Leinster V Munster

COACH Michael Cheika faces an anxious injury wait as he prepares Leinster for what could be his last game in charge before departing to France next season.

IT was billed as a meeting between two of Europe’s heavyweights but some pugilists pack a harder punch than others and that was true down by the banks of the River Garonne on Saturday.

Toulouse 26 Leinster 16

PREVIEW: Toulouse v Leinster

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika will wait until tomorrow before deciding whether Jonathan Sexton will start Saturday’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulouse in the south of France.

CONNACHT’S growing determination to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive was epitomised by a huge hunger against title hopefuls Leinster in the Galway Sportsground last evening.

Connacht 27 Leinster 13

Leinster 20 Ospreys 16

Leinster 20 Ospreys 16

AS sports fans, the Irish can be as myopic as the best of them but spare a thought for the Ospreys side which will pitch up at the RDS for their Magners League tie with Leinster tonight.

LEAGUE points may be Michael Cheika’s first priority when Leinster take on the Ospreys at the RDS tomorrow but, for almost everyone else, Shaun Berne’s performance will be the ultimate arbiter as to the evening’s success.

JONATHAN SEXTON’S hopes of being fit for Leinster’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulouse have been described as “touch and go” by coach Michael Cheika, who also faces the prospect of being without Rob Kearney in France.

MICHAEL CHEIKA hailed match-winner Jonathan Sexton but damned Leinster’s attitude as his side sneaked to a fortuitous Magners League win over Connacht at the RDS on Saturday.

SHAUN BERNE may have to make way either before or at some stage of tomorrow’s Magners League clash against Connacht (RDS 4.30) for Ireland’s rising star Jonathan Sexton, but he is still expected to play a significant role in Leinster’s bid to retain pole position in the tournament.

MICHAEL CHEIKA has given the seal of approval to Jonathan Sexton’s Six Nations displays and believes he will be a key figure in Leinster’s Heineken Cup defence.

THE BIG guns will return to Leinster next week and they’ll be patting their teammates in the extended squad on the back after they completed their third win during the Six Nations.

LEINSTER’S young guns steered them back to the top of the Magners League table and now they have a four-point lead over champions Munster with a game in hand.

Cardiff Blues 20 Leinster 29

SHAUN BERNE is ready to seize his opportunity as Leinster face a tough trip to face Cardiff Blues tomorrow.

THE inactivity caused by the big freeze of recent weeks showed in Leinster’s lacklustre performance for much of this Heineken Cup clash against Brive on Saturday night before the champions upped gears to secure a bonus point victory.

Leinster 15 Ulster 3

AS FAR as Pool Six is concerned, all roads lead to Reading.

Leinster 39 Scarlets 7

PRIDE, as well as pool points, will be a motivating factor for the reigning European champions when they play host to the Scarlets at the RDS tomorrow.

SUCH was the magnitude of this performance that Leinster travelled to the Welsh valleys on Saturday with their Heineken Cup title hanging by a thread and yet they departed with their grip seemingly tighter than ever.

Scarlets 7 Leinster 32

MICHAEL CHEIKA has declared his confidence in back-up out-half Shaun Berne despite admitting he had attempted to recruit fellow Australian Matt Giteau on a short-term contract last week.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has ordered Isa Nacewa to wrap himself up in cotton wool to ensure his availability for Heineken Cup action against Llanelli Scarlets on Saturday week.

WHAT a difference 12 months make.

Ulster 16 Leinster 14

MICHAEL CHEIKA’S smile said it all after his side had hammered admittedly poor opposition and recorded their biggest win on French soil.

Leinster’s Isa Nacewa scores his side’s only try in their nervy Magners League win over the Dragons at the RDS.

Leinster 23 Newport Gwent Dragons 14

LEINSTER may have ended a run of near-misses and underachievement in glorious fashion by winning the Heineken Cup, but that will not stop Michael Cheika from imposing a change of playing style this season.

Shaun Berne will make his competitive bow for Leinster against The Scarlets in tomorrow's Magners League opener at Parc y Scarlets (KO: 6.30pm).

NEW Leinster second-row Nathan Hines has pinpointed the province’s progression from nearly men to European kingpins as a deciding factor in his decision to join from Edinburgh.

Leinster have announced the signing of Scotland lock Nathan Hines from Perpignan.

Leicester 20 Bath 15

Bath 35 Glasgow 31

Bath 13 Dragons 9

BUTCH JAMES insists Bath will learn from their last-gasp Heineken Cup defeat away to Toulouse yesterday.

BERNARD JACKMAN insists the appointment of Munster coach Declan Kidney as Ireland coach was a “no-brainer”.

Newport Gwent Dragons 31 Leinster 26