Leinster 50 Benetton Treviso 19: It’s only two weeks since Ulster sent Leinster retreating down the M1 in disorder, but some in the northern province could be forgiven for harbouring a sense of foreboding ahead of the sides’ next meeting in the Guinness PRO12 semi-final.

It may have been a day of drama and calculators across most of the Guinness PRO12, but Leinster strolled to the most straightforward and expected of victories against a mostly awful Treviso side at the RDS this afternoon.

Connacht need only one point from this evening’s PRO12 fixture in Italy to guarantee a semi-final spot. But coach Pat Lam will want more, such is the expectation on Connacht to deliver a bonus-point winning performance.

The prospect of missing out on qualification for next season’s European Champions Cup looms larger than ever for Munster after Glasgow Warriors’ win over the Newport Gwent Dragons on Thursday. That result drops Munster to eighth in the Guinness Pro12 table with only the top six assured of Champions Cup action.

Treviso 13 Ulster 32: Stuart Olding scored a try on his return to action for Ulster as they secured a bonus-point 32-13 Pro12 victory over Treviso at the Stadio Monigo.

Connacht continued their remarkable start to this season’s Guinness Pro12, grabbing a fifth win on the trot at the Galway Sportsground last evening. And following Leinster’s win over the Scarlets, Pat Lam’s side have now taken top spot.

Munster 18 Benetton Treviso 13: The consolation on a less than satisfactory Guinness Pro12 performance at Musgrave Park on Saturday night was the win, four points in the bag, that puts Munster in a much healthier position than at the same stage last season when they lost first time out to Edinburgh.

Munster Rugby will end their tradition of training in dual venues in Cork and Limerick when a new state-of-the-art facility is opened next July.

Zebre 7 Munster 31: Munster got the result and — for 40 minutes at least — the performance they wanted in Italy which sends them into next Saturday’s vital Champions Cup clash with Saracens.

Anthony Foley has warned Keith Earls will have a battle to reclaim his place in the Munster side after naming the Ireland international in the replacements for the Pro12 clash against bottom-of-the-table Zebre today.

Zebre 3 Leinster 20

Change is the order of the day for Leinster in Stadio XXV Aprile this afternoon, as the defending champions make 10 alterations to their starting line-up for the Guinness Pro12 encounter against Zebre (kick-off 3pm, Irish time).

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Scotland head coach Scott Johnson admits not even a victory over Italy this afternoon will cure the Dark Blues’ problems.

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Zebre 6 Connacht 33

Zebre 21 Munster 41

Connacht 25 Zebre 16

Pat Lam has a hard act to follow when his Connacht team take to the field in today’s Rabodirect Pro 12 opener against Italian visitors Zebre (5pm).

RaboDirect Pro12

Leinster 40 Treviso 5

Munster 19 Treviso 6

Brian McLaughlin praised the fighting spirit of his team after Ian Whitten’s late try rescued Ulster against Treviso on Saturday.

Much of the talk leading into this tie surrounded the immediate future of Tomás O’Leary, after French TV claimed the Ireland international had inked a deal with Perpignan.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has chosen what can only be construed as a team hell-bent on winning the first of four important RaboDirect Pro12 games away to Treviso today.

CONNACHT racked up their eighth loss on the trot, falling to Italian visitors Treviso in the Galway Sportsground last night, once again paying the price for a poor start.

ULSTER crashed to their first defeat in any competition to an Italian team and third in succession when they were outplayed by Benetton Treviso at Ravenhill last night.

IRELAND could hardly have asked for a better start to their U20 Six Nations campaign as they brushed Italy aside with ease at Dubarry Park in Athlone last night.