Ahead of Saturday's eagerly awaited Heineken Champions Cup semi-final clash between Munster and Saracens we look back at previous titanic clashes between these two old rivals.

Saracens have loomed large on Keith Earls’s horizon since he first broke into Munster’s professional ranks more than a decade ago.

Edinburgh You could feel the frustration in Richard Cockerill’s voice as the Edinburgh head coach delivered his post-match verdict at Murrayfield on Saturday. The phrase “tiny, tiny margins” recurred throughout his answers to the media and no one could argue that was all that separated these two sides after an absorbing 83 minutes of knockout rugby.

Johann van Graan praised his side’s character as they edged past Edinburgh in a gripping Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final at Murrayfield today.

French referees will take charge of the Irish provinces' Champions and Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

“Wouldn’t it be great if it was like this all the time?”

Ireland signed off from their Grand Slam season with one last high as they edged a tense decider 20-16 in Sydney to claim a first series win in Australia since 1979.

The official who was removed from Ireland's Grand Slam decider after attending an England training session has been appointed for Ireland's next game.

Jonny May ran in both tries as England kept their Grand Slam aspirations alive by edging Wales 12-6 in a brutally competitive NatWest 6 Nations clash at Twickenham.

Eddie Jones has lodged a complaint with World Rugby over the conduct of Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones towards referee Pascal Gauzere in Cardiff last Saturday.

Ross Moriarty has revealed the full extent of a horror injury that ended his British and Irish Lions tour and left him unable to climb stairs.

Leinster will have to do without in-form Ireland prop Cian Healy for the Christmas and new year interprovincial derbies after he was suspended for three weeks last night.

Peter Jackson analyses the good and bad from the Champions Cup...

Jonathan Sexton wasn’t in the mood to give much away.

It’s very difficult to have any in-depth discussion on rugby when the thought of what’s important in life always overrides it, writes Ronan O’Gara

History does have a habit of repeating itself, especially in European Cup rugby. Ten years ago Ronan O’Gara stood over a match-winning penalty kick bang on the halfway line to deliver a rare win at Welford Road against a quality Leicester outfit. He nailed it.

The way Dave Kilcoyne has been charging into contact to keep his team on the front foot of late suggests he is not the sort of player used to treading carefully.

Bordeaux-Begles 15, Racing 92 9: Ian Madigan said he has settled in well in Bordeaux after leaving Leinster and is delighted to have made a winning start to his Top 14 career. The 27-year old was the star of the show as Bordeaux-Begles made an opening night win over holders, with Madigan outscoring Dan Carter five penalties to three.

AN England Grand Slam only five months after their rugby world fell apart in their own global tournament just serves to show once again that, in sport, the pain of calamitous defeat can serve to inspire new beginnings.

South Africa 64 USA 0: Heyneke Meyer paid tribute to Bryan Habana after the wing equalled the Rugby World Cup try-scoring record as his South Africa side confirmed their quarter-final spot with a comprehensive 10-try victory over USA.

New Zealand 43 Georgia 10: New Zealand moved into the World Cup quarter-finals by predictably beating Georgia in bonus-point fashion – but it was a performance laced with errors.

Rugby World Cup Pool C

Australia 63 Uruguay 3: Australia head coach Michael Cheika has refused to stoke the fires of controversy ahead of an anticipated titanic World Cup tussle with England.

Gordon D’Arcy hasn’t given up on making Ireland’s World Cup squad later this year.

Ulster 26 Leicester 7: European Champions Cup Pool 3: Darren Cave helped clip the Tigers’ claws in an attritional Champions Cup clash at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday when Ulster had their bonus point on the board by the 50th minute before a brickwall defence proved almost impenetrable.

European Champions Cup

Beauden Barrett inspired New Zealand to a thumping 28-9 win over Argentina in the Rugby Championship at McLean Park, Napier.

Leinster 22 Munster 18

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

England emerged comfortable 31-12 winners against Argentina at a subdued Twickenham, but another patchy performance in the QBE Internationals posed as many questions as answers.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL THREE:

Leinster 17 Glasgow Warriors 15

AMLIN CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

Joe Schmidt has lauded Isa Nacewa for his contribution to Leinster on and off the field after confirmation the 30-year old is to retire from rugby and return home to New Zealand at the end of the season due to family reasons.

Connacht 25 Zebre 20

Irish referees are up in lights again for rounds five and six of the Heineken Cup next month, with four men on the 14-man panel.

Munster will go into their Heineken Cup pool game at Saracens tomorrow (3pm) having been told they are masters of their own destiny by head coach Rob Penney.

With three-quarters of the Irish Heineken Cup contingent occupying second place in their pools entering the second week of the crucial back-to-back fixtures, Penney, Schmidt and Elwood will be aware that this weekend could make or break their European season.

Head coach Rob Penney is intent on ensuring the 20 infringements for which Munster were pinged in the first of their back-to-back Heineken Cup games against Saracens will not be repeated when the sides meet again in Watford on Sunday next.

Munster fans can heave a sigh of relief as the pernickety French referee from Saturday’s win over Saracens will not take charge of this weekend’s return game in Vicarage Road.