It was only last week that Andrew Conway was asked whether, in light of the changes in the Ireland coaching ranks and the different lessons for players to learn, you could teach old dogs new tricks.

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.

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.

Results over the weekend ended Munster’s slim chances of qualifying before a turnstile opened in Thomond Park on Sunday, writes Tom Savage.

Having trailed 6-0 after 14 minutes, Munster added their points in sevens to take a 14-6 lead into the break but it was not until Conor Murray pounced off the back of a ruck in 47th minute that the home side truly put this game beyond Ospreys in front of 19,891, the biggest crowd of the weekend in the Champions Cup. Not bad for a dead rubber.

A trip to Thomond Park has and always will hold a degree of trepidation for any Welsh region, but as the Ospreys prepare to take on Munster again the Swansea side are arguably at their lowest ebb.

Nash has been named to start on the wing as Keith Earls misses out due to a minor knee injury in one of two changes to Johann van Graan's side.

A team playing at Thomond Park this Sunday in desperate need of a victory to kickstart the second half of the season?

“I cannot end with that match cancelled by the typhoon.”

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.

Johann van Graan said from the outset that when it comes to European pool campaigns every minute of every game is crucial.

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

Ospreys coach Allen Clarke says he is going through the toughest period of his career after watching his side suffer five defeats in six games.

The panel who drew up the shortlist were all-time greats Brian O’Driscoll, Richie McCaw, John Smit, and George Gregan.

Battered and bruised and ultimately beaten, Wales and Warren Gatland’s World Cup dream ended at the hands of a giant South African outfit for the second successive tournament.

Wales coach Warren Gatland admitted his side paid the price for conceding too many penalties as they suffered an agonising 19-16 defeat to South Africa in their World Cup semi-final.

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

On the eve of Wales’ final Pool D clash with Uruguay – a game for which head coach Warren Gatland rested his first choice stars – Alun Wyn Jones was still determined not to let his standards drop.

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.

Simon Lewis looks at how Wales and Ireland shape up ahead of their World Cup warm-up.

The tweets relate to lyrics of the band's songs, as well as Welsh rugby star Alun-Wyn Jones.

Finalists Leinster have three players nominated.

The European Champions’ Cup emerges from hibernation next week offering a ray of sunshine for those Irish players hung out to dry after the deluge and days of cascading criticism.

In Wales, the party will continue for some time.

The Principality Stadium roof will be open, Storm Hannah’s wet and windy weather won’t make for a classic, but Wales will nonetheless be backed by an entire nation in Cardiff this afternoon.

Three key factors will define today’s titanic Cardiff clash

Shaun Edwards is irreplaceable in the Wales set-up after another master class from the defence guru put Warren Gatland’s side on the brink of a Six Nations Grand Slam.

Warren Gatland says there is “no doubt” his Six Nations title and Grand Slam-chasing players have been distracted by Welsh rugby’s current domestic situation.

The Ospreys chairman Mike Jones has resigned over the “catastrophic mismanagement” of plans to overhaul Wales' rugby regions.

Joey Carbery may not be happy to take the late hits but if it frees up a teammate then he will continue to endure the pain for the Munster cause.

The loss of inspirational skipper Rory Best for tomorrow afternoon’s PRO14 shoot-out against the Ospreys at the Kingspan Stadium (kick-off, 3.05pm) will hit Ulster hard, particularly with Ireland lock Iain Henderson also sidelined.

Ulster start rookie tight-head Ross Kane against a fired-up Ospreys at the Kingspan Stadium this evening.

OSPREYS 32 LEINSTER 18: Leinster limped back into Dublin late on Saturday night having fluffed their lines in their dress-rehearsal for the Champions Cup quarter-final with Saracens and licking their wounds after a mauling by the Ospreys.

If Leinster could be forgiven for straining one eye forward to next week’s appointment with Saracens, then their hosts today will bring a one-track mind to proceedings as they seek to rescue their season.

Taulupe Faletau will captain Wales and Scarlets flanker James Davies makes his Test debut in Sunday's NatWest 6 Nations clash against Italy in Cardiff.

Jonny May ran in both tries as England kept their Grand Slam aspirations alive by edging Wales 12-6 in a brutally competitive NatWest 6 Nations clash at Twickenham.

Eddie Jones has lodged a complaint with World Rugby over the conduct of Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones towards referee Pascal Gauzere in Cardiff last Saturday.

Maro Itoje and Alun Wyn Jones will shift from friends and former room-mates to rivals when England host Wales on Saturday.

Worcester wing Josh Adams will make his Wales debut in Saturday's NatWest 6 Nations opener against Scotland.

Munster face their first serious test of the new season when they travel to Swansea’s Liberty Stadium todayto face the Ospreys in the third round of the Guinness PRO14.

The Lions have drawn with New Zealand in a dramatic deciding test.

Lions wing Anthony Watson believes Sonny Bill Williams did not intentionally try to hurt him in the collision that led to the straight red card for the All Black centre last Saturday.

Alun Wyn Jones believes the intensity will "go up again" when the British and Irish Lions target Test series glory against world champions New Zealand.