Newport Gwent Dragons and Ulster fought out an dramatic Pro14 League draw at Rodney Parade with visiting fly-half Christian Lealiifano both hero and villain.

Veteran wing Tommy Bowe will be the centre of attention as Ulster seek to consolidate their Guinness PRO14 position when they travel to the compact and atmospheric Rodney Parade to face Bernard Jackman’s Dragons this evening.

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.

Leinster received a timely boost yesterday with the news experienced lock Devin Toner has signed a contract with the IRFU to keep him at the province until at least June 2020.

1. How do they rediscover their ruthless edge?

Newport Gwent Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones expects to be on the end of a red-hot reaction from Munster.

Anthony Foley has laid it on the line for his players ahead of tomorrow’s Guinness PRO12 clash with the Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

New Zealand will be hoping to avoid another Halloween horror show when they face World Cup final opponents Australia.

The sunshine beaming down on the pristine Musgrave Park turf as the Munster squad went about its business gave the scene a pre-season feel, but, in the words of Denis Hurley, there is no mistaking his team are primed for the business end of this Guinness Pro12 campaign.

With their European Rugby Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon just eight days away, Leinster coach Matt O’Connor has opted to wrap his star players in cotton wool for the province’s Guinness Pro12 encounter with Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade tomorrow.

Guinness Pro12

GUINNESS PRO12:

Connacht coach Pat Lam insists it is still one game at a time despite the province recording its first four-game winning streak since 2002 with a bonus win against the Dragons.

Munster look set to welcome Keith Earls back from injury for Friday’s RaboDirect Pro12 game at Newport Gwent Dragons with coach Rob Penney also considering a debut for new signing Gerhard van den Heever.

Munster coach Rob Penney has resisted the temptation to field his strongest side in response to last week’s second half meltdown at Treviso for this evening’s Rabo Direct clash with the Newport Gwent Dragons.

Ulster coach, Mark Ancombe, has named Paddy Jackson at outhalf for their first RaboDirect PRO12 game of the season against Newport Gwent Dragons tomorrow night.

RABODIRECT PRO12

Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Leinster 26

Leinster Skills and Kicking Coach Richie Murphy is expecting a real challenge when Glasgow Warriors visit the RDS on Saturday for the second RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final (7.35pm).

Kevin McLaughlin insists there will be no-one in the Leinster camp thinking about next week’s Heineken Cup final until the business of Glasgow Warriors and the PRO12 play-offs have been dealt with this weekend.

The Leinster squad trained in UCD this afternoon ahead of Saturday night’s RaboDirect PRO12 play off visit of Glasgow Warriors to the RDS (KO: 7.35pm).

Team manager Guy Easterby has played down a historic double and warned Leinster they have won nothing yet.

With top seed secured ahead of next weekend's PRO12 play off in the RDS, there is a fresh look to the Leinster team to face the Newport Gwent Dragons in Saturday night's clash in Rodney Parade (7.30pm).

Scrum-half Isaac Boss may miss Saturday night's RaboDirect PRO12 match against the Newport Gwent Dragons in Rodney Parade after receiving a knock in the lead up to Leinster's crucial try in the Heineken cup semi-final on Sunday.

Munster double centurion Mick O’Driscoll reckons Saturday’s victory over Newport Gwent Dragons was crucial to Red Army’s Pro12 hopes.

Ulster have named a 28-man provisional squad ahead of the visit of the Dragons to Ravenhill on Friday night (7.05pm).

A POWERFUL front-row proved the game-breakers by earning a penalty-try to ease Leinster to a hard-fought win over the Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

LEINSTER are in an unfamiliar position. Their success over the past three seasons has come with apparent ease, yet tomorrow they find themselves in a must-win scenario.

CLERMONT’S defeat to Racing Metro in the all-French Pool Two clash on Saturday is good news for Leinster as they prepare for back-to-back clashes with the Auvergnats.

Ulster 22 Newport Gwent Dragons 22

LAST night’s Heineken Cup clash between Newport Gwent Dragons and Biarritz was postponed until today.

Tonight’s Heineken Cup clash between Newport Gwent Dragons and Biarritz has been postponed.

LEINSTER will return to Wales next Saturday with a different side in a different competition and hoping for a different result.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has decided rest and recuperation is more important than game time for his top players in advance of the crucial back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures against Llanelli Scarlets over the next couple of weeks.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika has ordered Isa Nacewa to wrap himself up in cotton wool to ensure his availability for Heineken Cup action against Llanelli Scarlets on Saturday week.

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika admitted his team still has a way to go before it can successfully compete on two fronts after their Magners League campaign ended with defeat at Newport Gwent Dragons.

THE HEAVENS rained down on Rodney Parade and this Magners League dogfight, but the Newport Gwent Dragons failed to rain on Munster’s quest for a unique League and Heineken Cup double.

Dragons 9 Munster 20

MUNSTER are without their starting internationals for today’s Magners League clash against Newport Gwent Dragons.

FORMER Ireland A prop Peter Bracken is hopeful that his career can be relaunched by a mid-season move from Bristol to Harlequins.

AS EXPECTED, Michael Cheika has taken a wrecking ball to his established first XV for tonight’s meaningless Magners League game against the Dragons but a number of Irish internationals have been afforded another much-needed run-out before the summer tour.