Saracens have named an almost totally different side to face Munster at Allianz Park tomorrow, while the Reds make one change from their 10-3 home win.

One man’s setback appears to be an opportunity for a couple of his team-mates as Johnny Sexton’s likely absence from the start of the Six Nations seems to have opened the door for a pair of Munster stars to take centre-stage with Ireland in the coming weeks.

Saracens are set to bring their big guns back for the return match with Munster next weekend after leaving Limerick with a losing bonus point.

Ask any Munster supporter their thoughts on the Saracens personnel coming to Thomond Park this evening and they will take the matchday squad named by Mark McCall yesterday in a heartbeat. Ask the Munster coaching group the same question and they will not be taking anything for granted.

Kyle Sinckler admitted “sport is cruel” after he was knocked out in the opening moments of England’s 32-12 World Cup final defeat by South Africa.

The Rugby World Cup drew to a close on Saturday, when England were beaten by South Africa in the final.

New Zealand hooker Dane Coles defended England’s ‘V-formation’ response to the All Blacks haka before the World Cup semi-final, joking that the RFU “earn a shitload of money so they’ll be able to pay the fine.”

The team that had supposedly forgotten how to lose suddenly remembered at the worst possible time yesterday and the first all-Six Nations global decider vanished like a mirage.

With the cream having risen to the top and the four best sides left standing in the tournament providing two contrasting semi-final shootouts, we are left, with a potentially explosive final with rugby north and south of the equator set for a fascinating head to head.

Fit-again Mako Vunipola is approaching the best shape of his career — but try telling that to the lady who had to wheel the 122kg prop through Los Angeles airport back in June.

There will be a strange dynamic surrounding Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final between Leinster and Munster at the RDS. It’s been a difficult ten days for both Irish provinces but for different reasons.

Mark McCall leans against a wall, his back to one of the many framed photos celebrating the local football club’s storied past, as he processes questions about his own club’s route towards legendary status.

Peter Jackson picks his XV for the Heineken Champions Cup Team of the Tournament.

An absorbing Heineken Cup final that lived up to its billing in every way. The Leinster players must have woken up yesterday wondering what hit them.

Leinster’s bid for a record fifth European crown came up short at St James’ Park on Saturday as Saracens reclaimed the Heineken Champions Cup for their third title in four seasons.

A fifth win for Leinster tomorrow will make them the most successful side in the history of the competition.

It is a measure of the quality in play at tomorrow’s Heineken Champions Cup final that there is so much mutual respect between the two teams, respect borne out of the shared experience of a successful British & Irish Lions tour two summers ago.

Tadhg Furlong might not have done Leinster any favours when he opened Mako Vunipola’s eyes to what it takes to be a true, world-class prop, on the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

Stuart Lancaster has no doubt but that Leinster will shed their recent inconsistencies and producing a monster performance against Saracens in a heavyweight European decider this Saturday.

Three Leinster players are in the running for the European player of the year award.

Leo Cullen is not convinced that Ireland’s Six Nations defeat to England last February will have any effect on next month’s Champions Cup final.

Saracens continued their recent dominance of Munster as they subjected the Irish province to another mauling and consigned the Reds to a third straight European semi-final defeat.

Ever get that feeling that the stars are aligning for some special purpose?

Owen Farrell might have been a leading candidate for a few sleepless nights recently but he is determined not to lose out on his eight hours of shut-eye over the challenge facing Saracens this afternoon

Donal Lenihan runs the rule over the Heineken Cup semi-finalists

Milestones and long-awaited comebacks feature aplenty in the Saracens team picked by Mark McCall, who makes 10 changes from the side which lost at Bristol Bears last week.

Saracens would have hoped for a quieter week than the one just gone but Maro Itoje, for one, is aiming to block out the outside noise against old foes Munster in the Champions Cup semi-final on Saturday in Coventry.

Saracens captain Brad Barritt is facing a race against time to be fit for the Champions Cup semi-final against Munster on April 20.

CJ Stander’s Guinness Six Nations campaign could be at an end after the Ireland back row suffered facial injuries in the 32-20 loss to England.

Looking back at Ireland's defeat, what are the lessons to be learned?

The game wasn’t up for Ireland at half-time on Saturday evening but it sure didn’t look encouraging.

Eddie Jones insists England have the resources to cover for the loss of Maro Itoje as a cloud hangs over the Saracens lock’s participation in the rest of the Guinness Six Nations.

It’s a big evening on the channel that used to be TV3 — Virgin Media One, in case you weren’t sure (and for the record I wasn’t, not fully).

Elliot Daly has held off the challenge of Mike Brown at full-back for England's Guinness Six Nations clash with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.

Joe Schmidt and Eddie Jones may have spent the Guinness Six Nations launch exchanging one-liners at a distance, but the rival coaches both agreed that Ireland versus England will be brutal.

There was a time when the stinginess of the Scottish Rugby Union knew no bounds, when players were given one pair of socks per year and instructions to hand them back with the rest of the kit at the end of the season, writes Peter Jackson.

They led 24-3 early on in a thrilling Test.

Jamie Heaslip’s recent retirement has left a vacancy for the title of rugby’s ‘Mr Indestructible’ and one look through the Saracens duty roster for the season to date makes a persuasive case for Alex Goode as the heir apparent.

The challenges facing the three Irish provinces in European quarter-finals this weekend.

Our history-makers!!

It times it seems Tadhg Furlong has done things backwards in his rugby career.

From Eddie Jones’ crass comments to World Rugby’s removal of assistant referee Marius van der Westhuizen, there has not been a dull moment in the build-up to Ireland’s bid for Grand Slam glory at Twickenham.

In total there are five changes to the side defeated by Scotland at Murrayfield.