RABODIRECT PRO12:

Scarlets 17 Ulster 9

Future Ireland prospect Jared Payne will captain Ulster when they travel to face the Scarlets in Llanelli this evening (6.30pm).

Leinster 32 Scarlets 5

RaboDirect Pro12

Scarlets 18 Munster 10

Munster will roll out a couple of heavyweights for their trip to Llanelli tonight.

RaboDirect PRO12: Scarlets v Connacht

Ulster’s South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar will make his 50th appearance for the province when they tackle Scarlets at Ravenhill this evening.

Ulster head to Llanelli in rude health for their RaboDirect top-of-the-table clash with the Scarlets tomorrow (Parc y Scarlets, 4pm).

Munster 6 Scarlets 13

Ian Keatley returns to the Munster fly-half berth tomorrow as the province eyes the chance to nick points off second-placed Scarlets as RaboDirect Pro12 action returns to Musgrave Park (5:15pm).

Scarlets 13 Leinster 20

Connacht 11 Scarlets 24

Connacht have been forced to make a host of changes, including a new backrow, for today’s visit of the Scarlets to the Galway Sportsground.

Scarlets 45 Leinster 20

Leinster captain Leo Cullen is backing fellow lock Devin Toner to make more giant strides in his game over the coming season as the European champions open their RaboDirect Pro12 campaign at Scarlets today (6.30pm).

Fergus McFadden was the last-gasp hero for Leinster last night as he secured a tremendously hard-fought victory by nailing a long-distance penalty with the final kick of the game.

With a combined total of nine internationals released to them from Six Nations camps this week, both Leinster and Scarlets will be boosted by a plethora of faces keen to make an impression on international coaches at the RDS tonight.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS are determined to complete their European revenge mission against Munster on Saturday after ending the Scarlets Heineken Cup hopes.

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt is worried their Heineken Cup qualification next year could be under threat unless they pick up sufficient results in the RaboDirect PRO12 while their frontline players are away.

LEINSTER’S new prop Nathan White has admitted he is in Ireland on a wing and a prayer after leaving Waikato, the recently defeated ITM finalists.

WITH the future of Ronan O’Gara uncertain, Munster at least had the satisfaction of watching new signing Ian Keatley pick up a man of the match award as they climbed to the summit of the RaboDirect Pro12 at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

MUNSTER skipper Peter O’Mahony hopes to celebrate his 22nd birthday in style by leading Munster to a third successive RaboDirect Pro12 victory at Musgrave Park tonight (7.45pm).

AFTER an opening victory over Treviso, coach Eric Elwood says Connacht must raise the bar again today when they open their home season against the Scarlets in the Rabo Direct Pro12 at 3.15pm.

DENIS LEAMY has admitted Munster are determined to do the Magners League and Amlin Challenge Cup double after he led his side to a hard-fought triumph over the Scarlets in west Wales.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan handed the captain’s armband to seasoned international back-rower Denis Leamy, but named an experimental side to face Llanelli Scarlets in tonight’s Magners League clash in Wales.

ULSTER temporarily moved second in the Magners League with a gritty but unconvincing victory over the Scarlets at Ravenhill.

BJ BOTHA and Ian Humphreys could not have staged a more appropriate return to the Ulster starting lineout when they face the Scarlets at Ravenhill tonight.

THAT’LL do. Leinster last night recorded a perfunctory win to keep their Magners League play-off hopes firmly on message while Jonathan Sexton came through a useful 80 minutes unscathed.

JONATHAN SEXTON returns to the number 10 jersey at the RDS tonight for Leinster’s Magners League clash against fellow play-off contenders the Scarlets (7.35pm).

ULSTER left it late to rekindle their hopes of reaching the Magners League play-offs, with Ruan Pienaar kicking an injury-time winner in Wales.

CONNACHT received a much needed boost with this victory on Saturday night, their first Magners League win since mid-September.

CONNACHT face second-placed Scarlets in tonight’s Magners League tie at the Sportgrounds (7.35pm).

LEINSTER stopped the Scarlets from going to the top of the Magners League as they staged an amazing fight-back in the final 10 minutes.

CONNACHT head coach Eric Elwood is expecting the Scarlets to be smarting tomorrow after an opening-day Magners League loss against Benetton Treviso last weekend.

LEINSTER-BOUND Isaac Boss wants to end his season with Ulster on a high by helping them to the inaugural knock-out stages of the Magners League.

SHANE JENNINGS will captain a Leinster side that is boosted by the inclusion of the four other Ireland internationals in the pack for tonight’s Magners League encounter with the Scarlets at the RDS (6.30pm).

SIMON EASTERBY has been ruled out of the remainder of the Scarlets’ Heineken Cup campaign.

WITH only one win to date in the Magners League, Connacht will be desperate to utilise home advantage in tonight’s last fixture before the break for Guinness Internationals.

TOMÁS O’LEARY admitted on Saturday night that he is “a stronger player and person” after he returned from the horror injury which destroyed his Lions dream.

SIMON EASTERBY returns to the Llanelli Scarlets team for tomorrow’s Magners League clash with Munster (Parc Y Scarlets, 6.30pm).