Andy Friend says Connacht’s PRO14 play-off hopes are on a knife-edge and only a victory in South Africa will suffice.

Storm Jorge certainly made its presence felt at Thomond Park this evening, the gale force wind more or less ruling out cohesive, well planned football for the participants on the pitch and turning what should have been an entertaining, rewarding couple of hours for the small number of spectators into an exercise in forbearance and patience.

There will be two Highfield men in the Munster front row at Thomond Park this evening when James Cronin and Kevin O’Byrne pack down against the Scarlets.

Chris Farrell returns to the Munster team as Johann van Graan makes five changes ahead of Saturday's Guinness PRO14 match against Scarlets at Thomond Park (5pm).

JJ Hanrahan admits that Munster’s young guns are keeping the established players on their toes.

The O’Donovan rowers began it at the Rio Olympics four years ago. After that, it seemed anything the oarsmen and women of West Cork achieved, so, too, could the young rugby players of the region.

It was a miserable day of injury news for Cian Healy and Joey Carbery, yesterday, as the duo suffered set-backs.

The injury denies Healy the chance to become Ireland's sixth player to reach 100 caps in this Six Nations campaign.

Carbery, already sidelined following surgery on a wrist ligament injury, saw an ankle specialist last week.

Edinburgh went back to the top of Guinness PRO14 Conference B after putting in a strong defensive effort to stop Scarlets in a hard-fought 14-9 win at Parc-y-Scarlets.

Further evidence of the influence of West Cork rugby in the Munster team has come with the inclusion of Rosscarbery flanker John Hodnett for his first Guinness Pro 14 start — against South African side Southern Kings — at Musgrave Park this evening, kick-off 7. 35.

The side square up against Munster in Cork on Friday.

Whichever way you viewed Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations opening-round win over Scotland seven days ago, there is little arguing with the verdict that Andy Farrell’s players simply have to do better this afternoon against Wales.

After 12 years and 151 tests in charge of Wales, Warren Gatland’s Super Rugby coaching career with the Chiefs began with a remarkable comeback victory over the Blues in Auckland.

New Wales defence coach Byron Hayward has told his side to blitz Ireland out of the game as they go in search of their first win in Dublin since 2012.

If Andy Farrell proves to be nothing more than a lucky general, then Ireland supporters are in for one hell of a ride in the coming years.

Andy Farrell warned his Ireland players they will need to sharpen up if they are going to keep “cock-a-hoop” Wales at bay in Dublin on Saturday.

When Wayne Pivac sat down with his Wales squad to outline his expectations for the 2020 Six Nations this week, he did so with the Championship’s trophy alongside him.

Canterbury Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has again gone overseas to complete his coaching group.

Jack O’Donoghue’s injury-hit 2018-19 season cost the back-rower a piece of Munster history but the 25-year-old could not be more happy for the team-mate who became the province’s youngest player to reach 100 caps instead.

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.

The chief executives of the Six Nations renewed talks in London yesterday aimed at finalising an offer designed to change the face of the game. Having already forked out some €400m to buy stakes in the English Premiership and PRO14, the private equity firm CVC Partners are willing to pay the Six Nations almost as much again for a share of the tournament’s commercial rights.

After a year when everything he touched turned to gold, 2019 has not been the follow-up act that Jacob Stockdale had hoped for, but it is one he was prepared for.

This time last year Ulster used the back-to-back Champions Cup games against the Scarlets as the launchpad for the rest of the season.

Ulster will be without Will Addison for their back-to-back Heineken Champions Cup games with Harlequins.

At the risk of redefining the delusional practice of clutching at straws, perhaps there is something to be said after all for making an early exit from the World Cup.

They once boasted one of the strongest playing rosters in European rugby and were famously labelled the ‘Galacticos’ of Welsh rugby.

The improvement in Ulster’s away form in Europe last season under Dan McFarland is something the head coach wants to see maintained and, if possible, bettered as they head into the unknown.

A lot about the dynamic between Ireland and the All Blacks has changed since the Dublin heartbreak of 2013, and Joe Schmidt has been at the centre of that shift to a more even footing.

Andy Friend has knocked down a few barriers since arriving in Galway 15 months ago, and this evening (kick-off 7.35pm) hopes to win in Wales for the first time since he took charge of Connacht.

Tadhg Beirne isn’t about to start fretting over Typhoon Hagibis and its progress through the Pacific.

Ultan Dillane and Kieran Marmion remain as replacement options.

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”.

Covering the Wales rugby side is never dull, but the start of the team’s World Cup campaign in Japan saw them breach already lofty standards of controversy.

Jack Carty was on holiday in Spain two years ago when Joey Carbery injured some ligaments in Ireland’s defeat of the USA in New Jersey.

Rhys Patchell admits that he has endured “a challenging year” ahead of his return to the Wales Test team.

Jack Carty got the official prize, but who was your man-of-the-match?

Simon Lewis Tadhg Beirne’s role as a potential replacement flanker against Italy at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon underlines how this game is just as important for the bench as it is for Ireland’s starters.

Munster’s new-look brains trust will have little time to brace for their first intensive exam on the back of a Heineken Champions Cup draw in Lausanne yesterday which did the province few favours.

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.