Shane O’Leary will complete a loop of a remarkable journey on Saturday night when he lines out at out-half for Connacht against Grenoble in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

Five-try Racing extended their advantage at the summit of the Top 14 with a bonus-point 39-35 triumph, as late tries from Xavier Chauveau and Joe Rokocoko broke Grenoble’s stubborn resistance.

Munster 29 Grenoble 38: A thoroughly convincing 30-minute debut in the red jersey by Tyler Bleyendaal convinced onlookers at Thomond Park that Munster may have come up with a priceless nugget in the New Zealand number 10.

Clermont Auvergne have been knocked off the summit of the Top 14 ahead of their two Champions Cup clashes with Munster after they went down 27-19 away to champions Toulon on Saturday night.

Ireland star Johnny Sexton could be forced into an unscheduled French Top 14 start this weekend after Racing Metro were plunged into a fresh fly-half injury crisis.

Fit-again Johnny Sexton was crowned Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year last night and declared himself delighted to be playing as much rugby as he can with new French club Racing Metro.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt will “probably not” play Johnny Sexton against Samoa next week if his number one fly-half runs out for Racing Metro this weekend.

It’s been an eventful week, to say the least. The Wednesday before last was spent at Stade de France, preparing for Saturday’s Parisian derby. It was a lovely, sunny, wintry day in Paris, kicking balls for two hours on the beautiful Stade de France turf ahead of the meeting with Stade Francais. And then we were heading to Charles de Gaulle airport for the flight home to my testimonial dinner.

Ronan O’Gara believes Jonathan Sexton will learn some valuable lessons from his competitive debut for Racing Metro.

Racing Metro 19 Brive 14

Steer 20 stone men around the pitch in a foreign language, battle with other internationals for your position and deal with the president’s whims... those are the challenges facing Jonny Sexton in Racing Metro, according to Montauban out-half Peter Durcan.

THEIRS is a name synonymous with French rugby. Formed as a sporting club of many different disciplines for the Parisian elite in 1882, Racing Club de France, alongside Stade Francais, dominated the early years of the French Championship before disappearing — like Stade — for the bones of a century until the emergence of the bow-tie wearing and champagne guzzling side of Franck Mesnel, Eric Blanc and Jean-Baptiste Lafond in the late ’80s.

Cardiff Blues 36 Racing Metro 30

Racing Metro 24 Edinburgh 27

HARLEQUINS stunned four-time champions Toulouse 31-24 yesterday to reignite their European Cup quarter-final hopes a week after the French giants had seemingly delivered a fatal blow on the English side.

London Irish 19 Racing Metro 25

TIM VISSER’S try double earned Edinburgh a sensational Heineken Cup Pool Two success over Racing Metro at Murrayfield last night.

Edinburgh 48 Racing Metro 47

QUALIFICATION already secured, Leinster travel to Paris this week intent on taking care of the last vestiges of unfinished business in Pool Two of the Heineken Cup — securing a home berth for the quarter-finals.

PHILIPPE Saint-Andre believes his Toulon side are under no pressure going into this Sunday’s crucial Heineken Cup clash with Munster.

JONNY WILKINSON lost a battle of the drop kicks as Toulon were beaten in Paris last night but Munster were put on warning ahead of their Heineken Cup showdown in the south of France next Sunday.

Racing Metro 14 Saracens 19

CLERMONT’S defeat to Racing Metro in the all-French Pool Two clash on Saturday is good news for Leinster as they prepare for back-to-back clashes with the Auvergnats.

Racing Metro 16 Clermont Auvergne 9