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.

One man’s setback appears to be an opportunity for a couple of his team-mates as Johnny Sexton’s likely absence from the start of the Six Nations seems to have opened the door for a pair of Munster stars to take centre-stage with Ireland in the coming weeks.

Saracens are set to bring their big guns back for the return match with Munster next weekend after leaving Limerick with a losing bonus point.

Ask any Munster supporter their thoughts on the Saracens personnel coming to Thomond Park this evening and they will take the matchday squad named by Mark McCall yesterday in a heartbeat. Ask the Munster coaching group the same question and they will not be taking anything for granted.

The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

It is not just the levels of professionalism in the Saracens squad coming to Thomond Park that impress Peter O’Mahony but the quality of the individuals that give the Munster skipper pause for thought

Sean O’Brien was among a handful of former Leinster stars who returned to the team HQ this week to set the scene for the province’s ‘drive for five’ ahead of today’s Heineken Champions Cup opener against Benetton.

Move over Dean Richards, Harlequins, and ‘Bloodgate’, there is an even bigger bad news story to overtake you in the annals of English club rugby history, writes Rob Cole.

This is a contest fit for the final itself with the winner fancied to go all the way.

An emotional Eddie Jones choked back the tears as he reflected on what it meant to guide England into the 2019 World Cup.

In the same way that we shouldn’t have been too crestfallen by the heavy defeat in Twickenham, Ireland’s confidence-boosting win against Wales in Cardiff last weekend also needs to be put into context.

England have beaten Ireland 57-15 in their World Cup warm-up Test at Twickenham.

Fly-half Byrne gets the chance of a lifetime in the absence of both Johnny Sexton and Joey Carbery with a first Ireland start in just his third Test.

There will be a strange dynamic surrounding Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final between Leinster and Munster at the RDS. It’s been a difficult ten days for both Irish provinces but for different reasons.

Brendan O’Brien Conan: We didn’t play the Leinster rugby that got us to the final

It would be lazy to dismiss Leinster as just another PRO14 casualty of the Saracens juggernaut.

Steffan Thomas rates the players of both sides of the Heinken Champions Cup final.

Nothing has typified the indomitable will of both Leinster and Ireland in recent years so much as their habit of sticking the knife into opponents in the moments and minutes approaching half-time.

A fifth win for Leinster tomorrow will make them the most successful side in the history of the competition.

Stuart Lancaster needs no introduction to the dangers Leinster will be facing when they go toe-to-toe with Saracens in Saturday’s heavyweight Heineken Champions Cup final.

Leo Cullen is not convinced that Ireland’s Six Nations defeat to England last February will have any effect on next month’s Champions Cup final.

Owen Farrell might have been a leading candidate for a few sleepless nights recently but he is determined not to lose out on his eight hours of shut-eye over the challenge facing Saracens this afternoon

Donal Lenihan runs the rule over the Heineken Cup semi-finalists

Milestones and long-awaited comebacks feature aplenty in the Saracens team picked by Mark McCall, who makes 10 changes from the side which lost at Bristol Bears last week.

This time 12 months ago, Munster and Leinster felt bulletproof as they approached their respective Champions Cup semi-final deciders against Racing 92 and Scarlets, with both squads densely fortified with players from Ireland’s all-conquering Grand Slam team.

Saracens would have hoped for a quieter week than the one just gone but Maro Itoje, for one, is aiming to block out the outside noise against old foes Munster in the Champions Cup semi-final on Saturday in Coventry.

When Ireland last fielded their front line troops at the Aviva Stadium, against New Zealand in November, the rapturous response from players and fans alike at the final whistle could not have been more exuberant. Unbridled joy. Kings of the world.

Elliot Daly has held off the challenge of Mike Brown at full-back for England's Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.

Mark McCall looked back with pride on Saracens’ two-year reign as European titleholders but admitted his side’s grip on the Champions Cup was dislodged by a better Leinster team.

IT is with good reason that Saracens winger Sean Maitland has started calling his captain Brad Barritt ‘The Terminator’.

Owen Farrell will be given until Friday to prove his fitness for Saracens' Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster but Billy Vunipola has been ruled out of the trip to Dublin.

Jonathan Sexton has been eager for a crack at Saracens for a while.

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.

Our history-makers!!

Eddie Jones has been assessing his dwindling options in the back three due to an escalating injury crisis.

Clermont took out their frustration over the chaotic postponement of their Champions Cup clash at Allianz Park by inflicting a record 46-14 defeat on holders Saracens.

Owen Farrell has been recalled for England's clash with Australia at Twickenham on Saturday after being rested for the autumn opener against Argentina.

Saracens back-rower Billy Vunipola could miss the first month of the Aviva Premiership season in England as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.

Warren Gatland has revealed the tough discussions that led to British & Irish Lions' first Test captain Peter O'Mahony being omitted completely from the second Test squad to face the All Blacks this Saturday, writes Simon Lewis.

There is nothing worse for a player, having to answer questions about a game that you had visualised playing in for months and yet find yourself surplus to requirements, writes Donal Lenihan.

The British and Irish Lions have drawn 31-31 with the Hurricanes in Wellington,writes Simon Lewis.