Seven tries last week, another seven tonight.

Connacht's Heineken Champions Cup challenge hangs by the thinnest of threads after a convincing four-try defeat to Gloucester at Kingsholm on Sunday afternoon.

Brendan O’Brien Connacht coach Andy Friend has sounded a highly encouraging note on Bundee Aki’s contract situation.

This is a contest fit for the final itself with the winner fancied to go all the way.

Leinster strung together four second-half tries as they handed Edinburgh a 40-14 defeat at the RDS Main Arena that ended the Scots’ winning start to the Guinness PRO14 season.

Referees chief Willie Barrett believes the sin bin will make Gaelic football match officials’ lives easier — but admits the possible rule change is open to time wasting.

France secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a 23-21 victory over Tonga at the Kumamoto Stadium.

Argentina bounced back from their opening-round defeat to France with a 28-12 victory over Tonga in Osaka.

Michael Cheika picked a fight with the World Cup organisers yesterday over their banning of Reece Hodge, adamant that Australia had been singled out for special treatment.

For weeks on end, a veritable posse of law enforcers queued up to hammer the warning home, that dangerous tackles meant instant dismissal.

France run out 23-21 winners over spirited Argentina side

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

A combination of Ryan Baird's 21st-minute red card and a luckless spate of injuries left the Ireland Under-20s exposed down the final stretch as Australia ruthlessly took advantage to claim a 45-17 bonus point win in Santa Fe.

Captain Charlie Ryan praised the collective efforts of his Ireland Under-20 side as they repeated their Six Nations heroics with a brilliant 42-26 bonus point win over England on the opening day of the World Rugby U-20 Championship in Santa Fe.

Peter Jackson picks his XV for the Heineken Champions Cup Team of the Tournament.

A raucous Sportsground welcomed Connacht’s progression into the play-off stages of the PRO14 as their team turned in a bonus point performance in their most important game of the season so far.

Connacht are back in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time in three years after man-of-the-match Jack Carty inspired their 29-22 Guinness PRO14 bonus point win over Cardiff Blues at the Sportsground.

Benetton Rugby earned a 27-27 Guinness PRO14 draw with Leinster in Dublin as Tommaso Allan landed the levelling conversion of Fijian winger Iliesa Ratuva's last-minute try.

Brian O'Driscoll has said the manner in which Tadhg Beirne won a penalty for Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-final is "not a good look" for rugby.

Marcell Coetzee marked his comeback for Ulster with one of their five tries in a 33-19 Guinness PRO14 win over the Southern Kings.

Johann van Graan’s glass remained half-full as he argued Munster are still very much in Guinness PRO14 title contention despite defeat to the Scarlets in Llanelli.

Edinburgh gave themselves a confidence boost ahead of their crucial European Cup quarter-final match against Munster next Saturday at BT Murrayfield with a forward orientated bonus point win over Leinster last night.

Frank Murphy’s appointment as referee for Leinster’s visit to Munster was a topic for conversation long before the first whistle.

John Cooney marked his return from international duty by kicking 11 points in Ulster's 16-12 Guinness PRO14 victory over Cardiff Blues at the Kingspan Stadium.

Niyi Adeolokun's late try put the seal on Connacht's rousing 33-20 Guinness PRO14 win over Scarlets at the Sportsground, with Bundee Aki and 18-point fly-half Jack Carty starring for the winners.

Geordan Murphy declared rugby has "gone too PC" in response to the controversial red card shown to lock Will Spencer in Leicester's 41-35 defeat by Wasps.

The 21-year-old back-rower scored twice on only his second Guinness PRO14 start for Connacht.

It is difficult to imagine Ireland’s season being remembered as anything but an unheralded success after a Six Nations Triple Crown, Championship and Grand Slam was secured on the back a 12-Test winning run.

Last week, I spoke about the importance of a referee’s team and unfortunately it was the topic of most discussions yesterday, writes Brian Gavin.

Connacht’s slim Champions Cup qualification hopes were ended in Swansea as Kieran Keane’s side were beaten 39-10 by the Ospreys.

Ireland have secured the NatWest 6 Nations Grand Slam by beating England at Twickenham.

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.

Ireland were made to work hard at the Aviva Stadium this evening as they claimed a tight win over Fiji and a second win in the Guinness series.

Scotland survived a second-half fightback to kick off their international season with a 44-38 win over Samoa at BT Murrayfield.

After an absorbing but scoreless first 60 minutes, the game shifted gears as Conor Murray charged down a Maxime Machenaud kick from the back of a Racing scrum

The board of the tenant management organisation at the centre of the Grenfell Tower fire in London will recommend a meeting on its proposed closure be postponed following opposition from residents.

LEINSTER 21 - EDINBURGH 13: A late shot of whiskey helped Leinster to a narrow win over Edinburgh with Jamison Gibson-Park’s try coming as last orders were being called at the RDS last night.

Glasgow are not the first team to come to Galway and deal better with the wind and rain than the home team, but new coach Kieran Keane was anxious not to blame the weather for losing their opening game of the season to the same opposition for the second year in a row.

Community leaders are appealing to the head of the council at the heart of the Grenfell Tower fire in London to cut ties with the organisation responsible for managing the high-rise block.

Rory Best refused to criticise referee Romain Poite after the British and Irish Lions were held to a 31-31 draw by the Hurricanes in Wellington.