With their European Rugby Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon just eight days away, Leinster coach Matt O’Connor has opted to wrap his star players in cotton wool for the province’s Guinness Pro12 encounter with Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade tomorrow.

Leinster 18 Bath 15: Hardly the sort of performance to put the fear of God into the other three remaining Rugby Champions Cup semi-finalists, but Leinster coach Matt O’Connor insists his side are still a difficult nut to crack.

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.

Scarlets 23, Leinster 13: Matt O’Connor is adamant this defeat in west Wales has not done major damage to Leinster’s Guinness Pro12 title aspirations.

Scarletts v Leinster

For the second game in succession, Leinster coach Matt O’Connor has opted to make seven changes to his starting line-up.

Guiness Pro12

Following the disappointment of last Sunday’s home defeat to Newport Gwent Dragons, Leinster coach Matt O’Connor has made a total of seven changes to his starting line-up for tonight’s Pro12 encounter against Zebre at the RDS.

Guinness Pro12: Leinster 14 Gwent Dragons 16: Leinster suffered a setback to their Pro12 play-off aspirations, as Tom Prydie’s 70th-minute penalty at the RDS yesterday meant they finished the weekend outside the league’s top-four spots.

European Champions Cup Pool 1

Cardiff Blues 13 Leinster 22: Reigning Pro12 champions Leinster believe they have turned a corner in the New Year after coming from behind to claim a bonus-point victory over Cardiff Blues on Saturday.

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:

Guinness Pro12: Treviso 24 Leinster 24

Jordi Murphy and Dave Kearney make their first starts of the season in Leinster’s Guinness Pro12 clash away to Benetton Treviso at Stadio Monigo tomorrow (2.30pm).

Former Rugby League star, Ben Te’o, makes his Leinster debut in tonight’s Guinness Pro12 clash with Edinburgh (RDS, 7.35pm), as the champions aim to secure back-to-back league victories for the first time this season.

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:

Glasgow Warriors 22 Leinster 20

Isaac Boss is set to make history at Scotstoun Stadium this evening, when he will become the first player to make 100 appearances for two Irish provinces in Leinster’s opening Guinness Pro12 encounter against Glasgow Warriors (kick-off 5.15pm).

Leinster 7 Ulster 10

Seán O’Brien insists there will be no nostalgia around the Leinster squad as they fine-tune their preparations before next weekend’s Pro12 kick-off.

Leinster forwards coach Leo Cullen has no qualms about putting the province’s youngsters up against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens today.

Leinster 13 Ulster 9

Leinster 15 Edinburgh 13

Sixteen seasons of professional rugby. A grand total of 286 games for Leinster, Leicester and Ireland. The only man to captain three Heineken Cup-winning teams. Take a bow, Leo Cullen.

Plots, sub-plots and challenges abound ahead of Ulster’s clash with Leinster at the newly refurbished Ravenhill tonight with Leinster looking to cement their place at the top, but more crucially Ulster continuing their bid to claim the final semi-final berth.

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

RABO DIRECT PRO12: Ospreys v Leinster

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Leinster coach Matt O’Connor has made 10 changes for tonight’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash against Glasgow Warriors at the RDS (8.30pm kick-off), where the Blue Army will be hoping to continue the excellent form that has helped them remain unbeaten in 2014.

Leinster have been boosted by the return to fitness of Richardt Strauss as they aim retake top spot on the RaboDirect PRO12 table with victory over Cardiff Blues at Arms Park this evening (8.05pm kick-off).