From a wolf mural on the wall to a new “fortress feeling”, Ulster are feeling fairly unbeatable at home these days.

Paul Nicholls is not putting any pressure on stable jockey Harry Cobden, as decision day over his Ladbrokes King George VI Chase mount looms — with either Sam Twiston-Davies or Sean Bowen likely to pick up a cracking spare ride.

Pool 5 looks bleak for Connacht now.

Connacht's Heineken Champions Cup challenge hangs by the thinnest of threads after a convincing four-try defeat to Gloucester at Kingsholm on Sunday afternoon.

Munster are hoping JJ Hanrahan and Rhys Marshall successfully come through this week’s two main training sessions to have a chance of making their comebacks against Racing 92 at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Despite winning two of their last three encounters between the sides, Joe Schmidt’s Ireland side don’t possess a fear-factor for the All Blacks.

Tom Cairney’s superb long-range strike capped Fulham’s 2-0 home victory over Wigan which ended a run of five games in all competitions without a win for Scott Parker’s side.

Beef farmers protesting at the gates of meat factories across the country say they have been emboldened by the support they have received from the public — some of whom have joined their ranks at the picket lines.

He could not have timed his Ulster return any better, but even Luke Marshall is pleasantly surprised by how well he’s played since returning from long-term injury.

Rhys Ruddock will captain the Leinster Rugby team taking on Ulster tomorrow, while Johnny Sexton has been ruled out following an injury.

Munster return to action this Saturday determined to reignite their push for a Guinness PRO14 home semi-final and leave behind a defeat last time out that threatens to cast a shadow over their campaign.

Rhys Marshall has backed Ireland to turn their Six Nations disappointment into a ‘really hungry’ World Cup campaign when the national team heads to Japan this autumn.

Johann van Graan’s glass remained half-full as he argued Munster are still very much in Guinness PRO14 title contention despite defeat to the Scarlets in Llanelli.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan reserved special praise for his young players and the experience of scrum-half Alby Mathewson after his team survived a big scare in Newport.

Munster boss Johann van Graan was on Monday counting the cost of two highly physical Heineken Champions Cup games as he assessed his reduced selection options for this Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 visit of Glasgow Warriors to Thomond Park.

Munster racked up seven tries as they dominated much-changed Ospreys in a comfortable 49-13 PRO14 win in Cork.

Munster forwards Jean Kleyn and Rhys Marshall will undergo operations this summer, while Jack O'Donoghue is set for a scan on his knee injury.

Johann van Graan wasn’t concealing his own personal disappointment and the deep frustration in the Munster camp as players and management reflected on the error-ridden first half hour in Bordeaux on Sunday that condemned the province to yet another semi-final defeat in the European Champions Cup.

No wonder Johann van Graan looked downbeat.

Neptune 82 Killorglin CYMS 87:Though they had beaten their hosts in the league at Neptune Stadium, only the white heat of a National Cup semi final would thrust a surging Killorglin outfit into the pressure cooker they needed to truly interrogate their wellbeing.

A stunning 60-metre try from Academy star Jordan Larmour sealed a bonus-point win for Leinster to hand Johann van Graan his first defeat as Munster head coach at Thomond Park last night.

There is widespread agreement across several platforms that junior rallying under the umbrella of Motorsport Ireland requires a radical overhaul as it has departed from the true spirit of its inception some 15 years ago.

The head of the Irish wing of Swedish furniture giant, Ikea, remained silent on its plans for a second store in Cork, but said that the firm has a “very strong growth agenda in Ireland”. It is enjoying a 10% rise in annual sales.

Dragons 32 Ulster 32: Australian international Christian Lealifano salvaged a 32-32 draw for Ulster with a last minute try against the Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Newport Gwent Dragons and Ulster fought out an dramatic Pro14 League draw at Rodney Parade with visiting fly-half Christian Lealiifano both hero and villain.

Zebre 19 Munster 29: Alex Wootton was one of the players that Rassie Erasmus name-checked in his final week with Munster when he was asked what he would miss when he returned to South Africa.

A Cork inventor is stretching more than half the Premier League with his ‘BackBaller’ product now in use by 13 clubs, including giants Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.

In the end the margin of victory was just five points, but Munster were the dominant force at the Liberty Stadium as they made it three straight Guinness Pro14 wins.

Wallaby fly-half Christian Lealiifano played the most important role since his comeback from a bone marrow transplant after he contacted Leukaemia just over 12 months ago when he helped Ulster to a dramatic victory over defending champions Scarlets.

Munster 51 - Cheetahs 18: Munster coach Rassie Erasmus has warned against reading too much into the province’s eight try-rout of his native Toyota Cheetahs in a hopelessly one-sided Guinness PRO14 game at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Worcester Warriors 26

A jealous rage saw a man threaten to cut off the head of his ex-partner’s male friend, as he held a knife in one hand and used his phone to make a video recording with the other hand.

Ireland made a blistering start to their summer tour with an emphatic 55-19 victory over the US Eagles at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

Gloucester 17 Stade Francais 25: Gloucester let an early 10-point lead slip to go down to Stade Francais at BT Murrayfield as they failed to impose themselves in the European Challenge Cup final.

Ulster 17 Leinster 13: Thankfully it wasn’t all about the game itself on a bright summer’s day at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday. At least two stand-out moments came from the two Ulster players who were bidding farewell to a venue they had graced on numerous occasions.

A video has surfaced online of a dramatic rescue of two young children from a truck capsized in the middle of rapid floodwaters in Texas.

Independent News & Media is not compliant with part of a corporate governance code requiring at least half of its board be independent, a review by INM has found.

A Limerick criminal who claims he is addicted to fast cars, sped through heavy city centre traffic in a stolen BMW pursued by armed gardaí, crashing into two patrol cars and a bus before knocking down a garda, a court heard.

A Limerick criminal who knocked down a garda and rammed a bus and two garda patrol cars, whilst driving a high-powered stolen BMW, told gardaí after his arrest: "I'm addicted to fast cars".

Ulster 24 Cardiff Blues 24: Cardiff Blues dented Ulster’s hopes of making the Guinness PRO12 play-offs when they carved out a share of the points at the Kingspan Stadium last night.