Southampton are hoping to have Pellegrino's successor in place for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Wigan.

Ulster's director of rugby Les Kiss is leaving his post by "mutual consent, effective immediately".

Ireland and Lions winger Tommy Bowe faces up to eight weeks out of the game after suffering a shoulder injury when he came on as a replacement in Ulster’s thumping 38-7 defeat by Leinster at the RDS on Saturday evening.

Whatever the demands in Munster for a return to winning ways after a chastening home defeat to Leinster, it is up in Ulster where the need for atonement is felt much deeper ahead of this evening’s sold-out PRO14 derby clash in Belfast, writes Simon Lewis

It’s not for nothing that Rory Best is captain of Ulster and Ireland and the studied diplomacy so often required in such roles was evident even when he administered a light slap on the wrists yesterday for Sean O’Brien.

It says a lot about the huge influence Les Murray had, not just on football in Australia but on the country itself, that the much loved broadcaster, who died at the end of July aged 71, was accorded the rare honour of a state funeral.

If things had worked out a little differently, John Plumtree might possibly still be Ireland’s forwards coach, and still accompanying Joe Schmidt on unscheduled detours on the way home from Ulster matches.

Ulster are expected to announce the signing of a southern hemisphere backs coach within a week or so following the news that they have whisked former Leinster forwards supremo Jono Gibbes away from Clermont Auvergne to take over from departing head coach Neil Doak at the end of the season.

The family of a Briton injured in a stabbing in Australia have said they are “immensely proud” of him. He tried to save another backpacker.

One man’s misfortune is another’s stroke of luck, but Paddy Jackson is going to have to take full advantage of Johnny Sexton’s injury in the most demanding of rugby environments.

The return of top try scorer Craig Gilroy is the only change for Ulster in this afternoon’s win or bust Guinness PRO12 Super Saturday shoot-out with the Champions Cup-chasing Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium.

Giving big is back in vogue after the lean years and couples are now expecting their guests to flash the cash and dig deep when they tie the knot, writes Arlene Harris

Ulster’s South African workhorse Franco van der Merwe has signed a one-year extension to his contract which will keep him at the Kingspan Stadium until June 2017.

Tight-head Ricky Lutton says Ulster will be focused on resolving their scrummaging worries when they take on Saracens tomorrow at Allianz Park, with Champions Cup qualification hopes on the line.

Ronan O’Gara on all the latest talking points from Les Kiss to the next Ireland captain

Ireland flanker Chris Henry cannot wait to get involved with the Ulster side now that Director of Rugby Les Kiss has finally arrived at the Kingspan Stadium.

Kieran Marmion is determined to make the most of what could be his last audition for a place in Joe Schmidt’s 31-man World Cup Ireland squad when he plays for Connacht against Munster tonight.

A collective sigh of relief led by head coach Anthony Foley was exhaled across Munster yesterday as Ireland back row and club captain Peter O’Mahony committed his future to the province.

Ireland’s lateral-thinking coaches will grab any Test-match edge, but Rory Best never expected Les Kiss to dust off a classic 80s board game for an analysis session.

“It feels like a dream come true – it’s all very surreal at the moment.”

Galway youngster Ryan Manning is set to join Premier League side QPR this week on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Les Dennis's on-screen character in 'Coronation Street' has the same life threatening heart condition that killed his father.

Les Kiss will leave the Ireland set-up after Rugby World Cup 2015 to become Ulster’s full-time director of rugby.

Les Kiss will leave the Ireland set-up after Rugby World Cup 2015 to become Ulster’s full-time director of rugby.

Ulster’s Luke Marshall is built like a tank, has good hands, dancing feet, and carries his 15 stone frame with grace.

In his former life, working at his father’s engineering company in Ballymena, Ulster front-row forward Andrew Warwick drove two-ton trucks around the country.

Neil Doak may have ambitions to become a head coach but that does not necessarily mean he would be comfortable succeeding Mark Anscombe at Ulster in the near future.

If a sense of trauma permeates the Ulster rugby squad following the shock departures in the summer of David Humphreys and coach Mark Anscombe someone has forgotten to tell Tommy Bowe and Darren Cave.

The IRFU’s annual report was presented yesterday at the Aviva Stadium.

"The amount of times I had to take off my glasses to wipe away the tears of laughter," the woman behind us said, shaking her head at her friend who still had obvious tears in her eyes too.

Ireland captain Paul O’Connell admitted sorting out missed tackles will be one of their biggest priorities this week as they prepare for the second and concluding test against the Pumas in Tucuman on Saturday.

Ireland forwards coach John Plumtree will stand down after the forthcoming tour of Argentina, the Irish Rugby Football Union has confirmed.

Ireland begin their quest for Junior World Cup glory in Auckland on Monday, facing an onerous task against Six Nations champions France (QBE Stadium, 6.35am, Irish time, TG4).

Having endured a number of injury-plagued seasons, Felix Jones is glad

Les Dennis can't wait to film scenes in the Rovers Return.

Rob Penney will welcome back Donnacha Ryan for Munster’s Musgrave Park clash with Zebre on Saturday with the head coach believing the lock could play his way into Six Nations contention for Ireland’s trip to Twickenham the following week.

Les Dennis is joining the cast of 'Coronation Street.'

‘Men Behaving Badly’ star Neil Morrissey says he has never apologised to Les Dennis for his affair with Dennis’s then-wife Amanda Holden, but says the pair have met since and shook hands.