Connacht centre Dave McSharry has been forced to retire from professional rugby due to a concussion injury.

What a wonderful story. What a wonderful, uplifting, happy-ending romance. What an against-the-odds achievement. What a challenging, inspiring act of individual and collective defiance — and how very easy and uplifting it is to celebrate. But it offers so much more.

Connacht 7 Leinster 6: The evening’s entertainment began with a stirring rendition of ‘The West’s Awake’ and concluded with a fevered chant of ‘We Are Top Of The League’. What happened in between on a tumultuous night at the Sportsground confirmed both declarations as being right on the money.

John Muldoon becomes the first player to make 200 appearances in the Guinness Pro12 when he leads Connacht against Cardiff at Arms Park this evening (7.05pm).

“He does not look out of place and he is just going to get better and better.”

Connacht head coach Pat Lam has signed a new three-year deal ahead of the province’s final chance to bag a Challenge Cup quarter-final.

Connacht’s Robbie Henshaw has dismissed speculation linking him with a move to Leinster and insists he has yet to play to his potential.

Connacht are hopeful of tying down a deal which will keep Pat Lam in charge at the Sportsground for several years.

Nothing ever comes easy for Connacht. Their constant battle for recognition and the right to sit as an equal partner with the other three provinces in the eyes of the IRFU has raged for over a century.

Pro12 title holders Leinster have made seven changes to their starting line-up as they aim to begin the traditional Christmas interprovincial period with victory over Connacht at the RDS tonight.

Connacht full-back Darragh Leader presumed it was some of his team-mates having a laugh when Joe Schmidt rang him up this week to tell him he was in the Ireland squad.

Connacht 23 Munster 32

Connacht coach Pat Lam insists aspirational victories over fellow provinces do not define his developing side at the moment.

When Ian Keatley headed west from Dublin to join Connacht he was leaving some of his best rugby friends behind, Ireland’s juggernaut prop forward Cian Healy amongst them.

Connacht Rugby today announced the immediate retirement of loose-head prop Brett Wilkinson due to a serious neck injury sustained in the last game he played for the club.

Connacht have confirmed that that Kyle Tonetti has retired from the game of rugby due to a long-standing ankle injury.

THE latest young gun to burst on the scene in Connacht can’t wait to see some more action but Jack Carty knows there is stiff competition for the No.10 shirt.

Pat Lam is meticulous in his preparation for every game but the Connacht coach is starting to concede that there is one area he will not master — trying to guess the weather at the Sportsground on match day.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL THREE:

Sports stadiums can be drab places long after the final whistle has blown, when all that humanity has trickled away into the surrounding streets and countryside and left behind are the memories, the cold and the detritus of a day well spent.

Toulouse 14 Connacht 16

Connacht head coach Pat Lam has welcomed Kieran Marmion’s decision to extend his contract with the province until at least summer 2016.

Leinster’s Darragh Fanning believes there are plenty like him playing club rugby who are ready, willing and more than able to do a job for any of the four professional provincial sides.

Pat Lam has a hard act to follow when his Connacht team take to the field in today’s Rabodirect Pro 12 opener against Italian visitors Zebre (5pm).

In the final of his season previews, our rugby correspondent Daniel Pitcher takes a look inside the Munster camp.

In the run-up to the new rugby season, our rugby correspondent Daniel Pitcher previews the four provinces ahead of the Rabo Direct Pro 12 openers on Friday. First up is Connacht and tomorrow he will take a look at Ulster.

The lack of Irish coaches operating at the summit of the professional game here should not be a cause for concern, according to Leinster’s new Australian head man.

Connacht coach Pat Lam has provided each of his players with a rugby ball in an attempt to improve the overall skill levels within the squad.

RABODIRECT PRO12

Connacht 3 Glasgow Warriors 20

In a night of farewells, Connacht bring the curtain down on this season’s RaboDirect Pro12 tonight when they entertain semi-finalists Glasgow Warriors at the Sportsground.

Johnny O’Connor will wear the Connacht number seven jersey one last time tomorrow night.

Outgoing Connacht head coach, Eric Elwood, will be able to call upon centre Eoin Griffin and hooker Jason Harris-Wright for Friday night’s RaboDirect PRO 12 clash against Glasgow Warriors, with both players returning from injury for the Galway man’s last game in charge.

Connacht head coach Eric Elwood has made four personnel changes from the team that lost to Ulster last weekend for tomorrow’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Treviso at the Sadio di Monigo (8.30pm).

Munster’s home attendances figures in the Rabo Direct Pro12 have dipped slightly this season but the province remains the second best supported team in the competition.

Andrew Trimble knows what to expect when he travels to the Sportsground this evening for the big RaboDirect Pro12 derby battle where there is more than bragging rights up for grabs.