Champions Cup finalists La Rochelle and Toulouse had a day of very different Top 14 fortunes against bottom-of-the-table opposition a week out from the showpiece match at Twickenham.

New Lion Jack Conan crossed for the key score as Leinster came from behind to notch their second win in the Rainbow Cup at the RDS in a good contest

For Connacht, it was one of the great nights: The first time they have beaten all of the other provinces away from home in the one season; the first win over Munster under Andy Friend’s watch; and a victory that gives them a shot at the decider

Johann van Graan's side suffered a first defeat in the Rainbow Cup on a day when confirmation about the final reduced any margin for error

The tournament structure underwent an 11th-hour revamp after Covid complications meant South African sides couldn't travel to Europe for the games.

South Africa are planning for all matches of the British and Irish Lions tour to be played behind closed doors, but have not given up hope that some spectators will be present.

Sitting out Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final loss to La Rochelle at the start of the month was hard to swallow for Dave Kearney

Andy Friend has created several milestones since he arrived in Galway three years ago and a first win in Thomond Park this evening since their Pro12 winning season would complete the treble this season

The highly-rated back row has not played since being withdrawn from the Ireland squad prior to the Six Nations because of concussion symptoms

The Munster coach has drafted in nine new faces and will be able to call on an exceptionally strong bench in Thomond Park tomorrow evening

Lawler, capped 67 times by Munster, has been promoted to attack coach with Connacht having spent five seasons coaching in their academy

Eight years doing medicine in UCD finally came to an end last week for Murphy with the last of his exams

The Leinster tighthead accepted that the willingness to sign on for such a short span comes with an element of risk too

Munster head coach Johann van Graan said he had no issues with Snyman coming back to feature against the Lions this summer

Alex Kendellen, Conor Phillips and Jack Crowley have been named in a 16-player squad for the games against Great Britain and the USA at St George's Park.

The World Cup winning lock has been out of action since suffering an ACL injury on his debut against Leinster last August

The Wexford tighthead had signed a new deal with the province and the IRFU but only for one more year

Tadhg Furlong has signed a one-year contract extension with the IRFU to ensure his future with Ireland until at least the end of next season.

The two Tests have replaced the cancelled tour to the Pacific Islands

Deal between Irish broadcasters is 'first partnership of its kind'

And Cullen said that Johnny Sexton is dealing with his omission from the squad and he urged all those who missed out to remain focussed as injuries could yet create opportunities

Munster swept aside inter-provincial rivals Ulster at Thomond Park on Friday night with a 38-10 bonus-point win

Toulon is the most likely destination for the Connacht and Ireland lock

Former Munster full-back Sweetnam had been named at 15 as Ronan O'Gara and Jono Gibbes rested many of their Champions Cup semi-final heroes for the first Top 14 outing after the win over Leinster last weekend

Hugo Keenan brushed off his Lions disappointment to run in a hat-trick of tries

Johnny Sexton, James Ryan, and Garry Ringrose were surprise omissions from Warren Gatland’s 37-man Lions squad

Former Munster Player of the Year and Ireland star Tommy O’Donnell has decided the time is right for him to retire from rugby. The dynamic back-rower tells Simon Lewis he has an MBA to study for but he will miss the craic in the dressing room and would love to give it a really good rattle for the last few games of his career

It’s an anachronism from another age, but somehow still vibrantly relevant and perhaps even more vital than ever, in a world gone mad.

It was a six-try demolition, four of them coming after Will Addison had seen red on the stroke of half-time.

Tadhg Furlong is named among a powerful-looking Leinster bench, which will be keen to put the disappointment of last week’s Champions Cup exit behind them.

Munster halted a six-game losing streak to the four-time Guinness PRO14 champions stretching back to December 2018

The former Belfast Royal Academy and Queen’s University student will face fierce competition for a place in the second row against the reigning world champions

With his 36th birthday fast approaching on July 11, though, a call-up to replace one of Dan Biggar, Owen Farrell, or Finn Russell is Sexton’s remaining hope of pulling on the famous red jersey once more

Aki’s inclusion for this summer’s tour to South Africa was one of the surprise selections in Warren Gatland’s choice of 37

Ireland captain Sexton, 35, was one of the surprise omissions from Gatland’s 37-man squad named on Thursday to tour South Africa

Studying his selection from every conceivable angle, it is virtually impossible to avoid drawing the same conclusion, that England’s captain is lucky not to be heading the casualty list

Sexton was overlooked for selection in the 37-player touring party, with England’s Owen Farrell, Wales’ Dan Biggar and Finn Russell of Scotland all getting the nod

Of the 37 players who will take on South Africa this summer, 18 will become Lions for the first time

Aki got the nod from Warren Gatland ahead of his Ireland colleague Garry Ringrose, Wales’ Jonathan Davies and England’s Manu Tuilagi

Bundee Aki’s powerful ball-carrying game will be required against a giant South African side and should work well, but there is no getting away from the fact his selection is a shock

Jones, at 35, the oldest Lions captain of the professional era

Head coach Johann van Graan has made eight changes to the side that defeated Leinster

Connacht host Leinster at the Sportsground on Saturday, two weeks on from their last gasp bonus-point victory over Ulster in Belfast

The Limerick man is only too aware of the limited opportunities players have to make their marks and Kilcoyne felt it was “massively” important to get the green number one jersey for the England game

So who would you take to South Africa with the British & Irish Lions? That was the question Warren Gatland threw out to his coaching team in a meeting by the Thames 

Jones is expected to become the latest second row to lead the Lions against the Springboks following in the footsteps of Paul O’Connell, Martin Johnson, Bill Beaumont and Willie John McBride

The fly-half, a Test starter for Gatland in the series win over Australia in 2013 and the drawn trilogy with the All Blacks in 2017, faces a fight to make it on a third tour

'He is a long way from home … we keep him close to the squad and the boys have been excellent'

'It is tough on him and he knows it is tough on him as well. I have spoken to him, he is hanging in there to the best that he can'

Captain Sexton has not featured since failing a Head Injury Assessment against Exeter Chiefs in the Champions Cup quarter-final win at Sandy Park last month