It will be a proud day for the Scannell/O’Sullivan families when Munster take the field against Zebre in the Guinness Pro14 in Milan tomorrow night.

Conway has been rewarded with his longest Munster contract yet, a three-year deal, after a year in which he became Munster's third-highest try-scorer in history.

Niall will lead a team that includes his younger brother Rory and their cousin, Jack O'Sullivan.

Further evidence of the influence of West Cork rugby in the Munster team has come with the inclusion of Rosscarbery flanker John Hodnett for his first Guinness Pro 14 start — against South African side Southern Kings — at Musgrave Park this evening, kick-off 7. 35.

Privacy is, as more and more people — not just Harry and Meghan — have discovered, a priceless thing. Once surrendered, it is gone. Some squander it crassly.

Tom Ahern is making the leaps and bounds you might expect from a long-striding 6ft 9ins lock but the Munster second row’s progress through Ireland’s age-grade ranks is just as impressive as his performance levels.

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.

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.

In the 19th minute of the pivotal Pool 4 Champions Cup meeting in Paris last Sunday, JJ Hanrahan and his Munster colleagues jogged back behind halfway to receive a Racing 92 restart.

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

Munster lock Jean Kleyn has emerged as an injury doubt for Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup pool finale at home to Ospreys, with Johann van Graan insisting his side is still alive in the competition.

The Munster head coach was able to select JJ Hanahan as his starting fly-half to face Racing 92 in Sunday’s crucial Heineken Champions Cup pool clash at La Défense Arena.

Carbery has spent the last two months rehabbing an ankle injury.

Munster defence coach JP Ferreira is the first to acknowledge that Faf de Klerk and Craig Casey are at contrasting points in their careers but he can think of nobody better than the World Cup winner for the young Limerick scrum-half to follow.

Dave Kilcoyne makes his return from a calf injury to start for Munster against Connacht in tomorrow's PRO14 clash.

"It’s good but it can be intimidating and if you’re not expecting it, it’s a very challenging place to go."

CHAMPIONS Cup organisers EPRC has launched an investigation into the sideline incidents in the second half of Munster's Round 4 clash with champions Saracens at Allianz Park.

With Munster holding a slender 6-3 lead on 50 minutes, the mass brawl that led to a Munster penalty handed the visitors a chance to widen their advantage.

Having missed most of last season through injury, it is starting to look like Jack O’Donoghue has the spring back in his step.

Saracens have named an almost totally different side to face Munster at Allianz Park tomorrow, while the Reds make one change from their 10-3 home win.

Captain Peter O’Mahony claimed a crucial lone try as Munster overcame Saracens 10-3 in a scrappy Heineken Champions Cup contest at a weather-beaten Thomond Park.

The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

Friday night in Cork is set to be a major landmark for Stephen Archer, but he won’t be thinking about it too much.

Ireland’s so-called ‘green sweep’ on the opening weekend of the Heineken Champions Cup was always unlikely to be replicated in Round 2 given the quality of the French opposition for the Irish quartet.

There are three changes to the team that defeated Ospreys.

Keith Earls will make his first Munster appearance of the season in tomorrow's Champions Cup opener against the Ospreys.

Head Coaches Johann van Graan and Dan McFarland has named his side for Satuday's Guinness PRO14 Interpro derby this Saturday at Thomand Park.

De Allende was a star performer as South Africa clinched the World Cup with victory over England on Saturday, having scored the crucial try in their semi-final win over Wales.

Jack O’Sullivan and Jed Holloway both made their debuts as part of the Munster pack, with the Waratahs import Holloway lining out in the second row alongside captain Billy Holland.

Those newcomers are among five changes by Johann van Graan to the side which lost their last Pro14 game 40-16 to the Cheetahs.

The new PRO14 campaign may be in its infancy but for the Cheetahs their clash with Munster this evening kick-off 5.15pm) has a real end-of-season feel to it in Bloemfontein.

Dave Kearney returns for defending champions Leinster for their Guinness PRO14 clash with Edinburgh at the RDS tomorrow evening.

Munster have made four changes to their team for the Guinness Pro14 clash against Southern Kings.

Dragons new head coach Dean Ryan has described this afternoon’s Guinness PRO14 visit to Thomond Park as “a massive challenge”. His forwards coach, Ceri Jones, went a stage further in calling it “the acid test”.

It was the numbers beyond the 45-5 scoreline which truly showed how productive Munster’s pre-season win over London Irish was.

Leinster made light of their European final disappointment in Newcastle to brush past rivals Munster and ease into next Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 decider.

Munster and Leinster have named their teams for tomorrow’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final at the RDS Arena.

Regular readers will be familiar with my views on the club game in this country and the role it can still play for professional players at either end of the rugby spectrum.

What Munster Rugby’s latest Hall of Fame inductee would have given to have played more than 100 times for his province.

Keith Earls has been ruled out of Munster's Heineken Champions Cup semi-final away to Saracens tomorrow.

Munster coach Johann van Graan praised the strength and depth of his squad after they came from behind to oust Benetton Rugby in Treviso on Friday night.

Johann van Graan sends a mix-and-match Munster side into Stadio Monigo tonight with one eye firmly on next weekend’s European semi-final with Saracens.

Three Academy players are included in the squad.

Munster kept the pressure on Guinness PRO14 conference leaders Glasgow Warriors as they racked up a bonus-point victory over play-off rivals Cardiff Blues in Cork last night.