heineken Cup.

RABODIRECT PRO12 SEMI-FINAL:

Munster prop forward Stephen Archer will miss the province’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Clermont Auvergne this weekend after sustaining a wrist injury in the RaboDirect PRO12 defeat to Dragons last Friday.

Joe Schmidt and Leo Cullen have expressed outrage at the failure to cite Paul O’Connell for the incident which resulted in the hospitalisation of Dave Kearney.

Leinster director of rugby Joe Schmidt has called on the warring politicians of European rugby to listen to the supporters and pull out all the stops to save the Heineken Cup.

Munster 13 Ospreys 13

SATURDAY

RaboDirect PRO12: Cardiff Blues v Leinster

1 Just how much is the Thomond factor worth these days?

Connacht head coach Eric Elwood was delighted to see his charges return to winning ways against the Dragons in the RaboDirect PRO12 ahead of their Heineken Cup Pool 3 meeting with Harlequins next weekend.

1 Restructuring the Heineken Cup

Leinster and Ireland hooker Richardt Strauss is facing four weeks on the sidelines after sustaining an arm injury in the province’s Heineken Cup defeat to Clermont Auvergne on Saturday.

Edinburgh will look to give Scottish rugby a timely boost when they entertain Heineken Cup opponents Racing Metro tonight.

Munster today added James Coughlan to their Heineken Cup squad as permitted under competition rules.

Ospreys 19 Leinster 10

Premiership Rugby have lost faith in the current Heineken Cup talks process and will call for change at today’s meeting in Dublin.

Darragh Leader, 19, will earn his first competitive start for Connacht in tomorrow afternoon’s meeting with defending RaboDirect PRO12 champions the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium (2.30pm).

Ospreys 38 Benetton Treviso 17

Leinster 30 Munster 21

It comes as no surprise that a marketing executive should have a positive outlook about the future but a year into its sponsorship of Celtic League rugby, RaboDirect’s Maeve Moriarty has proof her company’s association is already reaping dividends.

Irish provinces have been warned they could lose their automatic Heineken Cup qualification spots as the row over the future of the competition rumbles on.

Glasgow Warriors 22 Zebre 19

France will host the 2014 Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cup finals, tournament organisers ERC have announced.

The young rugby star killed in a farming tragedy alongside his brother and his father in Northern Ireland was today hailed by teammates as a wonderful sportsman and a wonderful person.

The future of the Heineken Cup and European rugby in general remains uncertain after English clubs’ governing body, Premiership Rugby, announced it has agreed a new £152m deal with broadcaster BT.

France's Top 14 clubs have set an autumn deadline for completion of negotiations over the restructuring of the Heineken Cup, after which they will examine alternative options.

ERC are “dismayed and frustrated” at the threat issued by English and French clubs that they will quit European competition unless structural changes are made.

Three talented All Ireland League players have been given the opportunity to display their talents at Connacht Rugby after being awarded development contracts with the province.

The pool draw has today been made for the 2012/13 Henieken Cup.