A fifth bonus-point win is the target for Connacht in this evening’s Pro 12 fixture with Zebre in Italy (4.30 Irish time). Sitting level on 45 points with Ulster at the top of the table, Pat Lam knows every point will count in their bid for Champions Cup rugby next season.

Zebre 12 Munster 16: It wasn’t pretty and Anthony Foley admitted as much, but Munster’s head coach believes his side will consider Saturday’s nervy Pro12 victory at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi as ‘as a good win.’

Melbourne Rebels 0 British & Irish Lions 35

Edinburgh captain Greig Laidlaw hailed the record-breaking Murrayfield crowd for helping them over the line in their “exhausting” Heineken Cup win over four-times champions Toulouse.

Edinburgh will be aiming to become the first Scottish team to qualify for the Heineken Cup semi-finals as they host Toulouse today.

IN A game that was always about a performance, not the result, Connacht fulfilled their brief.

THERE is a bit of a way to go yet for Connacht, who suffered stage-fright in the face of high-quality opposition at Saturday night’s historic Heineken Cup clash at the Sportsground.

WALES were left kicking themselves after suffering their third narrow defeat of a World Cup campaign that could easily have seen them contesting tomorrow’s final against New Zealand.

Full-back Kurtley Beale will return to the Australia team for Friday’s World Cup bronze medal match against Wales in Auckland.

Australia full-back Kurtley Beale has been ruled out of the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand with a hamstring strain.

Australia will give full-back Kurtley Beale every chance to prove his fitness for Sunday’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans admits the Wallabies’ injury crisis has forced him to be “creative” in his team selection for tomorrow’s World Cup clash with Russia (3.30am Irish time).

Australia have named number eight Radike Samo on the wing for Saturday’s World Cup clash with Russia in Nelson.

Australia have made seven changes for Friday’s World Cup Pool C clash with the United States in Wellington as they seek to bounce back from their loss to Ireland.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett isn’t holding out much hope for victory against Australia tomorrow.

JAMES O’CONNOR has vowed to win back his spot in the Australia side after being named on the bench for Sunday’s World Cup opener against Italy.

James O’Connor has vowed to win back his spot in the Australia side after being named on the bench for Sunday’s World Cup opener against Italy.

Australia coach Robbie Deans has retained the line-up that beat New Zealand last time out for next Sunday’s World Cup Pool C game against Italy in Auckland.

AUSTRALIA trio James O’Connor, Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale have denied rumours they were involved in an altercation while on tour in France last November.

Rocky Elsom has been sensationally dumped as Australia skipper for the World Cup campaign.

LUKE BURGESS proved to be the UCC matchwinner with a stunning strike in extra time to help take the famous Irish Universities Collingwood Cup back to Leeside for the first time since 2005.

BILLY CLERY is hoping to make it third time lucky and bridge a 12 years gap when his NUIG side take on UCC in today’s Irish Universities Collingwood Cup final at College Park (2.30).

Australia coach Robbie Deans has made just two changes to his starting XV for the Wallabies’ final Test of 2010 against France on Saturday night.

IF ever Martin Johnson was going to dash down the touchline, punching the air in celebration like Jose Mourinho it was at Twickenham on Saturday.

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans has rung the changes for his side’s clash with Aviva Premiership champions Leicester at Welford Road tomorrow night.

Australia coach Robbie Deans has named an unchanged matchday 22 for his side’s James Bevan Trophy clash with Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

WITH a year to go to Rugby World Cup 2011, tournament organisers in New Zealand says preparations are well on track, despite last week’s earthquake near Christchurch.

Australia have made three changes to their team to take on South Africa in the Tri Nations at Bloemfontein on Saturday with Stephen Moore, Mark Chisholm and Ben McCalman drafted in.

Quade Cooper has returned to the Australia starting line-up for Saturday’s Tri Nations encounter against South Africa in Pretoria in the only change made by coach Robbie Deans.

Australia wing Drew Mitchell has been spared the axe but Berrick Barnes and Stephen Moore have both been dumped to the bench ahead of Saturday’s vital Bledisloe Cup clash against New Zealand in Christchurch.

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers has rung the changes ahead of Saturday’s Tri Nations clash with Australia at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

OUT on their feet and with their trench in danger of being overrun at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, Ireland’s pack looked to the sidelines for the arrival of reinforcements.

FURIOUS Nick Easter warned heads will roll if England fail to beat Australia in Sydney next Saturday.

AUSTRALIA scrum-half star Will Genia gets the chance today (11.05am Irish time) to do what he loves doing best – beating England.

WALLABIES vice-captain Berrick Barnes has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks after rolling his left ankle at training in Tokyo yesterday.

THE Tri-Nations tournament is South Africa’s to lose after Peter de Villiers’ side racked up their fourth straight win with a 32-25 victory over Australia in Perth on Saturday.

Australia coach Robbie Deans has made five changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s crunch clash with South Africa in Perth.

VICTOR MATFIELD believes the last two weeks which have produced back-to-back Tri-Nations victories over New Zealand will count for nothing when South Africa run out against Australia in Cape Town.

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.