Following the disappointment of last Sunday’s home defeat to Newport Gwent Dragons, Leinster coach Matt O’Connor has made a total of seven changes to his starting line-up for tonight’s Pro12 encounter against Zebre at the RDS.

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.

Connacht 43 Zebre 3

Almost half a century has come and gone since Europe last belonged to Glasgow, when Jock Stein’s famously home-spun Celtic Bhoys beat Inter Milan in the 1967 final.

Zebre 3 Leinster 20

Leinster’s back row has an average of 22 as the province look to the young players to help them bounce back from

Read More:

Anthony Foley’s bid to make home advantage finally count at Thomond Park tonight will not be hindered by the return of Munster big guns Paul O’Connell and Conor Murray as the Reds welcome Zebre to Limerick for Guinness Pro12 round three (7:30pm).

Paul O’Connell was named amongst the starters as Anthony Foley made seven changes to the Munster starting 15 to face Zebre.

Rory Best returns to the Ulster line-up as captain for this weekend’s PRO12 match against Zebre.

Scotland forward Johnnie Beattie has rejected the flak aimed at head coach Scott Johnson – insisting the sole responsibility for the Dark Blues’ dismal start to the RBS 6 Nations rests with the players.

Paddy Jackson’s 14 points from the kicking tee proved decisive as Ulster ground out a hard-earned 19-11 RaboDirect Pro 12 victory at Zebre.

RABODIRECT PRO12

Recent performances in the Heineken Cup excepted, it has been a poor campaign by Munster’s exalted standards and it will be a whole lot worse should they become the first team to lose to Zebre in their last match of the season at the Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma this evening.

Italy captain Sergio Parisse will miss the rest of this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship after being banned for insulting a referee.

Italy captain Sergio Parisse will miss the rest of this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship after being banned for insulting a referee.

Connacht 25 Zebre 20

Failure to manage a bonus point in last weekend’s loss to Harlequins has made it mathematically impossible to catch pool runners-up Biarritz, but pride and a third Heineken Cup win are at stake for Connacht this evening.

Zebre 10 Connacht 19

Zebre 10 Connacht 19

Glasgow Warriors 22 Zebre 19

Just how expensive will that last gasp penalty against Wales prove to be when this championship is decided in a few weeks time?

Ospreys 23 Aironi 7

Former Wales captain Ryan Jones will take the place of banned lock Bradley Davies in Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Millennium Stadium visitors Scotland.

Chris Robshaw will captain an unchanged England team into Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

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.

Italy coach Jacques Brunel has named four uncapped players in his 30-man squad for the for the first two games of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

LUCIANO ORQUERA kicked all of Aironi’s points as they won their all-Italian meeting with Treviso in the RaboDirect PRO12.

Mauro Bergamasco has signed for Aironi until the end of the season with an option for a second year.

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

THOUGH much is being made about Italy’s scrum in the build-up to Sunday’s winner takes all Pool C finale against Ireland, there is another big weapon in the Italian armoury according to Shane Jennings.

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

ENGLAND flanker James Haskell is among a raft of players departing from Stade Français, following a huge shake-up of the Parisian outfit’s playing staff.

England 59 Italy 13

Italy coach Nick Mallett insists his men head to Twickenham convinced they can make history with a first victory over England.

Italy haven’t set the Six Nations alight, but coach Nick Mallett sees signs of hope for the future, reports Simon Lewis from Rome.

ITALY coach Nick Mallett has handed Benetton Treviso’s Kristopher Burton the number 10 shirt for tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland at Rome’s Flaminio Stadium.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has handed Benetton Treviso’s Kristopher Burton the number 10 shirt for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland at Rome’s Flaminio Stadium.

Nick Mallett embarks on his fourth RBS 6 Nations campaign as coach of Italy looking for continued progress from his players.

IRELAND’s Tommy Bowe believes Declan Kidney’s men are “looking good” as they look to repeat their historic Grand Slam of 2009 in the upcoming Six Nations Championship.

Italy coach Nick Mallett has named a 24-man squad for the first two games of the RBS 6 Nations.

Wales 33 Italy 10

WALES out-half Stephen Jones has welcomed the return of skipper Ryan Jones, prop Gethin Jenkins and scrum-half Mike Phillips from injury for his side’s clash with Italy tomorrow in Cardiff.