It’s hard to escape the sense that the time must be now for Ulster.

Mick Kearney knows exactly what will be driving his former Connacht team-mates tomorrow. His memories of derby weeks in Galway are still vivid and raw, just like the province’s training sessions.

Munster 26 Newport Gwent Dragons 5: Two salient points emerged from Saturday night’s Guinness Pro 12 game at Thomond Park.

Leo Cullen’s Leinster made it a festive season to remember by accounting for Connacht at a windswept and saturated RDS on New Year’s Day.

“I just hope that people afterwards don’t write off whoever wins.”

Munster held off a desperate finale from Edinburgh to seize the win in a bruising encounter at BT Murrayfield and leave the hosts nursing a third successive Guinness PRO12 defeat.

Connacht coach Pat Lam has described tonight’s Guinness Pro12 opponents, Glasgow Warriors, as “the Toulon of our competition”.

Paul O’Connell’s departure from Munster looks like being a long goodbye but vice-captain Denis Hurley admitted yesterday the loss of their iconic star will probably only sink in after the World Cup.

Peter O’Mahony appreciates it can often be more nerve wracking to watch rather than to play after being forced to retire because of injury during Saturday’s nail biting Guinness Pro 12 win for Munster over the Ospreys.

After more than a year on the sidelines with a foot injury, Donnacha Ryan is just pleased to be back on the field and in line to help Munster toward a Guinness Pro 12 title when they play Ospreys in Saturday’s semi-final at Thomond Park.