AN improved set piece is essential if Connacht are to have any hopes of overcoming Gloucester on the second of the back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures and grab that elusive win.

Experienced flanker Johnny O’Connor has made a timely return to full fitness and will start in place of the injured Tay Ofisa when Connacht face Gloucester in Kingsholm on Saturday (kick off: 3.40pm).

CONNACHT boss Eric Elwood admitted it was “difficult to find positives” after his side were edged out by Gloucester on Saturday and remain without a win in the Heineken Cup.

Eric Elwood has made two changes to the matchday 23 for Gloucester’s visit to the Sportsground on Saturday (1.30pm), with just one change in the starting lineup.

CONNACHT racked up their eighth loss on the trot, falling to Italian visitors Treviso in the Galway Sportsground last night, once again paying the price for a poor start.

AFTER seven defeats on the bounce, Connacht’s Pro12 fixture with Treviso at the Galway Sporstground tomorrow is a must-win for the home side.

The Connacht side that will face Benetton Treviso on Friday night at the Sportsground (kick off: 7.30pm) shows seven changes from the team that lost 6-17 to the Ospreys last weekend.

AFTER last weekend’s historic Heineken Cup fixture against Toulouse, Connacht’s desire to translate their strong European form into points in the RaboDirect Pro 12 came unstuck against league pacesetters Ospreys.

IN a return to RaboDirect action, the challenge facing Connacht does not get any easier with the visit of the Ospreys to the Galway Sportsground this evening.

CONNACHT out-half Niall O’Connor is looking forward to playing in Ravenhill again tomorrow night when he hopes to pull one over on his former Ulster colleagues in the RaboDirect PRO12.

A FIRST-HALF penalty try, supplemented by 14 points from the right boot of Scott Deasy, steered the Munster ‘A’ team to a workmanlike 19-3 victory over their Connacht counterparts at the Sportsground last night.

MANY of Leinster’s Irish Internationals intend to take out their World Cup frustrations on Edinburgh in the seventh round of the RaboDirect Pro 12 at the end of the month.

KEVIN McLAUGHLIN returns from injury to boost Leinster against Connacht in this evening’s RaboDirect Pro 12 clash at the RDS (5pm).

After a mounting injury list during the week sparked suggestions of calling up U20 players to the Connacht team to face Leinster in the RDS this Saturday (5pm) Eric Elwood will be relieved he’s only had to make three changes to his starting team.

EDINBURGH took the spoils last night to claim their first win of the RaboDirect Pro 12 season at Connacht’s expense who had to settle for an away bonus point.

CONNACHT travel to the Scottish capital buoyed by two wins on the trot, but this evening (7.30pm) they will come up against an Edinburgh outfit determined to get their first victory in this season’s RaboDirect Pro12.

Jared Payne will make his Ulster debut in tomorrow night's RaboDirect PRO12 game versus Cardiff at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

AFTER an opening victory over Treviso, coach Eric Elwood says Connacht must raise the bar again today when they open their home season against the Scarlets in the Rabo Direct Pro12 at 3.15pm.

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood was delighted with the opening day victory away to Benetton Treviso in Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 League clash at Stadio Monigo.

THE excitement of Heineken Cup rugby finally arriving for Connacht this season must take a back seat this weekend when the new Rabo Direct Pro12 League kicks off.

NO major alarms, no serious injuries, six tries scored and none conceded.

A NEW-LOOK Connacht kick off their first Heineken Cup season this evening (5.30pm) in Athlone’s Dubarry Park with a friendly against English premiership outfit Exeter Chiefs.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan promised to make full use of his resources as his side prepares for the new season at Stade Marcel Deflandre tonight (7pm).

ULSTER star Ruan Pienaar has dismissed reports linking him to Super 15 outfit ACT Brumbies.

IRELAND scrum-half Tomás O’Leary returns to competitive rugby on Saturday.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan bids to end a run of five defeats on Welsh soil when his side face Cardiff Blues in the Magners League at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday night (TG4, 7.05pm).

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt can name three senior Irish internationals in the team to face Aironi at the RDS tonight despite having 13 players away on Six Nations duty and another two out injured.

ULSTER skipper Rory Best is in contention for Saturday’s win or bust Heineken Cup clash against Aironi in Viadana.

IF bravery wins games, then this was surely a shining example of such. Munster centre Ivan Dineen’s persistence was rewarded in some style, as the young debutant’s injury-time try clinched Munster’s Magners League victory over Ulster at Ravenhill last night.

Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has made seven changes to his side to play Munster in the Magner’s League at Ravenhill on Friday.

ULSTER will be without all five of their international squad members for Friday night’s Magners League interpro with in-form Munster at Ravenhill.

Blackrock College will be able to call on the strike power of their Ireland U20s Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken in Division 1A against a Dolphin disrupted without their regular number eight James Coughlan, who has been called up by Munster.

The teams for this weekend's round of All-Ireland League rugby matches have been announced.

MUNSTER A produced a top-class display to overwhelm the Ulster Ravens at Nenagh yesterday.

HISTORY-MAKER Craig Gilroy, the first person to score a try at the new Aviva Stadium, gets a chance to put down a marker for Ulster when he faces London Harlequins at the Stoop tomorrow in the second of three pre-season friendlies.

SARACENS have confirmed plans to stage their Heineken Cup clash with Leinster at Wembley this season.

DOWNHEARTED Ireland duo Rory Best and Stephen Ferris along with ebullient Scottish winger Simon Danielli look set to start for Ulster when they visit the Blues at the Cardiff City Stadium for Friday night’s Magners League tie.

Munster A 34 Heriot’s 7

Leaders Cork Constitution will have Munster's Jeremy Manning back at out-half at home to old rivals Shannon in Division 1A of the AIB Leagure at Temple Hill tomorrow.

Ulster Ravens 21 London Welsh 17

IRELAND prop Tom Court and Scottland winger Simon Danielli have agreed new two-year deals with Ulster.

Cork Constitution will take a wait-and-see approach to whether they can use Duncan Williams this weekend.

IRELAND U-20 face a first real test of their Grand Slam credentials when they travel to face their French counterparts at Stade de la Chevaliere in Mazame tonight (RTÉ Two, 7.30pm).

MUNSTER bid for their fourth successive victory in the A Interprovincial championship when they face Connacht this evening at Thomond Park (6.30pm).