AFTER last weekend’s historic Heineken Cup fixture against Toulouse, Connacht’s desire to translate their strong European form into points in the RaboDirect Pro 12 came unstuck against league pacesetters Ospreys.

IN a return to RaboDirect action, the challenge facing Connacht does not get any easier with the visit of the Ospreys to the Galway Sportsground this evening.

THE PORTENTS weren’t good when over 6,000 ticket-holders failed to turn up for Munster’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with arch-rivals Ospreys at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

THE Ospreys travel to Thomond Park tonight in search of their second win over Munster in 18 months – a victory that would see them become the first team to beat all four Irish provinces in the one half of the regulated two part RaboDirect Pro12 (formerly Magners League) season.

FLY-HALF Ian Humphreys has been given a further 24 hours to prove his fitness by Ulster ahead of tomorrow’s RaboDirect Pro12 League clash against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium (4.30pm).

EUROPEAN kings Leinster made a nightmare start to the RaboDirect Pro12 after being blown away by the Ospreys in Swansea last night.

LUKE FITZGERALD will seek to put his World Cup disappointment behind him tonight when he takes his place in an unfamiliar and inexperienced Leinster side which begins its RaboDirect Pro12 campaign away to the Ospreys (7.05pm).

ON A night short on inspiration,a young New Zealand-born,Tralee-raised centre showed Thomond Park that blond-flecked hair aren’t the only highlights Danny Barnes can bring to the Munster cause.

TONY MCGAHAN could not have asked for better preparation for Munster’s Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final than this dramatic victory at the Ospreys.

TONY McGAHAN has made 14 changes to the Munster team for this evening’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys.

ANDREW TRIMBLE has not been released by Ireland for Ulster’s Magners League trip to face the Ospreys at Swansea tomorrow (5.10 pm).

Tomás O’Leary will partner Ronan O’Gara at half-back for Munster’s Heineken Cup game with the Ospreys at Thomond Parks on Sunday. (kick-off 1pm)

Ospreys 19 Leinster 15

WALES flanker Dan Lydiate has warned his Wales team-mates they need to make a big improvement if they are to avoid a thrashing by the All Blacks next week.

WINGER Bryan Habana’s fractured a bone in his hand during training and will take no further part in South Africa’s tour of Britain and Ireland.

Ryan Jones has regained the Wales captaincy and will take charge of a much-changed team against Fiji at the Millennium Stadium on Friday night.

NIALL O’CONNOR booted Ulster to victory as they downed the Ospreys in a tense Magners League opener at Ravenhill last night.

IRELAND wing Tommy Bowe broke the hearts of his former colleagues when he scored the Ospreys’ bonus-point fourth try near the end of a pulsating Magners League clash to deny Ulster a bonus point.

WALES out-half Stephen Jones has welcomed the return of skipper Ryan Jones, prop Gethin Jenkins and scrum-half Mike Phillips from injury for his side’s clash with Italy tomorrow in Cardiff.

Ospreys teenager Tom Prydie has won a shock call-up to the Wales team for Saturday’s RBS Six Nations Championship finale against Italy in Cardiff.

MICHAEL BRADLEY will hope his Connacht side can continue their successful European Amlin Challenge Cup form when they return to Magners League action against the Ospreys at Liberty Stadium tomorrow.

Ospreys 26 Cardiff Blues 0

OSPREYS coach Scott Johnson is keen for his side to get into a positive frame of mind ahead of a month that will shape their season.

MIKE PHILLIPS handed Wales an injury scare during Ospreys 25-24 Heineken Cup Pool Three victory over Clermont Auvergne at the Liberty Stadium yesterday.

CONNACHT could not have wished for a tougher Magners League opening than the Ospreys when the two sides meet at the Galway Sportsground this evening (7pm).

WHEN sights were set on the highest peak, the substitute Magners League title might be construed as scant consolation after relinquishing a European crown; except somebody forgot to tell the loyal fans of Munster, close to 20,000 of them at Thomond Park last night.

MUNSTER, who roll out the big guns at Thomond Park tonight, will be led by Paul O’Connell as the champions wrap-up their Magners League programme against the Ospreys (7.45pm).

THE Ospreys are considered the glamour boys of Welsh rugby but assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys admits he will take an ‘ugly’ win against Munster in the Heineken Cup on Sunday.

WALES boss Warren Gatland has no doubt that Gavin Henson is fit and ready to make his long awaited Test rugby return in Paris on Friday night.

WALES wing wizard Shane Williams has only a “50-50” chance of being fit to weave his magic against England tomorrow.

British Lion Dwayne Peel has been left out of the Wales squad for this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.

LOCK Alun-Wyn Jones believes Wales still have plenty of room for improvement despite their 21-18 victory over Australia at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

WALES BOSS Warren Gatland has identified playmaker Matt Giteau as the man his team must stop in their quest for an overdue Tri-Nations scalp.

LEICESTER coach Heyneke Meyer hailed a “brilliant” performance by Toby Flood after Tigers launched their Heineken Cup campaign with victory over the Ospreys at Welford Road.

NOT a complete performance from Leinster by any stretch of the imagination, but still a significant victory against a heavyweight Ospreys side that had travelled to Dublin with three wins from three so far this season.

Injury-hit Wales will face world champions South Africa and one of the most powerful back rows in Test rugby without a specialist open-side flanker.

JAMES HOOK has been given the responsibility of guiding Wales to Grand Slam glory after reclaiming the fly-half jersey for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with France in Cardiff.

James Hook has reclaimed the fly-half jersey from Stephen Jones for Wales’ RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam showdown with France at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Stephen Jones has won the race to start at fly-half in Wales’ Triple Crown showdown with Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.

Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel will start in the half-backs against Italy a week on Saturday after Wales head coach Warren Gatland made six changes to the side that beat Scotland.

Ulster 8-16 Ospreys

CARETAKER coach Steve Williams has made six changes and one positional switch as Ulster attempt to gain some respectability from a wretched season in tonight’s Heineken Cup clash against the Ospreys at Ravenhill (8pm).

ANOTHER long, hard night at the office for Ulster and another defeat.