A nerveless Conor Fitzgerald penalty 13 minutes from time clinched European victory for Connacht as Andy Friend’s side battled bravely to launch their Champions Cup campaign with an impressive Sportsground win.

Rob Kearney has agreed a “nine-month extension” to his IRFU contract and will play with Leinster next season.

Munster saw off interprovincial rivals Connacht in Limerick but still had to settle for second place in Guinness PRO14 Conference A as Glasgow Warriors beat Edinburgh to hold onto top spot and with it a home play-off semi-final tonight.

Connacht coach Andy Friend is using today’s clash at Thomond Park to blood more players as they keep an eye on next weekend’s PRO14 quarter-final showdown with Ulster.

Bundee Aki has returned to the Connacht starting team for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Sale Sharks tomorrow night.

Connacht have been boosted by the return of Bundee Aki to training ahead of Saturday’s inter-pro clash with Leinster at the RDS.

Niyi Adeolokun's late try put the seal on Connacht's rousing 33-20 Guinness PRO14 win over Scarlets at the Sportsground, with Bundee Aki and 18-point fly-half Jack Carty starring for the winners.

A penalty by Jack Carty five minutes from full-time offered them a glimmer of hope, but ultimately proved sufficient only for a losing bonus point.

It’s a measure of how much things have changed at Connacht since they won the PRO12 title in Murrayfield two years ago that 10 of the 23 players involved that day are no longer at the Sportsground.

Captain Peter O'Mahony is one of a host of stars named in the Munster team to play the Ospreys in the Pro14 tomorrow.

The 21-year-old back-rower scored twice on only his second Guinness PRO14 start for Connacht.

Connacht 47 Leinster 10: On a day when Connacht bade farewell to their talisman from Portumna, along comes another farmer’s son from a few miles away on the other side of the River Shannon to lay down a marker and offer hope for the future with hooker Shane Delahunt producing a remarkable display on a day of celebration in Galway.

Goosen played his last game in December 2016, when he controversially announced his retirement from playing, aged 24, to become a "commercial director".

Munster have received a boost ahead of their Champions Cup quarter-final against French heavyweights Toulon as injury doubts Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have been declared fit.

Connacht 50 Oyonnax 14: The road to Bilbao has now become clear for Connacht.

Niyi Adeolokun scored a first-half hat-trick as Challenge Cup Pool Five leaders Connacht ended the group campaign with a win over Oyonnax.

It’s a fixture which Connacht have only won four times in 29 meetings but coach Kieran Keane is hoping that Tiernan O’Halloran’s decision to remain at the Sportsground will be the start of a great festive period.

Connacht's five-match winning run came to an end as Cardiff Blues triumphed 36-30 at Arms Park.

Guinness PRO14: Connacht 23 - Cheetahs 15: Tiernan O’Halloran has no qualms about being left out of the Irish squad for the autumn internationals, but the 26-year-old will be keeping a bag packed over the next few weeks in case there is a call from Joe Schmidt.

Northampton Saints 21 Connacht 15: He came into the post-match press conference in charge of Connacht for the last time and less than 10 minutes later Pat Lam departed as the new coach of Bristol.

Connacht head coach, Pat Lam, was a proud man despite seeing his side lose 21-15 to Northampton Saints who keep alive their hopes of European Champions Cup qualification for next season.

Northampton kept alive their hopes of playing in the European Champions Cup next season with a hard-fought 21-15 victory over Connacht in the second play-off at Franklin's Gardens.

Pat Lam has made 10 changes for Connacht's trip to Scotland to take on Glasgow.

Connacht will divvy up the role of skills coach Dave Ellis among the existing management until a replacement is found.

That Pat Lam will be leaving Connacht at the end of this season was not so much the surprise yesterday as the awkward timing of the announcement.

Connacht coach Pat Lam said there is nothing to suggest that the All Blacks are a dirty side.

This evening’s clash at the RDS will be Pat Lam’s 98th in charge of Connacht and it is safe to say that he still has little difficulty coming up with a cause for his men each time they go out.

Leinster’s response to last weekend’s dramatic defeat in Glasgow will be powered by the return away to Edinburgh on Friday of Jamie Heaslip and a trio of other Irish international forwards for their seasonal debuts.

Connacht have lost again at the Sportsground in the Guinness Pro12.