Whatever your taste in sports, odds are it has been soured at times by a decision from a referee or an official of some other hue. Bill White, a former baseball player and commentator, got it just right when he said that umpiring is tough because, no matter what the decision, you’re always half-wrong.

Romain Poite will take charge of Saracens' visit to play Munster at Thomond Park on Saturday week as the referees for the back-to-back Champions Cup games were announced.

Exeter Chiefs got their Champions Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 31-12 bonus point victory over La Rochelle at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre.

When Scottish referee Mike Adamson blew the final whistle at the RDS last Saturday, it not only signalled the end of a somewhat underwhelming Guinness PRO14 semi-final, but also brought another Munster

Devin Toner’s World Cup ambitions remain intact with the news that the Leinster second row faces just a 4-6 week recovery period from the knee injury suffered against Munster in last week’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final.

Munster were left to rue their poor discipline after succumbing to another Guinness PRO14 semi-final defeat at the hands of Leinster today.

Leinster made light of their European final disappointment in Newcastle to brush past rivals Munster and ease into next Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 decider.

Connacht are back in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time in three years after man-of-the-match Jack Carty inspired their 29-22 Guinness PRO14 bonus point win over Cardiff Blues at the Sportsground.

Jack Carty returned to the Sportsground after his Irish debut in the Six Nations to guide them to a priceless victory in their quest for a knockout place and Champions Cup rugby next season.

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 go in search of their eighth win in a row this evening when they take on Scarlets at Parcy Scarlets on an occasion to be marked by Rory Scannell’s 100th appearance for the province.

Andy Friend believes his players let themselves down after they missed a golden opportunity to move into the PRO14 play-off places by slipping to a narrow defeat against the Cardiff Blues in Wales.

It says a lot about Connacht under Andy Friend that they were disappointed not to claim a bonus-point win over Top 14 outfit Bordeaux-Bègles as both teams tested the extent of their squads. But the coach left his players in no doubt that they have to improve their discipline or risk being dropped.

Funding deal agreed and construction of events centre could start before end of 2018, writes Eoin English.

CONNACHT 32 - SOUTHERN KINGS 10: Connacht coach Kieran Keane was the first to admit that facing newcomers the Southern Kings so early in the season was a welcome gift but he feels the bonus point win secured on Saturday night will propel his new side.

It took a while in coming, but this was a more than decent start to the new Guinness Pro14 season for Leo Cullen’s Leinster as they emerged deserved winners over the Dragons.

Leo Cullen is expecting a Dragons side revitalised under new ownership and the guidance of former team-mate Bernard Jackman when Leinster open their Guinness Pro14 campaign at Rodney Parade in Newport this afternoon (3:15pm).

"London is open. Our resilience, unity and defiance of those evil individuals who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life will never change."

Connacht 8 Scarlets 30: A defence of their unforgettable PRO12 title win that began with two heavy home defeats, fizzled out with another drubbing at the Sportsground for Connacht.

Munster and Cardiff Blues won’t be lacking incentives when they clash at the Arms Park this evening in a Guinness PRO12 encounter that could play an important part in their seasons.

Andrew Conway was such a superb schoolboy rugby player at Blackrock College that many shrewd judges tipped him to have banked a hatful of Irish senior caps by the time he reached his mid twenties.

Design delays on the stalled €53m Cork events centre means it is unlikely to be open in 2018, as predicted at the sod turning in February.

Demolition work on the site of Cork’s proposed €53m events and conference centre is expected to begin after Easter.

The uncertainty over the Cork events centre is set to drag on after senior city officials last night refused to answer questions on the status of the tender process.

Entertainment giant Live Nation Ireland pulled out of the Cork events centre selection process because of "significant concerns" over funding agreements and penalty clauses.

Dublin’s Grand Canal Theatre is to be rebranded next year in a deal worth €4.5m.

THE company operating the 2,111-seater €80 million Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin’s docklands is reporting “substantial profits” since it opened in March of this year.

A global leader in the music industry has revealed talks are underway to develop a new concert venue in Cork.

O2 customers will be able to snap up concert tickets up to 48 hours before general release when Dublin’s famous Point Depot reopens in December, it was revealed today.