Leicester kept their European Champions Cup hopes alive with a thrilling 45-27 win over Scarlets at Welford Road.

A last-minute penalty from scrum-half John Cooney secured Ulster a hard-fought 15-13 win over the Scarlets on the opening round of action in the PRO14 at the Kingspan Stadium.

Leinster have beaten Scarlets 40-32 in the Guinness PRO14 final at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

Joe Schmidt described choosing the 32 players he will take to Australia next month as the most difficult process of his tenure as Ireland head coach but it is clear he has selected a squad with a series victory over the Wallabies at the top of his priority list.

There may be a familiar look about the cast list for this weekend’s Guinness PRO14 semi-finals, as the two most titleholders, Glasgow Warriors and Scarlets, square up to each other in Scotstoun this evening.

The semi-final clash is on Friday.

The Scarlets secured a home quarter-final in the Guinness Pr014 play-offs after a 33-8 win against the Dragons at Principality Stadium.

Anyone questioning Leinster’s credentials as firm favorites for Champions Cup honours this season must have been won over, even before half time on Saturday such was their complete dominance in all facets of play over the opening 40 minutes.

Of the four provinces, Leinster should be the one least in need of imported talent.

Leinster’s journey back to the summit of European club rugby is not yet complete but it is worth pointing out just how far they have already covered in such a short space of time as they contemplate the final step in Bilbao.

Leinster have done their bit to bring about the dream all-Ireland Champions Cup final in Bilbao next month with a simply stunning five-try destruction of the Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Leinster have admitted to some surprise at the suggestion from Welsh legend Shane Williams that Isa Nacewa is a weak link who can be exposed defensively by the Scarlets in today’s Champions Cup semi-final.

The key issues that will decide Champions Cup semi finals.

Gareth Davies insists the Scarlets are relishing the tag of underdogs ahead of today’s Champions Cup semi-final with Leinster.

Jonathan Sexton and Leo Cullen were deep into the third quarter of yesterday’s pre-match press conference when the conversation spooled back 12 months to Leinster’s Guinness PRO12 semi-final loss to Scarlets.

Wayne Pivac believes the Scarlets will need to overcome European rugby's "form horse" on Saturday when they target a place in the Champions Cup final.

RHYS Patchell will form part of a confident Scarlets squad travelling to Dublin this weekend determined to reach the Champions Cup final, but not only for themselves.

Edinburgh bounced back to form in emphatic fashion by running in eight tries in a 52-14 thrashing of Scarlets in a Guinness PRO14 clash at BT Murrayfield.

Scarlets have launched an investigation into claims of racist chanting during their Champions Cup quarter-final win over La Rochelle.

The Scarlets secured a European Champions Cup semi-final place after Wales star Leigh Halfpenny masterminded victory over La Rochelle.

Munster 19 Scarlets 7: Tommy O’Donnell and Rory Scannell were the latest Munster players to check into the province’s treatment room as head coach Johann van Graan admitted both Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have only 50/50 chances of facing Toulon next Saturday.

Munster recovered from a shaky start to battle past Scarlets and post a timely 19-7 win over the defending Guinness PRO14 champions at Thomond Park.

Today seemed to be tailor-made for Joey Carbery.

Peter Jackson discusses ’What’s Hot and What’s Not’ in this weekend’s review. 

Centre Paul Asquith scored a try in the final minute as Scarlets pulled off a remarkable 33-28 Champions Cup bonus-point victory over Benetton at Parc y Scarlets.

Munster may have fluffed their lines on the pitch on Saturday but the party line was rattled off effortlessly by those players wheeled out afterwards to explain the almost inexplicable manner of their loss to Scarlets on Lansdowne Road.

For the Scarlets the celebrations will be shortlived.

A bad day for Munster, not so much for the PRO12.

For Jonathan Evans, success at the RDS last week has come at a price.

Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac is hoping “common sense will prevail” to allow Steff Evans to face Munster in Saturday’s Guinness PRO12 final at the Aviva Stadium.

Leinster 16 Scarlets 27: And, just like that that, Leinster’s season is over.

Losing a Guinness PRO12 semi-final at home to Scarlets was bad enough for Leinster, writes Brendan O'Brien.

Connacht 8 Scarlets 30: A defence of their unforgettable PRO12 title win that began with two heavy home defeats, fizzled out with another drubbing at the Sportsground for Connacht.

Connacht v Scarlets: Connacht, having lost only once at home on their way to that memorable Guinness PRO12 crown a year ago, will be bidding to prevent a fifth league defeat at the Sportsground this season when facing a Scarlets side bidding for a semi-final place.

Five changes to the team that beat the Ospreys

Scarlets registered a comfortable Guinness Pro12 victory over bottom-placed Zebre as they consolidated fourth place in the table with a bonus-point 42-7 win at Parc y Scarlets.

Ireland centre Luke Marshall is determined to right recent wrongs this evening when a struggling Ulster side travel to Llanelli to face the Guinness PRO12’s in-form side unbeaten in eight games at Parc y Scarlets (7.35pm).