Gael Fickou moves to the wing, where he replaces the injured Vincent Rattez.

It was the late Garrett Fitzgerald who made Munster one of the world’s best rugby clubs and instilled the values that forged lifelong bonds between former Munster players, according to Ronan O’Gara.

Tadhg Furlong is nominated for the third year in a row.

On an explosive Saturday that saw Saracens relegated from the Gallagher Premiership on the eve of a must-win Champions Cup pool game against Racing 92, Munster took their exit from this season’s competition without firing a shot.

Controversy-hit Saracens' late 27-24 victory win over Racing 92 has set up a repeat of the 2019 final, with Leinster to have home advantage at the Aviva Stadium.

Reggie Corrigan believes Leinster’s current team will break a club record in Italy on Saturday, but he’s warned them that only silverware can secure their place in history.

Even as the celebrations of Racing’s Champions Cup win over Munster still echoed around La Defense Arena, head coach Laurent Travers was looking to the future.

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

Connacht’s hopes of reaching the Heineken Champions Cup knockout stages for the first time died in Galway after they were outgunned by French champions Toulouse who finished with 13 men.

With a €20m boost in funding for their Sportsground redevelopment project in the bag, Andy Friend’s Connacht need to secure victory against French champions Toulouse to keep their hopes of reaching the Champions Cup quarter-finals alive.

Listen to the radio sports bulletins and chats this week and Leinster have barely merited a mention.

Toulouse are bracing for hard, streetwise, and direct rugby from Connacht this weekend, their insider-in-the-camp Pita Ahki has said.

Andy Friend has some big names back for their Champions Cup showdown against French champions Toulouse.

Simon Zebo limped off eight minutes into Racing 92’s Top 14 victory over Clermont at the weekend, giving boss Laurent Travers an injury headache ahead of Sunday’s Champions Cup return against Munster.

Sometimes it helps to take all the guesswork out of who should be playing for Ireland by actually going hard at each other.

Quinn Roux’s hopes of returning to the Irish side for the start of the Six Nations have been dashed with the 29-year-old having to undergo surgery for a hand injury.

Will Addison returns from a four-week suspension for Ulster who are on a mission to avenge last year’s home loss to Connacht.

The Champions Cup is supposed to be the pinnacle for professional club rugby in Europe.

Robin Copeland’s last-gasp try rescued a 27-24 win from the jaws of defeat as Connacht pipped Gloucester in a dramatic Heineken Champions Cup clash at the Sportsground.

Connacht’s survival hopes in the Heineken Champions Cup may depend on a superb home record which has seen them lose just one of 14 games at the Sportsground in Europe in the past five years.

There are plenty roads leading to the RDS, the home of Leinster rugby, but few will have taken the route chosen by Sam Matavesi.

Paul Boyle missed the cut for Connacht last week, but he wants to take that frustration out on Gloucester as the province seek to rescue their Champions Cup hopes on Saturday.

The ghosts of Christmases past will be circling around the four provinces this weekend as they prepare for the unique demands that come with the traditional back-to-back December rounds in the Heineken Champions Cup.

Connacht, for a team which has won almost 45% of its matches in the Heineken Champions Cup, still has a lot to learn how to compete in Europe’s premier tournament.

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.

Sometimes it's the words that don't pass a player's lips that stand out.

No team in Europe has played as many matches in the Challenge Cup as Connacht

Rory Best admits he was tempted by a potential move to Bristol – but put family first.

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.

Connacht produced a frustrating and sloppy performance on their way to a bonus point victory over Southern Kings in the PRO14 on Saturday.

Tom Farrell’s hopes of playing in next year’s Six Nations have been dealt a blow with the Connacht centre set to be sidelined until the New Year with a fractured shoulder.