Rory Best is set to captain the British & Irish Lions against the Chiefs on Tuesday after Warren Gatland named a matchday squad missing tour skipper Sam Warburton in the final game before Saturday’s first Test with the All Blacks.

Peter O'Mahony has been named captain of the British & Irish Lions for Saturday's showdown with the Maori All Blacks at Rotorua International Stadium.

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.

Warren Gatland has thrown down a challenge to his Lions to get the tourists off to a winning start this Saturday after last night naming a strong team to face the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians.

Here’s the lowdown on four big games across Europe...

Gloucester 40 Connacht 32 (AET): It had all the hallmarks of past heartbreaks. Connacht, punching above their weight, looked set to close in on the ultimate prize, only to be denied at the bitter end, whether by their own hand, or by questionable refereeing decisions.

In a return to Kingsholm, injury-hit Connacht go head to head with English Premiership side Gloucester for the chance to play Champions Cup rugby next season.

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

Scotland coach Vern Cotter has defended his decision to call up New Zealand-born flanker Hugh Blake for his RBS 6 Nations squad.

Rising star Teddy Thomas has been dropped for tomorrow’s Test against Argentina by France manager Philippe Saint-Andre for missing a training session by arriving two hours late.

Stuart Lancaster has no qualms about picking Anthony Watson on the right wing for tomorrow’s QBE International against South Africa and believes he is ready for his first Test start.

Gloucester 45 Munster 8

New Munster head coach Anthony Foley could be forgiven for enduring a few shivers of apprehension after seeing the Gloucester team chosen by his old mate Laurie Fisher for this afternoon’s pre-season friendly at Kingsholm.

Leinster 15 Edinburgh 13

Edinburgh have issued a worrying decree — Munster will have to fight for a productive result in Scotland tonight.

Scotland 17 France 19

Italy 20 Scotland 21

Scotland head coach Scott Johnson admits not even a victory over Italy this afternoon will cure the Dark Blues’ problems.

Scotland 0 England 20

Scotland head coach Scott Johnson has made four changes to his side for Sunday’s opening RBS 6 Nations match with Ireland.

Connacht take on Edinburgh this evening desperate to break a losing run of seven RaboDirect Pro 12 fixtures.

RABODIRECT PRO12: Edinburgh 24 Connacht 32

Leinster head-coach Joe Schmidt has recalled Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald for tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash against lowly Edinburgh in Murrayfield.

Connacht 23 Edinburgh 24

Injuries have robbed Connacht of a host of front-line players for the visit of Edinburgh to the Galway Sportsground today (5pm).

Scotland 22 New Zealand 51

Leinster 22 Edinburgh 16

Today, at the RDS, it will be Tom Denton’s turn.

When Rob Penney was still coaching Canterbury to NPC success back in New Zealand, he received a delegation of coaches from Edinburgh, eager to pick the Kiwi’s brains and discover the secrets of his success.

Rob Penney has been able to name Ireland internationals Donncha O’Callaghan and Mike Sherry in his first competitive squad for Munster’s RaboDirect Pro12 opener at Edinburgh tomorrow night.

Holland-born Edinburgh wing Tim Visser is one of five uncapped players included in Scotland’s summer tour squad.

Leinster’s second-string put in a first-class performance at the RDS last night as they scored eight tries on the way to an impressive annihilation of a sorry Edinburgh side.

Edinburgh captain Greig Laidlaw hailed the record-breaking Murrayfield crowd for helping them over the line in their “exhausting” Heineken Cup win over four-times champions Toulouse.

Edinburgh will be aiming to become the first Scottish team to qualify for the Heineken Cup semi-finals as they host Toulouse today.

Three Irish players are in contention for the ERC European Player of the Year Award.

Andy Robinson started a period of introspection over his future as after Scotland collected the Six Nations wooden spoon.

Tom Croft has revealed how a radical shift in the attitude of the England squad since the World Cup debacle has helped take his game to new heights.

Centre Nick De Luca has been restored to the starting line-up in Scotland's only change for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations wooden spoon decider with Italy.

France flanker Imanol Harinordoquy anticipates Scotland will provide a much sterner test for the Rugby World Cup finalists than many observers are anticipating in tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations clash at Murrayfield.

Wales captain Sam Warburton admits it is time his RBS 6 Nations title contenders avoided any further outbreaks of the yellow peril that threatened to lay them low in Dublin last weekend.

Scotland have made two enforced changes for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff, with Greig Laidlaw set to make his first Test start.