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.’

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

Italy will have four new faces in their squad when they face Ireland in their RBS 6 Nations Championship opener in Rome next month.

Zebre 7 Munster 31: Munster got the result and — for 40 minutes at least — the performance they wanted in Italy which sends them into next Saturday’s vital Champions Cup clash with Saracens.

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).

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Italy 20 Scotland 21

Scotland head coach Scott Johnson admits not even a victory over Italy this afternoon will cure the Dark Blues’ problems.

Warren Gatland has been hailed as “a fantastic coach” as he prepares to re-enter the RBS 6 Nations arena in pursuit of an unprecedented title hat-trick.

Connacht 25 Zebre 16

Pat Lam has a hard act to follow when his Connacht team take to the field in today’s Rabodirect Pro 12 opener against Italian visitors Zebre (5pm).

RABODIRECT PRO12

Zebre 22 Leinster 41

RABODIRECT PRO12

Connacht 23 Zebre 19

Ulster 26 Zebre 3

Undeserving may be, but Connacht’s late steal at the death against Aironi on Saturday provided the Irish province with their first three-in-a-row of victories since 2002.

Connacht are determined to finish their home RaboDirect Pro 12 season on a high when they host Aironi at the Sportsground this evening. Having picked up 15 points in their last six matches, Connacht can post a third successive win and leapfrog Dragons and Treviso.

The inclusion of prop Denis Buckley, who joins the front-row in place of the injured Brett Wilkinson, is the only change Eric Elwood has made for his side’s PRO12 meeting with Aironi in the Sportsground tomorrow (5pm).

Andy Robinson started a period of introspection over his future as after Scotland collected the Six Nations wooden spoon.

Italy coach Jaques Brunel has made six changes to the squad that lost against Wales in Cardiff last weekend for their final RBS Six Nations game against Scotland in Rome on Saturday.

Wales kept their Grand Slam mission on course after seeing off a determined Italy outfit at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.

Wales are optimistic captain Sam Warburton will be fit to lead his team’s RBS 6 Nations title bid against France next Saturday.

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made four changes to face Ireland in Saturday’s RBS Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium.

The 20-year-old landed four penalties and a tough conversion, following Charlie Hodgson’s second charge-down try in as many weeks, as England rallied from 15-6 down to claim their second win of the championship.

The temperatures in Rome may have plummeted but England captain Chris Robshaw has warned Italy his men will be prepared to fight fire with fire in today’s RBS 6 Nations clash.

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made two changes to the side that lost the RBS 6 Nations opener against France for the game against England in Rome on Saturday.

Vive la France.

There might well be a new broom brushing away the cobwebs of the Marc Lièvremont era but looking at Philippe Saint-André’s first XV as France coach, it’s not immediately clear if all that much has changed.

CONNACHT bid to end a miserable run of form away to Aironi this afternoon.

ULSTER’S victory in the Milanese suburb was not as convincing as the score suggests, but the only thing that mattered for the visitors was the attainment of a winning bonus point, according to Pedrie Wannenburg.

BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

BALLYNAHINCH’S Paddy McAllister gets a rare start when he lines out at loose-head as Ulster tackle Italian visitors Aironi in the first of important back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures at Ravenhill this evening.

RONAN O’GARA does not get that many opportunities these days to display his skills at Musgrave Park, but he treated the crowd of almost 7,000 last night to a superb display of kicking in appalling conditions.

TONY McGAHAN has defended his decision to bring several big names straight back into Munster’s starting team this weekend.

Andrea Masi returns at full-back in Italy’s only change for Sunday’s World Cup showdown with Ireland at Otago Stadium.

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

Italy coach Nick Mallett has made 11 changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has named a 30-man squad for the World Cup in New Zealand.

LEINSTER reclaimed second spot in the Magners League with a 20-8 victory over Aironi on Saturday afternoon but of greater satisfaction to head coach Joe Schmidt was the fact that the province left the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella without any injuries.