Munster and Ireland backs Joey Carbery and Keith Earls look set to return from injury to face Leinster in Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final following a positive fitness update from Johann van Graan.

Johann van Graan said Conor Murray could have played against Connacht on Saturday night but was withdrawn from Munster’s matchday squad as a precaution following a pre-game knock at Thomond Park.

Munster boss Johann van Graan insists he is committed to improving his existing squad as the province bids to win silverware for the first time in eight years but that will be without South Africa centre Jaco Taute, who was unveiled today by Leicester Tigers as a new signing for next season.

Conor Murray admits that there was a touch of the theatrical to Tadhg Beirne in Edinburgh last weekend.

Johann van Graan gave no indication about the quality of his Sunday night’s sleep but given the Munster boss watched a playback of Saracens’ seven-try demolition of Glasgow Warriors before bedtime, a fit of the night terrors would have been understandable.

Forewarned is forearmed, as the proverb goes. Chris Farrell’s one-week release from Ireland camp back to Munster during the Six Nations has given the centre confidence that he and his fellow internationals will be on the same page with their provincial teammates by kick-off time at Murrayfield on Saturday.

It is a recurring theme in a coach’s lexicon when discussing the loss of players to both injury or poor form that one player’s misfortune is another’s opportunity.

Finn Russell had read Joey Carbery’s intention as clearly as if it were laid bare on the giant screen above them at Murrayfield. The Scotland fly-half took full advantage of the situation to intercept the replacement’s pass and make the break, offloading from the deck after Keith Earl’s last-ditch tackle to hand Sam Johnson his 28th-minute try, a score that cut the visitors’ lead to two points.

If anyone in Munster underestimates the importance of a successful December in fulfilling European ambitions then the dark days of 2014 and 2015 should provide the necessary jolt.

Munster boss Johann van Graan was on Monday counting the cost of two highly physical Heineken Champions Cup games as he assessed his reduced selection options for this Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 visit of Glasgow Warriors to Thomond Park.

Johann van Graan praised Keith Earls’s selflessness in putting his side first after ruling himself out of Munster’s European clash at Exeter just before kick-off.

Ireland scrum coach Greg Feek believes there is plenty of leadership within the current squad that can make up for the absence of veteran captain Rory Best.

Ireland touch down in Brisbane today with head coach Joe Schmidt striving to find a balance between the long-term objective of a history-making World Cup campaign and the more immediate desire to extend a record unbeaten run with a series win over Australia.

At 24, Rory Scannell has not been on the Munster scene long enough to bear the pain of the province’s long wait for silverware. 

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.

Ireland’s bid for Grand Slam glory is acting as a motivational tool for Billy Holland who leads Munster in Friday night’s rearranged Guinness PRO14 game against Edinburgh.

A needs-must situation, Joe Schmidt had said.

Joe Schmidt’s no-holds-barred Monday video reviews have acquired legendary status in Irish rugby circles but Bundee Aki was long accustomed to such unvarnished truths long before he qualified to play rugby for his adopted country.

The sight of Keith Earls hunting down Italy full-back Matteo Minozzi in the final minutes of a game already done and dusted has had everyone purring, and Darren Sweetnam has thrown in his praise, calling his Munster team-mate’s skills, pace and commitment “outrageous”.

With a newly inked contract in his back pocket and a pep talk from Andy Farrell fresh in the mind, Sam Arnold was in a perfect position to reboot his season in the bonus-point win over Zebre at the weekend.

CJ Stander believes Johann van Graan will have headaches finalising his back-row trio for next Sunday’s all-important European Champions Cup game against Racing 92.

Andrew Conway stands nonchalantly with hands in pockets talking about the need to stay level-headed.

For Ronan O’Gara, the small details left the biggest impression.

Munster management will wait until after Saturday’s Champions Cup showdown at Leicester before deciding whether to press for an extension of Jaco Taute’s contract.

When he choose a career as a professional rugby player over inter-county hurling, Darren Sweetnam believed he would never again experience anything to match the thrill of playing in an All-Ireland semi-final.

You can picture the scene at half-time. Organised chaos.

Just when he thought it was safe to go back onto the wing, Keith Earls could be pressed into service in Munster’s injury-hit midfield.

Conor Murray hopes Joe Schmidt will take stock of Ireland’s potential and elect to stay and guide the national team to better things after an encouraging summer tour to South Africa.

Munster boss Anthony Foley insists the province are determined to hang onto Ireland wing Simon Zebo and is hopeful a new deal can be reached in the coming weeks to head off Toulon interest.

Rugby dreams for Conor Murray began on a Derrynane beach, a summer cocktail of soccer, Gaelic football, tennis and on Saturday mornings, a platoon of kids spilling onto the sand to play tip rugby after watching the Tri-Nations, writes Brendan O’Brien    

When the need is greatest, the will is strongest. Munster forward CJ Stander regards next Saturday’s crunch Champions Cup match against Saracens as the sort of do-or-die "cup rugby" occasion players want to experience when they join the province.

Zebre 7 Munster 31: Munster got the result and — for 40 minutes at least — the performance they wanted in Italy which sends them into next Saturday’s vital Champions Cup clash with Saracens.

Simon Zebo is set to return to action in less than three weeks, with Munster boss Rob Penney targeting the province’s trip to Ulster on January 3 as the Ireland wing’s comeback date.

Munster head coach Rob Penney wants his players to hit the ground running this week as they prepare for the return of Heineken Cup action to Thomond Park on Sunday.

Munster look set to welcome Keith Earls back from injury for Friday’s RaboDirect Pro12 game at Newport Gwent Dragons with coach Rob Penney also considering a debut for new signing Gerhard van den Heever.

Munster have received a potential double boost to their Heineken Cup double-header preparations with Perpignan next month with the possible return of Ireland duo Donnacha Ryan and Keith Earls after injury.

Donnacha Ryan’s weekend visit to Perpignan has been confirmed by Munster, but head coach Rob Penney still hopes he will pledge his future to the province.

Munster supporters are used to seeing their fly-halves live up to top billing, but then again they were spoiled rotten for more than decade by the presence of Ronan O’Gara in that number 10 jersey.