Leinster must continue their quest for a place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals without Cian Healy after the Ireland prop underwent ankle surgery.

Munster resume RaboDirect Pro12 duty tonight boosted in their bid to maintain momentum at the top of the table by the return of several Ireland squad members.

Cardiff Blues grabbed a vital 29-12 victory over RaboDirect PRO12 rivals Edinburgh to boost morale before the Heineken Cup begins next weekend.

RABO DIRECT PRO 12:

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

RaboDirect PRO12: Cardiff Blues v Leinster

Toulon 45 Cardiff 25

Montpellier 34 Cardiff Blues 21

Leicester boss Richard Cockerill admitted his team will need to show a considerable improvement in next week’s Heineken Cup return fixture against Treviso in their quest for a quarter-final place.

Isa Nacewa admits Leinster and Clermont Auvergne know each other so well their crunch Heineken Cup meeting on Sunday is almost a derby fixture.

The return to home comforts at Cardiff Arms Park tonight is no guarantee to help the Blues end a dismal run of defeats by Munster, but director of rugby Phil Davies remains hopeful the visitors might find it hard to grind out a result there.

Connacht 9 Cardiff 13

Rescuers attempting to free four miners trapped in a flooded pit have located a body.

IRISH U20 coach Allen Clarke is preparing himself for a difficult but exciting night at the office in Dubarry Park, Athlone, tonight (7.30) when Wales come in search of glory.

LLANELLI SCARLETS have appointed Nigel Davies as their new head coach.

Llanelli 23 Munster 24

Llanelli Scarlets could be on the verge of making two major southern hemisphere signings – despite sacking their rugby director Phil Davies.

Llanelli Scarlets are expected to confirm later today the departure of their rugby director Phil Davies, with speculation mounting that former Wales coach Gareth Jenkins could make a dramatic Stradey Park return.

Wasps need to do what only Leicester have ever done before and storm Munster’s fortress Thomond Park to guarantee a home Heineken Cup quarter-final.

EUROPEAN champions Wasps will be without Josh Lewsey for their Heineken Cup match against Llanelli tomorrow in Munster’s Pool Five.

LLANELLI coach Phil Davies has promised Munster they will take a big scalp in their remaining Heineken Cup fixtures — good news as they battle for knockout qualification in the New Year.

MUNSTER took another giant step on the road to Heineken Cup glory at Thomond Park yesterday, but, after being on the ropes a few times, will remember this scrap for a long time.

FEDERICO PUCCIARIELLO, who impressed in the Barbarians’ victory over World Cup champions South Africa a fortnight ago, is named in the Munster front row for tomorrow’s Heineken Cup game against the Llanelli Scarlets at Thomond Park.

JERRY FLANNERY isn’t one to run away from a challenge, but he felt like doing so at Stradey Park after 50 minutes of last week’s Heineken Cup clash with the Scarlets.

RIVAL coaches Declan Kidney and Phil Davies and the Llanelli Scarlets captain Simon Easterby were agreed on one subject after Saturday’s Heineken Cup bruiser at Stradey Park.

SIMON EASTERBY looked like somebody who had just gone the full distance with both Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton after Saturday’s defeat to Munster.

WASPS boss Ian McGeechan hailed a “tremendous performance” by the Heineken Cup holders that effectively ended Llanelli Scarlets’ European challenge and kept his team on course to make English rugby history.

SCOTT JOHNSON was surprised to learn he had been installed as favourite to replace Gareth Jenkins as Wales head coach.

Sacked Wales coach Gareth Jenkins insisted he leaves the job with no regrets despite failing to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

THE Welsh Rugby Union acted swiftly and decisively to sack head coach Gareth Jenkins less than 24 hours after Wales crashed out of the World Cup after defeat to Fiji.

Llanelli 34 Connacht 11

Scarlets 23 Dragons 30

Unions pledged today to fight plans to close factories employing disabled workers amid fears that up to 30 are set to be shut down.

Scarlets 19 Connacht 10

Llanelli Scarlets 42 Edinburgh 17

Leicester are still sweating on the availability of prop Marcos Ayerza for tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Llanelli Scarlets.

OUTGOING Heineken Cup champions Munster are resigned to the fact there will be no silverware in the trophy cabinet this season, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be fired-up for tonight’s Magners League clash against their Cup conquerors, Llanelli Scarlets, at Musgrave Park (7.30).

THE RETURN after injuries of a number of players and the emergence of quality new talent made Declan Kidney’s task of selecting his side for tonight’s Heineken Cup quarter-final at Stradey Park more difficult than he had expected.

WITH a cloud still hanging over the participation of the French clubs in next season’s Heineken Cup, the possibility remains that this year’s competition could be the last truly representative one for some time.

The Leinster squad to face the Llanelli Scarlets in the Magners League on Friday at Donnybrook has been named.

Llanelli Scarlets 20 London Irish 16

Llanelli coach Phil Davies was delighted to see his side book their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a five-try victory over Ulster at Ravenhill.

IT’S THE same every year. Just when the Heineken Cup has captured the imagination after the opening sequence of games, it goes straight back into hibernation.

London Irish 25 Llanelli 32