RABODIRECT PRO12:

Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is fit to return and take a seat on the bench for Australia in their autumn international clash against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Scarlets 17 Ulster 9

Future Ireland prospect Jared Payne will captain Ulster when they travel to face the Scarlets in Llanelli this evening (6.30pm).

Leinster 32 Scarlets 5

RaboDirect Pro12

Ulster’s South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar will make his 50th appearance for the province when they tackle Scarlets at Ravenhill this evening.

Robbie Deans has brushed aside comments by David Campese that he has “destroyed Australian rugby,” but admitted he understands criticism of his regime.

Connacht 11 Scarlets 24

Connacht have been forced to make a host of changes, including a new backrow, for today’s visit of the Scarlets to the Galway Sportsground.

Scarlets 45 Leinster 20

Leinster captain Leo Cullen is backing fellow lock Devin Toner to make more giant strides in his game over the coming season as the European champions open their RaboDirect Pro12 campaign at Scarlets today (6.30pm).

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).

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.

FIRST, something we expected — a New Zealand win.