Ireland's five-match unbeaten run against France came to a punishing end as Guy Noves' side edged home a tight Six Nations encounter at Stade de France today.

Jonathan Sexton won his fly-half battle with Dan Biggar to help send Leinster to the top of the Guinness Pro12 table with victory over the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium.

Leo Cullen believes Ian Madigan’s versatility, far from being a weight around his neck at Leinster, is actually benefiting the 26-year-old who has been the subject of rumoured interest from Harlequins and Bristol.

Leo Cullen’s Leinster have brought the smiles back to the faces of their fans.

Change is the order of the day for Leinster head coach Leo Cullen, who has chosen a completely new starting line-up for his side’s latest Guinness Pro12 encounter against Scarlets at the RDS this evening.

Ireland 24 France 9: Let us delay talk of Argentina and quarter-finals for a moment, this victory over the French needs to be savoured.

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt toasted fly-half Johnny Sexton after his playmaker helped get his team's World Cup Pool D campaign off to a flying start with a seven-try rout of Canada.

Cian Healy will have to come cold to the World Cup later this month after the Leinster loosehead was omitted from the Ireland team to face England in the last of the four warm-up games, in Twickenham on Saturday.

Sometimes being given more questions than answers from an exercise can be a good thing.

So the scramble for Ireland survival begins.

And so it begins.

Irish coach Joe Schmidt insisted during the week that places in the World Cup squad were still up for grabs. After yet another defeat to the Barbarians at Thomond Park last night, he will go home for another re-think after a performance he described as “a bit inaccurate.”

Leinster’s turbulent season will come to an end in Murrayfield this afternoon, when Matt O’Connor’s side face Edinburgh in the final round of the Guinness Pro12 (3pm).

Guinness Pro12

“Business as usual” was the message yesterday as Matt O’Connor and Jamie Heaslip discussed Leinster’s Guinness PRO12 meeting with Benetton Treviso tonight, but the reality is that no-one can recall when the balance sheet looked so grim.

Leinster survived a late scare from Bath at the Aviva Stadium today to book a place in the Champions Cup semi-finals.

Leinster survived a late scare from Bath at the Aviva Stadium today to book a place in the Champions Cup semi-finals.

Guinness Pro12

Leinster head coach Matt O’Connor has criticised the IRFU’s highly-lauded player management system and the dictatorial manner in which Joe Schmidt and his staff decide when and where the top Irish players can play for their clubs.

Joe Schmidt has warned his players not to get distracted by all the hullaballoo surrounding Ireland as they take their ongoing bid for an RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam to Cardiff tomorrow.

As expected, Joe Schmidt has reinstated Jonathan Sexton as Ireland's out-half for their Six Nations clash with France at the Aviva on Saturday.

Joe Schmidt finally had some good news to share as he named a trimmed-down Ireland squad for the first two rounds of the RBS 6 Nations, with first-choice scrum-half Conor Murray expected to be fit to face Italy in Rome on Saturday.

Ian Madigan endured a tormenting day with the boot for Leinster against Wasps last weekend but the man who knows his kicking abilities best has backed him to bounce back against Italy on Saturday week, says Brendan O’Brien.

European Champions Cup Pool 1

Cardiff Blues may be lying ninth in the Pro12 table, but with a pack boasting three British and Irish Lions, as well as a recalled Alex Cuthbert on the wing, Leinster know it won’t be easy at the Arms Park.

Leinster 24 Ulster 11

Although matches against Ulster in recent seasons evoke positive memories for Leinster, defeat this weekend could deepen the sense of crisis ahead of a significant month that will also decide the province’s fate in the Champions Cup.

Leinster 18 Ospreys 12

GUINNESS PRO12:

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).

Leinster 37 Cardiff Blues 23

Guinness Pro12:

Three weeks into the season and the Guinness PRO12 has finally thrown the floating voter a bone they can get their teeth into in the form of tonight’s meeting of Connacht and Leinster at Galway’s Sportsground (KO: 7.35pm).

Leinster 42 Scarlets 12

GUINNESS PRO12: