Ospreys 25 Exeter 13: Exeter became the first English club to lose in this season’s European Champions Cup after Wales star Dan Biggar led the Ospreys’ Liberty Stadium victory march.

Connacht kept alive their hopes of European Champions Cup qualification with a 40-10 away win over bottom-of-the-table Zebre in the Guinness PRO12.

Leinster 29 Zebre 8

Munster may well travel to Italy this weekend within reach of the Guinness PRO12 lead but they are acutely aware how quickly their status could change if they allow complacency to creep in ahead of Saturday’s visit to Zebre.

Anthony Foley’s bid to make home advantage finally count at Thomond Park tonight will not be hindered by the return of Munster big guns Paul O’Connell and Conor Murray as the Reds welcome Zebre to Limerick for Guinness Pro12 round three (7:30pm).

Ulster 33 Zebre 13

Rory Best returns to the Ulster line-up as captain for this weekend’s PRO12 match against Zebre.

Munster 36 Zebre 8

Connacht 25 Zebre 16

Barbarians 25 New Zealand 18

Wales 12 New Zealand 19

New Zealand are playing a waiting game on Dan Carter's fitness for their Millennium Stadium clash against Wales.

Stephen Donald will start at inside centre for New Zealand in Saturday’s Tri-Nations showdown with South Africa in Hamilton.

Daniel Carter has been named in the New Zealand starting XV for Saturday’s must-win Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia in Sydney.

New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu is to undergo surgery on a ruptured chest muscle and will be out of rugby for at least four months.

SOUTH AFRICA captain John Smit has put his personal milestone aside and vowed to concentrate only on beating New Zealand today as the world champions aim to continue their winning start to the Tri-Nations.

SOUTH Africa coach Peter de Villiers has described Morne Steyn as a match winner after calling up the fly-half to replace the injured Ruan Pienaar for Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test match with New Zealand.

Owen Franks will start his first Test for New Zealand in the second Tri-Nations match against South Africa in Durban on Saturday.

JOE ROKOCOKO is hoping that playing on the drier rugby fields of South Africa will help improve his current slump in form when New Zealand face the Springboks in Bloemfontein tomorrow (4pm).

Joe Rokocoko is hoping that playing on the drier rugby fields of South Africa will help improve his current slump in form when New Zealand face the Springboks in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has made two changes to his team for the Tri-Nations match against South Africa on Saturday, both coming in the backline where Joe Rokocoko and Brendon Leonard have been drafted in.

Otago and Chiefs scrum-half Toby Morland has signed a six-month contract with Munster.

TOMÁS O’LEARY’s meteoric rise from Munster’s bench to a first international start against the All Blacks is certainly uplifting but it pales into comparison against the story of the man wearing the other number nine shirt tomorrow.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named seven new players in his 35-man squad for the autumn tour to Hong Kong and Europe.

ALL BLACK hopeful Kieran Read has failed to make Graham Henry’s 26-man squad for the Test series against Ireland and England and the Philips Tri Nations.

New Zealand 108 Portugal 13

IT IS an integral part of the All Black media routine that everyone gets exposure and takes his turn in the hot seat. Young and old, shy and verbose, as part of their duty as an All Black all are expected to talk.

A MAJOR talking point in the lead-up to the All Black’s game against Portugal on Saturday has been the physical disparity between the teams.

AS EXPECTED, coach Graham Henry has made a number of changes to the All Black team that enjoyed a big win over Italy last Saturday for this weekend’s meeting with World Cup minnows Portugal.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry will keep faith with the bulk of his Tri-Nations winning-squad when the World Cup favourites pursue glory in France this autumn.

Wallabies coach John Connolly refuses to accept the All Blacks will have a psychological edge in France despite a New Zealand victory in the Tri-Nations.

New Zealand 26 Australia 12

New Zealand 33 South Africa 6

Former New Zealand captain Reuben Thorne has been recalled to the All Blacks side for their Tri-Nations clash with South Africa in his home city of Christchurch on Saturday.

Nick Evans has replaced fly-half Dan Carter in the New Zealand starting line-up for the second Test against France in Wellington on Saturday.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has made six changes to his starting line-up for the second Test against France in Wellington on Saturday.

NEW Zealand rugby selectors picked scrum-half Brendon Leonard and prop John Schwalger for the first time and omitted winger Rico Gear for the All Blacks’ final matches before the World Cup.

Uncapped duo Brendon Leonard and John Schwalger have been called up to the New Zealand squad for the Tests against France, Canada and the upcoming Tri-Nations tournament.