Joe Schmidt has had to ring the changes for Leinster as they go in search of their first victory at the Liberty Stadium since September 2009.

Connacht’s Eric Elwood is once again putting his faith in youngsters with Ireland U20 player Darragh Leader making his debut tomorrow against the Ospreys in Liberty Stadium (2.30pm).

Ospreys 30 Munster 15

There hasn’t been much talk about it recently, but Munster are still embarrassed about the capitulation to the Ospreys in last season’s RaboDirect semi-final.

Robbie Diack has withdrawn from the Ulster team to face the Ospreys today (Liberty Stadium, 6.30pm) after the South African back row aggravated a dead leg suffered in the 18-10 win over Glasgow last weekend.

Leinster were left to rue a golden opportunity for double glory for the second year in-a-row when they lost the RaboDirect Pro12 plot in sight of the victory podium at the RDS yesterday.

Joe Schmidt: Leinster coach will be in Auckland to watch Ireland take on the All Blacks but only because he’ll be there on a family holiday.

Tony McGahan is banking on youthful enthusiasm to help carry defending champions Munster through their RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final at Ospreys in Swansea tonight (7.35pm).

This was supposed to be about the return of Brian O’Driscoll and Leo Cullen from injury.

MUNSTER concede they have to step up ahead of the Heineken Cup double header with the Scarlets after falling victim to the Ospreys for the second time this season.

AFTER last weekend’s historic Heineken Cup fixture against Toulouse, Connacht’s desire to translate their strong European form into points in the RaboDirect Pro 12 came unstuck against league pacesetters Ospreys.

IN a return to RaboDirect action, the challenge facing Connacht does not get any easier with the visit of the Ospreys to the Galway Sportsground this evening.

THE PORTENTS weren’t good when over 6,000 ticket-holders failed to turn up for Munster’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with arch-rivals Ospreys at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

THE Ospreys travel to Thomond Park tonight in search of their second win over Munster in 18 months – a victory that would see them become the first team to beat all four Irish provinces in the one half of the regulated two part RaboDirect Pro12 (formerly Magners League) season.

FLY-HALF Ian Humphreys has been given a further 24 hours to prove his fitness by Ulster ahead of tomorrow’s RaboDirect Pro12 League clash against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium (4.30pm).

EUROPEAN kings Leinster made a nightmare start to the RaboDirect Pro12 after being blown away by the Ospreys in Swansea last night.

LUKE FITZGERALD will seek to put his World Cup disappointment behind him tonight when he takes his place in an unfamiliar and inexperienced Leinster side which begins its RaboDirect Pro12 campaign away to the Ospreys (7.05pm).

ON A night short on inspiration,a young New Zealand-born,Tralee-raised centre showed Thomond Park that blond-flecked hair aren’t the only highlights Danny Barnes can bring to the Munster cause.

TONY McGAHAN has made 14 changes to the Munster team for this evening’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys.

Tomás O’Leary will partner Ronan O’Gara at half-back for Munster’s Heineken Cup game with the Ospreys at Thomond Parks on Sunday. (kick-off 1pm)

Ryan Jones has kept his Wales place despite losing the captaincy for Saturday’s Millennium Stadium clash against New Zealand.

WALES flanker Dan Lydiate has warned his Wales team-mates they need to make a big improvement if they are to avoid a thrashing by the All Blacks next week.

WINGER Bryan Habana’s fractured a bone in his hand during training and will take no further part in South Africa’s tour of Britain and Ireland.

Ryan Jones has regained the Wales captaincy and will take charge of a much-changed team against Fiji at the Millennium Stadium on Friday night.

Wales’ most-capped forward of all time – Cardiff Blues flanker Martyn Williams - has failed to win a starting place for the autumn Test series opener against Australia on Saturday.

Shane Williams has been ruled out of Wales’ Tests against South Africa and New Zealand with a shoulder injury.

IRELAND wing Tommy Bowe broke the hearts of his former colleagues when he scored the Ospreys’ bonus-point fourth try near the end of a pulsating Magners League clash to deny Ulster a bonus point.

WALES out-half Stephen Jones has welcomed the return of skipper Ryan Jones, prop Gethin Jenkins and scrum-half Mike Phillips from injury for his side’s clash with Italy tomorrow in Cardiff.

Ospreys teenager Tom Prydie has won a shock call-up to the Wales team for Saturday’s RBS Six Nations Championship finale against Italy in Cardiff.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has made two changes for the RBS 6 Nations clash against Scotland on Saturday – but lock Alun-Wyn Jones keeps his place.

Wales have suffered an injury blow ahead of Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against England with Lions hooker Matthew Rees sidelined for the Twickenham clash.

Ospreys 26 Cardiff Blues 0

OSPREYS coach Scott Johnson is keen for his side to get into a positive frame of mind ahead of a month that will shape their season.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan wasted no time in launching a staunch defence of Ronan O’Gara after his penalty misses proved costly against the Ospreys on Saturday night.

CONNACHT could not have wished for a tougher Magners League opening than the Ospreys when the two sides meet at the Galway Sportsground this evening (7pm).

THE Ospreys are considered the glamour boys of Welsh rugby but assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys admits he will take an ‘ugly’ win against Munster in the Heineken Cup on Sunday.

NIALL O’CONNOR gets a chance to redeem himself for Ulster after being named at fly-half in place of Ian Humphreys for tonight’s Magners League clash against the Ospreys at Ravenhill.

THE Magners League came down to a two-horse race as defending champions Leinster overtook Munster with a gutsy second-half display against the Ospreys.

The Ospreys will have their strength in depth tested to the limit for the visit of Magners League champions Leinster to The Liberty Stadium on Friday.

GORDON D’ARCY will again audition for a Six Nations starting berth this Friday when Leinster go to the Ospreys’ Liberty Stadium in search of a second successive Magners League win in Wales.

WALES wing wizard Shane Williams has only a “50-50” chance of being fit to weave his magic against England tomorrow.

British Lion Dwayne Peel has been left out of the Wales squad for this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.

The Ospreys will be without Ireland’s Tommy Bowe for their home tie against Munster at The Liberty Stadium on Friday night.

WALES BOSS Warren Gatland has identified playmaker Matt Giteau as the man his team must stop in their quest for an overdue Tri-Nations scalp.