Captain Sam Warburton is willing to tell British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland he is not ready to play a Test match if he has not built up sufficient game time to operate to the best of his ability against the All Blacks.

The British and Irish Lions will welcome back tour captain Sam Warburton from injury on Tuesday when they take on the Highlanders in Dunedin.

Munster’s charge towards the top four of the Pro12 hit a speed bump as they slipped to a 37-28 defeat at Cardiff Blues.

“It’s like every game we play from here on, we’re in cup final mode.”

Cardiff Blues 20 Connacht 16: Connacht’s poor record at the Arms Park continued last evening when they lost their grip on the lead of the Guinness Pro12 to a dogged Cardiff Blues.

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).

Munster 35 Cardiff Blues 27: Five tries, five match points and their place at the top of the Guinness Pro12 table was the prize for Munster at Musgrave Park on Saturday, but the most avid home fan would admit that Cardiff were unlucky not to even take home a losing bonus point.

Leinster 23 Cardiff Blues 15: It proved a successful competitive home debut for Leo Cullen at the RDS on Saturday evening, as Leinster held off a game display from Cardiff Blues to secure their first win of the Guinness Pro12 season.

Legion 1-13 Mid Kerry 0-14 (AET): It took extra time to determine the winners of this Kerry SFC first-round tie in Killorglin, with Legion showing admirable pluck after a slow start to edge Mid Kerry.

A first home semi-final is the prize for Connacht if they overcome this evening’s Challenge Cup quarter-final opponents Gloucester at Kingsholm.

Guinness Pro12

As expected, Munster proved too strong for Cardiff Blues as they sealed another Guinness Pro 12 victory at Musgrave Park tonight and maintained their third place in the table.

Guinness Pro12

Cardiff Blues 13 Leinster 22: Reigning Pro12 champions Leinster believe they have turned a corner in the New Year after coming from behind to claim a bonus-point victory over Cardiff Blues on Saturday.

Cardiff Blues may be lying ninth in the Pro12 table, but with a pack boasting three British and Irish Lions, as well as a recalled Alex Cuthbert on the wing, Leinster know it won’t be easy at the Arms Park.

Newport Gwent Dragons 9 Cardiff Blues 11

Milltown-Castlemaine 1-11 Keel 0-6

Cardiff Blues 24 Munster 28

Robin Copeland’s return to the BT Cardiff Arms Park where he enjoyed two highly successful years before linking up with Munster this season and the first appearance of Argentine international Luis Gonzalez Amorosino on the wing for Cardiff Blues adds considerable interest to this evening’s Guinness Pro12 clash.

Connacht 24 Cardiff 24

Ireland internationals Tommy Bowe and Paddy Jackson both make their first starts of the season for Ulster on Friday in the away match against Cardiff Blues.

Cardiff 28 Ulster 23

Leinster have been boosted by the return to fitness of Richardt Strauss as they aim retake top spot on the RaboDirect PRO12 table with victory over Cardiff Blues at Arms Park this evening (8.05pm kick-off).

Munster 54 Cardiff Blues 13

Fuerty (Roscommon) 0-10 Keel (Kerry) 0-9

Keel 0-14 Feohanagh/Castlemahon 0-04

Keel 0-14 Feohanagh/Castlemahon 0-04

Munster resume RaboDirect Pro12 duty tonight boosted in their bid to maintain momentum at the top of the table by the return of several Ireland squad members.

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Munster 28 Gloucester 17

RABODIRECT PRO12

It is 12 years since Connacht came away from Cardiff Arms Park with a win, and coach Eric Elwood says that needs to change when the sides meet this evening in the RaboDirect Pro12 (7.30pm).

RaboDirect PRO12: Cardiff Blues v Leinster

Cardiff Blues 18 Munster 24

The return to home comforts at Cardiff Arms Park tonight is no guarantee to help the Blues end a dismal run of defeats by Munster, but director of rugby Phil Davies remains hopeful the visitors might find it hard to grind out a result there.

Connacht 9 Cardiff Blues 13

None of Connacht’s new big-name signings feature in today’s opening RaboDirect Pro 12 clash against Cardiff at the Galway Sportsground (5pm).

Joe Schmidt gets his first chance today to run the rule over the Leinster fringe players who will steer him through the early stages of the RaboDirect Pro12 campaign when they meet Gloucester in a friendly at Tallaght Stadium (5pm).

The talent coming through from Cork and Kerry’s underage teams rolls on.

Munster enjoyed the time of their lives for 40 minutes in last night’s Rabo Direct Pro12 clash with the Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park.

Off the field business has provided another unwelcome diversion from Munster’s crucial RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park tonight, with news of a second loan move by Peter Stringer fromSaracens to Newcastle Falcons.

Ulster’s Nevin Spence hopes to avoid the blues when he runs-up against Gavin Henson in Cardiff’s traditional Arms Park home tonight.

Connacht coach Eric Elwood rallied his side for tonight’s clash with Cardiff Blues by urging them to show the spirit they showed in Europe this season.

LEINSTER added more substance to the sporting truism that the very best teams can play well within themselves and find a way to chisel out a victory against durable opponents, like they did on Saturday night.