Munster boss Johann van Graan insists he is committed to improving his existing squad as the province bids to win silverware for the first time in eight years but that will be without South Africa centre Jaco Taute, who was unveiled today by Leicester Tigers as a new signing for next season.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline

When I was growing up in Tralee, the only black people you saw walking the streets of the town were the basketball imports who arrived in Ireland to play with the Tigers.

Jack Carty stands alone among Irish goalkickers this season with not even Johnny Sexton able to keep him

Three years ago the Tralee Warriors did not exist, though the idea of an amalgam of the various clubs in the town was beginning to ferment in the mind of a fella called Kieran Donaghy.

The Tralee Sports Complex was the hottest ticket in the country Saturday night. The Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were taking on basketball’s Super league leaders Templeogue in front of a raucous and partisan home support. Around 1,200 people packed the venue in a throwback to the great days of Irish basketball in the 80’s. The top of the table clash was all-ticket and sold out within a couple of days.

O'Neill was a hugely animated figure and was lectured by referee Jeremy Simpson after straying from his technical area and down the side of the pitch once too often.

Peter Jackson gets over the gain line, behind the headline.

Richard Cockerill found out a long time ago that when one door opened another was always liable to smash him in the face.

Tralee is buzzing for hoops. The Complex is gripped by Saturday night fever. Even football people are backing the basketball team in their droves and they’re not just following the Star. First cousins Darren and Fergal O’Sullivan are important figures in the Tralee success story. Ahead of tonight’s National Cup semi-final with Pyrobel Killester at the Mardyke Arena, they explain how a town became united behind the Warriors

Leicester kept their slim Heineken Champions Cup hopes alive by securing a four-try bonus point in a thrilling 36-26 defeat to Racing 92 in Paris.

Manu Tuilagi’s imminent England comeback in time to face New Zealand at Twickenham has had a calming effect on Eddie Jones’ underdogs, according to Ben Youngs.

Skipper Rory Best hailed Ulster’s second-half display as they dug in for a vital 24-10 win over Leicester Tigers to kick-start their Heineken Champions Cup campaign.

Leicester boss Geordan Murphy has described Irish rugby’s provincial set-up as brilliant saying there is a “conveyor belt” of talent to choose from.

There is much talk around UIster this season about the legends of 1998/99, but Stuart McCloskey is keen for the current Ulster side to write their own piece of winning history.

Ulster coach Dan McFarland is hoping that Premiership side Leicester’s record at Ravenhill continues in the same vein when the two cross swords when the Heineken Cup kicks off this weekend.

Donnacha Ryan has come a long way in a very short time, from Tipperary across the Pyrenees via Paris for a crack at joining one of rugby’s rarest breeds.

Leicester Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor believes Leinster must show “defensive energy” if they are to defeat Racing 92 in tomorrow’s European Rugby Champions Cup final in Bilbao.

Johann van Graan has put his Munster players on alert that a Guinness PRO14 semi-final with Leinster in two weeks is no foregone conclusion.

Every position in the back line has been filled by Leinster’s Isa Nacewa, including scrum-half where he excelled in one game last season when Luke McGrath was sinbinned. The veteran New Zealander even scored a try while holding that fort, writes Brendan O’Brien

Hull City player Brian Lenihan has announced his retirement from football at the age of just 23.

The challenges facing the three Irish provinces in European quarter-finals this weekend.

The Joe Schmidt era just gets better and better. So many boxes ticked as the clock ticks towards the 2019 World Cup.

Irish players also scored for QPR and Sheffield United.

In exactly two weeks’ time the 2018 Australian Rules (AFL) season begins with Richmond playing Carlton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, writes Jack Anderson.

Nestled at the end of the second paragraph of the IRFU’s official statement on Jamie Heaslip’s retirement was the fact that the Leinster No 8 had appeared 95 times for his country and played the full 80 minutes for 72 of them.

Peter Jackson looks at what the weekend’s European rugby action has thought us. 

Keith Earls has understood for a while that becoming a family man has helped to relegate rugby down the pecking order of priorities. 

Leinster will have to do without in-form Ireland prop Cian Healy for the Christmas and new year interprovincial derbies after he was suspended for three weeks last night.

As Munster’s on-field coordinator, Billy Holland has to size up the opposition, attack vulnerable areas, and decide where to target, writes Donal Lenihan.

It says much about Munster’s growing confidence and maturity as a squad that Ian Keatley could share a laugh with his captain after committing two knock-ons inside a minute.

Leicester Tigers 16 Munster 25: Munster planted one boot firmly in the Champions Cup quarter-finals as they grabbed an invaluable away win at Welford Road last night and gave new boss Johann van Graan a benchmark performance for the rest of the season.

Munster’s visit to Welford Road was always going to prove the most challenging of the reverse fixtures against a clearly hurting trio of Aviva Premiership clubs after their Champions Cup whitewash by the Irish provinces last weekend, writes Donal Lenihan.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan feels his team have taken a major step forward in their development after beating Leicester 25-16 at Welford Road.

The key moment, talking point and key man from an intense game at Welford Road.

As he reflects on last week’s defeat to Munster at Thomond Park, Jonny May puffs out his cheeks and sighs.

For all the good news coming out of Munster in the past couple of days, the appearance of centres Matt Toomua and Manu Tuilagi on the Leicester Tigers teamsheet yesterday lunchtime will have offered a sobering counterpoint ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Cup re-match at Welford Road.

Leinster are the team to beat, the No. 1 in Europe’s power rankings. And Munster are No. 2, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Leicester Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor does not believe his side needs to record a bonus-point victory over Munster this weekend to keep their Champions Cup hopes alive.

Johann van Graan has called on his Munster side to reduce the penalty count when they go into the Tigers’ den at Welford Road on Sunday.

The understandably grumpy figure cut by Leicester captain Tom Youngs at Thomond Park on Saturday night was neatly representative of the English mood in general after a terrible weekend of Champions Cup results for Premiership clubs.

Johann van Graan’s assertion that Munster only have half the job done against Leicester has been brought into sharp focus by the likely return to the Tigers midfield next Sunday of Manu Tuilagi and Matt Toomua.