Zebre 3 Leinster 20

Change is the order of the day for Leinster in Stadio XXV Aprile this afternoon, as the defending champions make 10 alterations to their starting line-up for the Guinness Pro12 encounter against Zebre (kick-off 3pm, Irish time).

Anthony Foley’s bid to make home advantage finally count at Thomond Park tonight will not be hindered by the return of Munster big guns Paul O’Connell and Conor Murray as the Reds welcome Zebre to Limerick for Guinness Pro12 round three (7:30pm).

GUINNESS PRO12:

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Connacht 20 Zebre 3

Connacht 25 Zebre 16

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).

Ulster 29 Treviso 29

Treviso 34 Munster 10

RaboDirect Pro12

Treviso 15 Ulster 16

Connacht 18 Benetton Treviso 3

Undeserving may be, but Connacht’s late steal at the death against Aironi on Saturday provided the Irish province with their first three-in-a-row of victories since 2002.

Connacht are determined to finish their home RaboDirect Pro 12 season on a high when they host Aironi at the Sportsground this evening. Having picked up 15 points in their last six matches, Connacht can post a third successive win and leapfrog Dragons and Treviso.

The inclusion of prop Denis Buckley, who joins the front-row in place of the injured Brett Wilkinson, is the only change Eric Elwood has made for his side’s PRO12 meeting with Aironi in the Sportsground tomorrow (5pm).

Ulster will have an anxious wait before knowing whether explosive flanker Stephen Ferris will be available for next Sunday’s European shoot-out with Munster at Thomond Park.

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

Italy coach Jaques Brunel has made six changes to the squad that lost against Wales in Cardiff last weekend for their final RBS Six Nations game against Scotland in Rome on Saturday.

Wales kept their Grand Slam mission on course after seeing off a determined Italy outfit at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

Wales are optimistic captain Sam Warburton will be fit to lead his team’s RBS 6 Nations title bid against France next Saturday.

Luke Fitzgerald’s badly-timed absence through injury will finally end this evening when he lines out at full-back for Leinster’s RaboDirect Pro12 encounter with Aironi at the Stadio Zaffanella.

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes to face Ireland in Saturday’s RBS Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium.

A COUPLE of months ago Connacht were relishing the prospect of playing French aristocrats Toulouse in the Heineken Cup; this week they head there in a different frame of mind.

CONNACHT bid to end a miserable run of form away to Aironi this afternoon.

ULSTER successfully manoeuvred the first part of their Heineken Cup back-to-back clashes with Aironi at Ravenhill last night with a bonus-point victory in Pool Four.

BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

RONAN O’GARA does not get that many opportunities these days to display his skills at Musgrave Park, but he treated the crowd of almost 7,000 last night to a superb display of kicking in appalling conditions.

TONY McGAHAN has defended his decision to bring several big names straight back into Munster’s starting team this weekend.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has named a 30-man squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.

CONNACHT are targeting five home wins in a row for the first time since 2005 against Aironi in the Sportsgrounds tonight (7.45pm).

MUNSTER maintained their stranglehold on top spot in the Magners League with a scrappy victory at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella yesterday but the win was tainted by the loss of Denis Hurley to a knee injury.

MUNSTER yesterday confirmed the worst-kept secret in Irish rugby by announcing the signing of Ulster tight-head prop BJ Botha.

ULSTER got their Heineken Cup campaign off to the perfect start with a five-pointer against Aironi at Ravenhill last night.

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin put down his team’s success in Italy on Saturday night to sheer doggedness.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett is looking for the Azzurri to play a perfect game against Ireland as they attempt to forget their opening 6 Nations defeat at England.

IRELAND U21 33 ITALY U21 0

IRELAND U21 14 ITALY U21 0