Tiger Woods is in danger of missing the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, but Rory McIlroy’s hopes of winning back the world number one spot remain very much alive.

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.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan will hope his side can settle a score with the RaboDirect Pro12 leaders,Ospreys, at the LibertyStadium tonight.

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.

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.

ANDREW TRIMBLE has not been released by Ireland for Ulster’s Magners League trip to face the Ospreys at Swansea tomorrow (5.10 pm).

Ospreys 19 Leinster 15

MICHAEL BRADLEY will hope his Connacht side can continue their successful European Amlin Challenge Cup form when they return to Magners League action against the Ospreys at Liberty Stadium tomorrow.

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.

MIKE PHILLIPS handed Wales an injury scare during Ospreys 25-24 Heineken Cup Pool Three victory over Clermont Auvergne at the Liberty Stadium yesterday.

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).

WHEN sights were set on the highest peak, the substitute Magners League title might be construed as scant consolation after relinquishing a European crown; except somebody forgot to tell the loyal fans of Munster, close to 20,000 of them at Thomond Park last night.

MUNSTER, who roll out the big guns at Thomond Park tonight, will be led by Paul O’Connell as the champions wrap-up their Magners League programme against the Ospreys (7.45pm).

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.

THE Ospreys maintained their pressure on Munster and Leinster at the top of the Magners League table with comfortable, victory over Connacht at Liberty Stadium yesterday.

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

ANOTHER long, hard night at the office for Ulster and another defeat.

ULSTER’S Andrew Trimble links up again with Kiwi Paul Steinmetz for tonight’s Heineken Cup trip to the Liberty Stadium as caretaker coach Steve Williams makes two changes and a positional switch to face the big-spending Ospreys.

LEINSTER closed the gap on Magners League leaders Cardiff Blues with a victory over the depleted champions, the Ospreys in Swansea last night.

DECLAN KIDNEY insists his Munster side failed to grab their opportunities in yesterday’s dismal 16-3 defeat to the Ospreys.

BRIAN CARNEY gave another glimpse of his rugby union promise with a second try-scoring appearance though it was too late to save Munster’s season from freefall.

MUNSTER coach Declan Kidney intends using today’s Magners League game against Ospreys to freshen up his side after their exit from the Heineken Cup last weekend.

FORMER Ireland prop Justin Fitzpatrick believes today’s Magners League game against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium could be the turning point in Ulster’s season.

THE Ospreys’ coach Lyn Jones is looking to the future ahead of this afternoon’s Heineken Cup Pool Four meeting with Castres at The Gnoll.

Former international centre Mark McCall continued his successful start as Ireland U21 coach as his side handed Grand Slam holders Wales their first defeat in the Six Nations U21 championship for over two years at the Sportsground in Galway.

NS Ospreys 33 Munster 26