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

Conor Fitzgerald says he hasn’t looked back since resurrecting his career with Connacht after being let go from the Munster academy 18 months ago.

Watching Munster on Saturday was both frustrating and exciting. The excitement came in a performance that gave glimpses of the talent and potential that lies in a squad loving life and enjoying its work under the province’s new coaching ticket.

Much like Munster’s frustrations in Europe these past three seasons, Mike Haley is hoping his best is yet to come.

Head coach Dave Rennie will almost certainly leave Glasgow Warriors at the end of this season, most likely to take charge of Australia, although he has also been linked with the New Zealand and Italy jobs. His legacy in Scotland will depend almost entirely on how his team fares in this European Champions Cup campaign, which kicks-off when Sale Sharks visit Scotstoun tomorrow afternoon.

Simon Lewis previews the 20 teams aiming for glory as the Champions Cup kicks off this weekend.

Head coach Dave Rennie will almost certainly leave Glasgow Warriors at the end of this season, most likely to take charge of Australia, although he has also been linked with the New Zealand and Italy jobs. His legacy in Scotland will depend almost entirely on how his team fairs in this European Champions Cup campaign, which kicks-off when Sale Sharks visit Scotstoun Saturday afternoon.

Jean Kleyn: No matter what Agustin Pichot thinks, the South African-born Munster lock has qualified by right and earned his place the hard way after three years of acclimatisation in Limerick.

La Rochelle have lost on all 16 of their visits to Clermont in the club's history.

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.

Towering Munster Academy lock Thomas Ahern will make his Ireland U20 debut in today’s final Pool B clash with Italy at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Santa Fe (kick-off 2.30pm Irish time — live on eir Sport 1).

The long road starts here as the race to make Ireland’s World Cup squad for Japan this September ramped up, after Joe Schmidt named a 44-player training squad.

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

Munster saw off interprovincial rivals Connacht in Limerick but still had to settle for second place in Guinness PRO14 Conference A as Glasgow Warriors beat Edinburgh to hold onto top spot and with it a home play-off semi-final tonight.

Connacht Head Coach Andy Friend has made a host of changes to the side that lost to Sale Sharks in the European Challenge Cup Quarter Final last weekend.

Connacht’s play-off drive in the PRO14 has been handed a big boost with the return of out-half Jack Carty to training in time for this weekend’s clash with Zebre following an arm injury.

Connacht’s focus for the remainder of the season will be trying to claim a knockout spot in the PRO14 and a place in next season’s Champions Cup but they will be disappointed to bow out of the Challenge Cup without firing a decent shot.

Sale Sharks 20 Connacht 10

Bundee Aki has returned to the Connacht starting team for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Sale Sharks tomorrow night.

This week represents a step back in time for some of Ireland’s senior players.

Munster coach Johann van Graan believes that his squad’s recent contract extensions mean that Munster’s hand will be stronger than ever going into tomorrow’s extremely testing clash with the Scarlets in Llanelli and for the remainder of what promises to be an demanding programme of matches in the PRO14 and the European Champions Cup.

New Zealand half-backs Tyler Bleyendaal and Alby Mathewson are among five players to sign contract extensions at Munster.

French referees will take charge of the Irish provinces' Champions and Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Looking back at Ireland's defeat, what are the lessons to be learned?

Connacht coach Andy Friend says they must park their European Challenge Cup quarter-final qualification and the call-up of half-a-dozen of his squad for Six Nations duty and concentrate on a crunch PRO14 clash in Cardiff on Saturday.

It’s almost four years to the day since Connacht last lost a European pool game at home, and they need to maintain that impressive record against Sale Sharks this afternoon to claim top spot in Pool Three.

Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann has told his players they have “a serious problem” if they cannot motivate themselves for their crucial clash with Munster.

Mike Haley has a debt of gratitude to Danny Cipriani for the mentoring he provided the full-back as a young professional in the Sale Sharks academy. Now on opposing teams, the Munster full-back knows just how dangerous he will be for Gloucester at Kingsholm tomorrow night, should the fly-half pass a fitness test today.

Head coach Andy Friend says he has no fears about Connacht being turned into a development province after it emerged Cian Kelleher is returning to Leinster after three seasons at the Sportsground.

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

No matter how well things are going, there is always something to knock you off kilter.

Chris Ashton boosted his England chances with a debut hat-trick as Sale thumped Connacht 34-13 in the Challenge Cup.

Ireland hopeful Will Addison has pinpointed the threat posed by Simon Zebo when Ulster face Racing 92 in their second Heineken Cup Pool 4 clash in Paris tomorrow evening.

A new Heineken Champions Cup season, and for the first time in nine seasons a new destination for Munster supporters as they journey to Exeter for the opening pool game of the 2018-19 campaign.

Declan Kidney’s London Irish embark on life in the Championship tonight with the former Munster and Ireland boss having assembled a squad he hopes is capable of not just returning to the Premiership but staying there.

Munster hit the new ground running last night as they won their opening pre-season game on Musgrave Park’s freshly installed playing surface to defeat Declan Kidney’s London Irish.

Munster are set to return to terrestrial airwaves for the first time in 12 years after their Heineken Champions Cup round two clash with Gloucester was chosen for free-to-air broadcast.

Former Ulster rugby player Paddy Jackson has been signed to French side Perpignan.

There were times during Joey Carbery’s explanation of his decision to leave Leinster when you wondered whether the gifted fly-half had lost his grasp of geography.

Worcester centre Ben Te'o has been ruled out of England's three-Test South Africa tour.