Hong Kong’s intense heat and humidity may be “hellish”, in Conor Murray’s words, but British & Irish Lions assistant coach Rob Howley believes conditions for the opening game this weekend will stand his players in good stead for the three-Test series with Australia.

Italy’s Sergio Parisse will captain the Barbarians against the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong this Saturday.

RABODIRECT PRO12

RABODIRECT PRO12

AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

AMLIN CUP QUARTER-FINAL:

Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Leinster 26

RABODIRECT PRO12

Newport Gwent Dragons 14 Connacht 3

Glasgow Warriors 37 Newport Gwent Dragons 6

Rob Penney may now have a defeat on his record as Munster head coach, but the New Zealander sends a much-changed team out tonight at Thomond Park (8pm) against Newport Gwent Dragons confident his players are heading in the right direction with a big month coming up in October.

Munster will reunite Peter Stringer and Ronan O’Gara at half-back for the first time in 19 months as head coach Rob Penney shuffles his deck for tomorrow night’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Thomond Park (8pm).

Leinster 45 Newport G’went Dragons

Leinster’s new overseas signing, Quinn Roux, will make his home debut when the Heineken Cup champions take on Newport Gwent Dragons in tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash at the RDS.

Cian Healy will be watching a rerun of the recent Argentina and South Africa clash, a rugged affair in which both sides put physicality before quality.

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

Paul O’Connell is back to boost Munster’s prospects of defeating Llanelli Scarlets in Wales tonight and keep his side ahead of the posse in the race for a RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final place.

Munster Academy prop Dave Kilcoyne will make his first competitive start for the province when Tony McGahan’s men take on the Scarlets in tomorrow evening’s RaboDirect PRO12 meeting in Llanelli (6.30pm).

Connacht overcame the Newport Gwent Dragons to grab only their second away Rabo Direct Pro 12 victory since their opening day visit to Treviso.

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

A Munster career going back to 1998 will be marked tonight when Mick O’Driscoll captains the RaboDirect Pro12 champions in a crucial fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons for what will be his 200th career for the province.

Fergus McFadden was the last-gasp hero for Leinster last night as he secured a tremendously hard-fought victory by nailing a long-distance penalty with the final kick of the game.

With a combined total of nine internationals released to them from Six Nations camps this week, both Leinster and Scarlets will be boosted by a plethora of faces keen to make an impression on international coaches at the RDS tonight.

Ulster jumped up to fifth place in the RaboDirect Pro12 League after treating themselves to a bonus-point success over the Dragons at Ravenhill last night.

Ulster have been rocked by the loss of influential skipper Johann Muller ahead of tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 League clash against the Dragons at Ravenhill.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS are determined to complete their European revenge mission against Munster on Saturday after ending the Scarlets Heineken Cup hopes.

OSPREYS replacement Dan Biggar held his head in his hands as his last-gasp drop-goal to win an enthralling Welsh derby with Newport Gwent Dragons hit the post.

FRUSTRATING, sloppy, tight and an uncomfortable finish — and those are the words of the winning captain.

TWO tries by Stephen Ferris helped Ulster come back from an early bombardment by the Scarlets to claim much-needed RaboDirect Pro 12 League points at Ravenhill last night.

RATHDUFF took the plaudits in the first Allianz Sciath na Scol final at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday, the DF4 decider.

WALES were left kicking themselves after suffering their third narrow defeat of a World Cup campaign that could easily have seen them contesting tomorrow’s final against New Zealand.

THE International Rugby Board is to review Warren Gatland’s claim he considered cheating in Wales’ defeat by France in the World Cup semi-finals.

ADAM JONES may be a pivotal part of Wales’ bid to make history this morning (9am Irish time) by reaching their first World Cup final.

Rhys Priestland has lost his fitness battle for Wales’ World Cup semi-final clash against France at Eden Park on Saturday.

WARREN GATLAND hailed Wales’ ruthless streak after they inflicted a record World Cup defeat on Fiji and emphatically avenged the nightmare of Nantes.

MUNSTER maintained their winning start to the season and while they conceded their first try of the season, another superb defensive display was the foundation for victory at Cardiff City Stadium last night.

THIS was more like it.

IT was more spit than polish at Musgrave Park as a workmanlike Munster kicked off their RaboDirect PRO12 campaign with four winning points on Saturday night.

TOMÁS O’LEARY suffered another blow yesterday when he was forced to withdraw from Munster’s squad for tonight’s opening clash with Newport-Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park.

Things are going from bad to worse for Tomás O'Leary who has been withdrawn from the Munster squad to face Newport-Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park on Saturday (7.45pm) because he is still suffering from lower back trouble.

TOMÁS O’LEARY, John Hayes, James Coughlan and Johne Murphy are named in the 28-man Munster squad for Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 opening fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park (7.45pm).

DROPPED by Ireland, Peter Stringer could be one of the key figures in Munster’s quest for victory over one of their greatest Heineken Cup rivals, London Wasps, in a pre-season friendly at Musgrave Park tomorrow night (7pm).

IRELAND U20s suffered heartbreak in their opening IRB Junior World Championship clash against England in a thrilling Pool C clash last night.

Gavin Henson has been selected in a 24-man Wales squad for next month’s Millennium Stadium clash against the Barbarians.