RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Ireland captain Paul O’Connell makes his return to Munster colours ahead of schedule tonight having been cleared by the IRFU to face Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

RABODIRECT PRO12

RABODIRECT PRO12

RABODIRECT PRO12: Ulster 31 Dragons 5

Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Leinster 26

Connacht 30 Newport Gwent Dragons 11

Billed as a must-win for both sides, Connacht return to the Galway Sportsground for this evening’s RaboDirect Pro 12 joust with the Newport Gwent Dragons.

Newport Gwent Dragons 14 Connacht 3

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.

Leinster will have to plan without Luke Fitzgerald for the rest of the season.

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.

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.

THIS was more like it.

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Things are going from bad to worse for Tomás O'Leary who has been withdrawn from the Munster squad to face Newport-Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park on Saturday (7.45pm) because he is still suffering from lower back trouble.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

Newport-Gwent Dragons 13 Ulster 20

A TRAINING accident has ruled Willie Faloon out of Ulster’s do-or-die Magners League clash against the in-form Dragons tonight.

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.

MUNSTER strengthened their hand at the top of the Magners League with a bonus point win with an inexperienced side at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan will give youth its fling in tonight’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).

WASPS director of rugby Tony Hanks was delighted with the pay-off for the hard work which ensured yesterday’s Heineken Cup clash with Newport Gwent Dragons went ahead.

MUNSTER failed to extend their lead at the top of the Magners League table after falling to a disappointing defeat to the Dragons at a snowy Rodney Parade last night.

A SIXTH win on the trot moved Leinster up into fourth place in the Magners League at the RDS last night as their second string brushed the Dragons aside and picked up a bonus point en route.

CLINT NEWLAND makes his debut for Leinster tonight against the Dragons at the RDS (7.05pm), when the New Zealand Maori prop lines up in a front row which includes Heinke van der Merwe and Richardt Strauss.

CONNACHT dented the Newport Gwent Dragons’ Magners League play-off hopes with a controlled performance at the Sportsground last evening.

MUNSTER’S worsening away form threatens to scupper their hopes of defending the Magners League title following this latest defeat.

MUNSTER’S prospects of achieving a favourable outcome from Saturday’s Magners League clash with the Newport Gwent Dragons (6.30pm) were given a major boost last night by the news that Ronan O’Gara will line out at out-half.

Ulster 22 Newport-Gwent Dragons 22

GLOUCESTER boss Bryan Redpath has put his team on red alert tonight for their Heineken Cup clash against a Newport Gwent Dragons side he believes will show “no fear”.

THE word panic is clearly not in Michael Cheika’s dictionary; the Leinster coach has handed home debut opportunities to three players for tonight’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at the RDS (7pm).

IN-FORM Bulls’ centre Wynand Olivier will be back to give the Waikato Chiefs an even harder time in the New Zealanders’ first Super 14 final in Pretoria tomorrow (Sky Sports Xtra, 4pm)

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.

RUA TIPOKI’S Munster injury saga will drag on for at least another week following confirmation last night that he is ruled out of next week’s Heineken Cup clash against the Ospreys.

LEINSTER will roll out the big names for Saturday’s crucial Magners League clash with Munster at Thomond Park (7.30). The return of Brian O’Driscoll, Luke Fitzgerald, Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney was a no-brainer for coach Michael Cheika as Leinster set about trying to overhaul leaders Munster.

CONNACHT will face Samoa skipper Filiso Levi in their Magners League clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday (2.15pm).

JAMES ARLIDGE celebrated becoming a father in style as Newport Gwent Dragons tore up the Magners League form book to extend their remarkable winning record in Glasgow.

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.

MUNSTER have been given a huge boost with the news that John Kelly and Trevor Halstead have been restored to full fitness.