Chris Ashton boosted his England chances with a debut hat-trick as Sale thumped Connacht 34-13 in the Challenge Cup.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has included two uncapped players but made no selection surprises in his squad for this season’s Rugby Championship.

"The inevitable moment has come knocking on my door and I've welcomed it in for a drink."

This may be the biggest game of his fledgling career as a head coach but five months into his tenure as Munster boss, Johann van Graan is finally in familiar territory.

Simon Zebo is facing a battle to keep his place in Munster’s starting line-up for this Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final against his future club Racing 92, the Irish Examiner understands.

Thomond Park and its 26,000-plus fanatics made quite the din last Saturday. 

Munster’s two-week trip to South Africa will be vital to the province’s preparations for their Champions Cup semi-final in France, captain Peter O’Mahony believes.

How special it was to witness a Munster side prevail, once again, against a team packed with serial game-breaker, writes Donal Lenihan

It was not the first time Toulon captain Mathieu Bastareaud had appeared baffled by the events that had unfolded in front of his eyes at Thomond Park on Saturday.

The challenges facing the three Irish provinces in European quarter-finals this weekend.

A chip on the shoulder and the feeling of being written off.

The enormity of the challenge facing Leinster and Munster in their respective Champions Cup quarter-finals this weekend is capably captured by the fact their opponents, Saracens and Toulon, have won the last five Heineken/Champions Cups between them, writes Donal Lenihan.

Veteran Argentine international Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is doubtful for Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Munster but the task facing Peter O’Mahony’s men was laid out in no uncertain terms in Toulon yesterday.

Jacob Stockdale has made history and set Ireland firmly on course for a third ever Grand Slam.

Jacob Stockdale was just 13 years of age when he saw his Ireland heroes claim Ireland’s Grand Slam of 2009.

The Scarlets secured a European Champions Cup quarter-final place as Pool Five winners after toppling Toulon.

Manu Tuilagi’s citing for a dangerous tackle on Champions Cup duty has compelled his former Lions team-mate Brian O’Driscoll to complain that the “game has gone soft”.

Anthony Watson scored two sparkling tries in front of England boss Eddie Jones as Bath produced some champagne rugby to down French heavyweights Toulon.

It’s part of the gig. Meeting agents. There’s been quite a few in the past two weeks and I’m never sure whether I’m energised or anxious at the amount of money sloshing around in rugby.

Saracens’ trophy hunters may not have achieved greatness yet, but Billy Vunipola believes they are striving to bring Barcelona-esque levels of domination to European rugby.

Rassie Erasmus is under no illusions about the size of the challenge facing his Munster side when they come up against reigning European champions Saracens on Saturday.

Not going on a Lions tour is a substantial miss on the CV of any international rugby player, writes Ronan O’Gara. 

Fifty years ago sons of Glasgow marched on Lisbon, as Celtic became the first British team to win football’s European Cup. Now the city’s rugby Warriors are striving for their own European conquest — at the home of seemingly invincible Saracens.

Chris Ashton and Danny Cipriani have failed to make the cut for Eddie Jones' 45-man provisional England squad for the forthcoming Autumn series.

Chris Ashton believes Saracens are “in a good place” after positioning themselves for another full-blown assault on major European silverware.

Saracens took another giant stride towards a possible domestic and European double as they booked their place in next month's Champions Cup final by beating Wasps 24-17 at the Madejski Stadium.

Chris Ashton rescued Saracens from disaster as injury-ravaged Northampton's brave attempt at causing a major upset in the fierce rivals' Champions Cup quarter-final at Allianz Park ended in a 29-20 defeat.

Such was the reaction of the Scottish crowd at the final whistle in Murrayfield on Sunday you would have thought they had won the Six Nations championship.

CHAMPIONS CUP: YOUR TEAM-BY-TEAM WEEKEND GUIDE

Saracens winger Chris Ashton has been ruled out of England’s entire RBS Six Nations campaign after being handed a 10-week suspension.

Owen Farrell provided the creativity as Saracens stormed into the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup with a 33-17 victory over Ulster that guarantees home advantage in the next round.

Eddie Jones is yet to name his first England captain but insists he will pick his “best player” for the role.

Eddie Jones looks set to select a sprinkling of uncapped talent and leave out some established names when his first England elite player squad is announced today.