Wales are determined to begin a two-year World Cup countdown today by ending their dismal run of defeats against Australia.

SCARLETS 36 - CONNACHT 27: No surprise result against the Scarlets, no reversal of fortunes for Connacht yet, but they came ever so close, producing their best attacking performance this season.

Connacht coach Kieran Keane knows his men have an uphill battle if they are to oust champions Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets tonight.

Wallaby fly-half Christian Lealiifano played the most important role since his comeback from a bone marrow transplant after he contacted Leukaemia just over 12 months ago when he helped Ulster to a dramatic victory over defending champions Scarlets.

Ireland’s summer debutant John Cooney will start his third successive game when Ulster tackle a star-studded Scarlets outfit on an emotional night at Ravenhilll (kick-off, 7.35pm).

Connacht 8 Scarlets 30: A defence of their unforgettable PRO12 title win that began with two heavy home defeats, fizzled out with another drubbing at the Sportsground for Connacht.

Connacht v Scarlets: Connacht, having lost only once at home on their way to that memorable Guinness PRO12 crown a year ago, will be bidding to prevent a fifth league defeat at the Sportsground this season when facing a Scarlets side bidding for a semi-final place.

Ireland centre Luke Marshall is determined to right recent wrongs this evening when a struggling Ulster side travel to Llanelli to face the Guinness PRO12’s in-form side unbeaten in eight games at Parc y Scarlets (7.35pm).

Scarlets 17 Connacht 8: After a third successive loss, Connacht are in choppy waters, and Edinburgh’s impending visit to the Sportsground has taken on a must-win feeling.

Ulster struggled to defeat a weakened Scarlets side at the Kingspan Stadium last night.

New Zealander Charles Piutau is anxious to get back into Ulster action for the visit of the winless Scarlets to the Kingspan Stadium this evening (7.05 pm),

Wales prop Tomas Francis has received an eight-week ban for making contact with the “eye or eye area” of England forward Dan Cole in last Saturday’s Six Nations game at Twickenham.

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.

Previous World Cups, in soccer and in rugby, have demonstrated the dangers of bigging up teams during the pool stages, but Michael Cheika and the Wallabies have certainly earned the praise.

Three of Welsh rugby’s biggest names — James Hook, Mike Phillips and Richard Hibbard — face uncertain international futures after seeing their World Cup hopes extinguished.

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

Warren Gatland rarely fails to take an opportunity to rile Ireland and even before a so-called warm-up game — and the mischievous side in him could still play a trick or two on Wales’ rivals.

Wales have announced the team to face Ireland in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up Test at the Millennium Stadium.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has named nine uncapped players in a 47-man training squad for the Rugby World Cup.

World Rugby boss Brett Gosper has claimed his tweet was "over-interpreted" into partisanship when posting that hosts England failing to reach the World Cup quarter-finals would be "not the words we want to hear".

Wales 23 Ireland 16: Ireland’s Grand Slam ambitions have been ended and their hopes of retaining the Six Nations title severely dented by a seven-point defeat to Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre is relishing Saturday’s trial by fire at the Aviva as he aims to keep a special record intact.

Leigh Halfpenny says Wales will carry their Twickenham "hurt" of last season into tomorrow night’s RBS 6 Nations opener against England.

Wales boss Warren Gatland has sprung the first surprise of this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship – by naming his team to face England 48 hours early.

Warren Gatland revealed a glowing recommendation from one of world rugby’s outstanding coaches played its part in New Zealand-born Gareth Anscombe making an unlikely journey from Super Rugby to potential Wales Test star.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has backed Owen Farrell to make an impact from the bench against Australia at Twickenham tomorrow after dropping him from his starting XV for the first time since June 2012.

Munster 17 Scarlets 6

Anthony Foley knew one thing only too well as the dust settled on Munster’s excellent victory over Leinster in the Guinness Pro12 at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday.

After an appearance from the bench last Saturday, Captain Peter O’Mahony is set to return to Munster’s starting 15 for the first time since April.

Leinster 42 Scarlets 12

GUINNESS PRO12:

Ireland international Craig Gilroy gets a quick opportunity to show his credentials after being named on the left wing for Ulster in tonight’s Guinness Pro12 opener at Parc de Scarlets.

Scarlets 32 Connacht 30

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips has been relegated to the bench for Friday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against France in Cardiff.

Captain Sam Warburton will return to the Wales starting line-up for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Ireland in Dublin.

Munster 16 Scarlets 10

Leinster 36 Scarlets 19

RABODIRECT PRO12: