First, the good news for Connacht. Yes, there is some.

Dave Kilcoyne makes his return from a calf injury to start for Munster against Connacht in tomorrow's PRO14 clash.

Skipper Jarrad Butler has had to deal with contrasting emotions in the Connacht changing room at the Sportsground this week as several members of his squad dealt with mixed news from the Irish camp.

Saracens have named an almost totally different side to face Munster at Allianz Park tomorrow, while the Reds make one change from their 10-3 home win.

Connacht produced a frustrating and sloppy performance on their way to a bonus point victory over Southern Kings in the PRO14 on Saturday.

Bundee Aki celebrated his three-year IRFU contract extension with the opening try in Connacht’s 24-12 Guinness PRO14 win over the Isuzu Southern Kings at the Sportsground.

There are three changes to the team that defeated Ospreys.

Five-try Connacht picked up their second bonus-point victory in a week as Andy Friend’s side overwhelmed Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Ultan Dillane and Kieran Marmion remain as replacement options.

Jamie Heaslip says there are no words to console John Cooney, Mike Haley, and Finlay Bealham – the latest trio to be cut from Ireland's potential Rugby World Cup squad.

Munster out-half Joey Carbery is part of the 40-man squad flying to Portugal today for an eight-day warm-weather training camp.

Simon Lewis Tadhg Beirne’s role as a potential replacement flanker against Italy at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon underlines how this game is just as important for the bench as it is for Ireland’s starters.

Ultan Dillane and Rory Scannell became the first players to be jettisoned from Ireland’s World Cup planning as Joe Schmidt’s training squad was trimmed ahead of Saturday’s opening summer Test against Italy.

The squad includes two uncapped players –Mike Haley and Jean Kleyn

Rob Kearney has agreed a “nine-month extension” to his IRFU contract and will play with Leinster next season.

The northern province's take on Connacht tomorrow with Rory Best and Darren Cave looking to exit on a high with a spot in the PRO14 semi-finals up for grabs.

Munster saw off interprovincial rivals Connacht in Limerick but still had to settle for second place in Guinness PRO14 Conference A as Glasgow Warriors beat Edinburgh to hold onto top spot and with it a home play-off semi-final tonight.

Connacht coach Andy Friend is using today’s clash at Thomond Park to blood more players as they keep an eye on next weekend’s PRO14 quarter-final showdown with Ulster.

Irish lock Quinn Roux is a doubt for Connacht’s PRO14 quarter-final with Ulster on Saturday week.

Connacht’s play-off drive in the PRO14 has been handed a big boost with the return of out-half Jack Carty to training in time for this weekend’s clash with Zebre following an arm injury.

Connacht’s focus for the remainder of the season will be trying to claim a knockout spot in the PRO14 and a place in next season’s Champions Cup but they will be disappointed to bow out of the Challenge Cup without firing a decent shot.

Bundee Aki has returned to the Connacht starting team for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Sale Sharks tomorrow night.

Ultan Dillane, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty and Tom Farrell will line-out for Connacht after their Ireland call-ups.

Bundee Aki says he can see a lot of similarities between this season and Connacht’s glorious march to silverware in 2016 as he prepares for his second Six Nations campaign.

It’s almost four years to the day since Connacht last lost a European pool game at home, and they need to maintain that impressive record against Sale Sharks this afternoon to claim top spot in Pool Three.

Connacht have only managed to do the double over an Irish province on one occasion, but victory at the Sportsground this evening (7.35pm) against Ulster would help soften the blow of not putting Leinster away last weekend.

Connacht have been boosted by the return of Bundee Aki to training ahead of Saturday’s inter-pro clash with Leinster at the RDS.

Connacht prop Finlay Bealham is hopeful an impressive series of performances over the festive period will see him included in the Ireland squad for the Six Nations.

The victory was emphatic as Ireland routed Italy by eight tries to one at Soldier Field on Saturday. Yet while the performance was far from perfect that was exactly what Joe Schmidt expected when he selected a young side for this mission.

It says a lot about Connacht under Andy Friend that they were disappointed not to claim a bonus-point win over Top 14 outfit Bordeaux-Bègles as both teams tested the extent of their squads. But the coach left his players in no doubt that they have to improve their discipline or risk being dropped.

Captain Peter O'Mahony is one of a host of stars named in the Munster team to play the Ospreys in the Pro14 tomorrow.

Connacht 26 Glasgow Warriors 27

Peter Bracken, the former Munster, Connacht and Wasps prop, tells a great story about one of his first encounters playing alongside John Muldoon for Galwegians.

Goosen played his last game in December 2016, when he controversially announced his retirement from playing, aged 24, to become a "commercial director".

Munster have received a boost ahead of their Champions Cup quarter-final against French heavyweights Toulon as injury doubts Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have been declared fit.

Joe Schmidt deservedly received the plaudits for guiding Ireland to a Grand Slam on Saturday. But the New Zealander was quick to credit the efforts of his backroom team in the unforgettable spring campaign. Rory Keane reports.

Zebre won for the first time on Irish soil as Michael Bradley masterminded a 19-11 PRO14 victory over his former side Connacht at the Sportsground.

Meanwhile, Finlay Bealham returns from a knee injury to make his 100th appearance for Connacht.

Connacht prop Conor Carey is hoping to push on this spring and start emulating some of the achievements enjoyed by the tightheads he came through with on an exceptional Irish U20 squad.

Joe Schmidt was true to his word that the Six Nations is no place for experimentation as he named an experienced squad for next month’s opening games of the championship, although there was one notable and welcome exception.

Sixteen seasons and counting now since Connacht have claimed a win in Dublin — and they have never tasted success at the RDS — but they came as close as humanly possible to ending that drought last night without actually getting their lips to water.

As if interprovincial rivalry was not enough to get the juices flowing in Galway this evening, a controversial Ireland squad announcement is sure to further add to the intensity in both camps as Munster take on Connacht at the Sportsground.

Despite having watched a couple of French front rows disappear into his rearview mirror, Munster prop Stephen Archer is not expecting any reduction in intensity tomorrow when the Guinness PRO14 campaign resumes with a trip to interprovincial rivals Connacht.