Munster boss Johann van Graan insists he is committed to improving his existing squad as the province bids to win silverware for the first time in eight years but that will be without South Africa centre Jaco Taute, who was unveiled today by Leicester Tigers as a new signing for next season.

CJ Stander is back in the Munster team for tomorrow's Pro 14 match against Zebre at Thomond Park.

Ulster are still awaiting definitive news on the prospect of travelling to Leicester’s Welford Road tomorrow afternoon without their key half-back partnership of Billy Burns and John Cooney. Ulster are chasing a place in the Heineken Champions Cup knock-out stages and the loss of the pair could be devastating.

A new Heineken Champions Cup season, and for the first time in nine seasons a new destination for Munster supporters as they journey to Exeter for the opening pool game of the 2018-19 campaign.

There is much talk around UIster this season about the legends of 1998/99, but Stuart McCloskey is keen for the current Ulster side to write their own piece of winning history.

Leicester Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor believes Leinster must show “defensive energy” if they are to defeat Racing 92 in tomorrow’s European Rugby Champions Cup final in Bilbao.

The challenges facing the three Irish provinces in European quarter-finals this weekend.

The “Sold Out” signs have been up for days at Thomond Park, Ireland’s Six Nations heroes have returned to the fold and the treatment room is as busy as it has been all season. Would it be any other way for Munster in a Champions Cup quarter-final week?

Far away from the madding crowds of the Six Nations last weekend, Tom Clifford Park, the famed home of Young Munster, hosted my own club Cork Constitution in the latest of a series of hotly contested Ulster Bank League Munster derbies.

Munster 48 - Casters 3: The weather may have halted Munster temporarily but when they did get started it was worth the wait as the province secured a 17th European quarter-final by topping Champions Cup Pool 4 in commanding style.

And then there was eight, writes Donal Lenihan. 

Conor Murray is already acknowledged as being a breed apart in terms of his scrum-half play but the Munster and Ireland number nine is fast becoming a rugby man of remarkable talents.

CJ Stander insists there will be plenty of plus points for Munster to take into Sunday’s must-win Champions Cup pool finale with Castres, despite defeat to Racing 92 in Paris.

Defeat at the death in the first Champions Cup game at the new indoor U Arena means Munster lead Pool 4 by a single point from Racing going into the final round of matches.

Racing 92 34 - Munster 30

Munster have faced some heat before at this stage of the European pool campaign but until now it has been of the metaphorical nature.

Munster are going through a horrific run of bad luck with injuries and suspensions, nowhere more than in the centre, where Rory Scannell has been close to a one-man band for much of the past couple of months.

"Subs have been running roughshod all over the place, like a herd of buffalo".

Munster boss Johann van Graan is relying on his players to have moved on from their St Stephen’s Day defeat at home to Leinster when they travel to face Ulster on New Year’s Day.

JJ Hanrahan is banking on one fly-half’s ‘player welfare programme’ being another’s opportunity when the Munster team to face Ulster in Belfast on Monday is announced tomorrow.

A stunning 60-metre try from Academy star Jordan Larmour sealed a bonus-point win for Leinster to hand Johann van Graan his first defeat as Munster head coach at Thomond Park last night.

It doesn’t take Marcus Horan long to highlight the most notable contrasts between his playing days and the current crop of men proudly wearing the red of Munster.

Leinster will have to do without in-form Ireland prop Cian Healy for the Christmas and new year interprovincial derbies after he was suspended for three weeks last night.

As Munster’s on-field coordinator, Billy Holland has to size up the opposition, attack vulnerable areas, and decide where to target, writes Donal Lenihan.

Manu Tuilagi’s citing for a dangerous tackle on Champions Cup duty has compelled his former Lions team-mate Brian O’Driscoll to complain that the “game has gone soft”.

It says much about Munster’s growing confidence and maturity as a squad that Ian Keatley could share a laugh with his captain after committing two knock-ons inside a minute.

Munster’s visit to Welford Road was always going to prove the most challenging of the reverse fixtures against a clearly hurting trio of Aviva Premiership clubs after their Champions Cup whitewash by the Irish provinces last weekend, writes Donal Lenihan.

Johann van Graan toasted captain Peter O’Mahony last night as the flanker marked his new three-year contract with a man of the match performance that helped sink Leicester at Welford Road.

Leicester Tigers 16 Munster 25: Munster planted one boot firmly in the Champions Cup quarter-finals as they grabbed an invaluable away win at Welford Road last night and gave new boss Johann van Graan a benchmark performance for the rest of the season.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan feels his team have taken a major step forward in their development after beating Leicester 25-16 at Welford Road.

The key moment, talking point and key man from an intense game at Welford Road.

As he reflects on last week’s defeat to Munster at Thomond Park, Jonny May puffs out his cheeks and sighs.

For all the good news coming out of Munster in the past couple of days, the appearance of centres Matt Toomua and Manu Tuilagi on the Leicester Tigers teamsheet yesterday lunchtime will have offered a sobering counterpoint ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Cup re-match at Welford Road.

Leinster are the team to beat, the No. 1 in Europe’s power rankings. And Munster are No. 2, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Johann van Graan has called on his Munster side to reduce the penalty count when they go into the Tigers’ den at Welford Road on Sunday.

Leicester Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor does not believe his side needs to record a bonus-point victory over Munster this weekend to keep their Champions Cup hopes alive.

The understandably grumpy figure cut by Leicester captain Tom Youngs at Thomond Park on Saturday night was neatly representative of the English mood in general after a terrible weekend of Champions Cup results for Premiership clubs.

Johann van Graan’s assertion that Munster only have half the job done against Leicester has been brought into sharp focus by the likely return to the Tigers midfield next Sunday of Manu Tuilagi and Matt Toomua.

Munster's new head coach Johann van Graan insisted his side have plenty of areas to improve upon despite the dominant nature of their 33-10 Champions Cup bonus point win over Leicester Tigers at Thomond Park.

Munster took this game by the scruff of the neck from the first whistle of a ferocious encounter, the home side getting their reward with an early penalty from Ian Keatley and hammering home their dominance with first-half tries for Rhys Marshall and Simon Zebo that put the Reds firmly in control.