Scarlets sauntered into the Guinness PRO12 play-offs with a 30-8 bonus point victory over error-strewn Connacht at the Sportsground.

ULSTER’S hopes of playing knock-out rugby for a seventh consecutive season are all but over following another error-ridden display on Saturday at the Liberty Stadium, where the Ospreys’ 24-10 win secured the Welsh side a PRO12 semi-final place barring a virtually impossible scenario.

Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend knows his side will have to excel to deny table-topping Leinster in tonight's Guinness Pro12 clash at the RDS Arena, in Dublin, kick-off 7.

JARED PAYNE (Ulster) Age: 31 Position: Full-back Caps: 20 THE versatile New Zealand-born back was barely included in the conversation prior to the hours before the announcement.

Back in the Day: A look back at sporting events in The Irish News on this date 20 years ago...

ANDREW Trimble returns to the Ulster starting line-up for Saturday afternoon’s crucial PRO12 clash with Munster at Thomond Park after coming off the bench in last week’s disappointing draw with the Cardiff Blues at the Kingspan Stadium.

THE wry smile was unmistakable. The faint shake of the head. Not again. Not here.

WHEN Rory Murray arrived to his father’s homeplace of Desertmartin as an 11-year-old, he had literally never heard of Gaelic football.

The estranged wife of Scotland's former rugby World Cup ace Simon Danielli has been fined £500 for damaging his car in a fit of rage.

HAD he carried on down a different path, Niall Keenan could still have ended up in a white and red jersey, but in very different circumstances.

Guinness PRO12 Ulster 24 Cardiff Blues 24 ULSTER'S hopes of making the Guinness PRO12 play-offs suffered what could prove to be a fatal setback after they drew 24-24 with Cardiff Blues at the Kingspan Stadium which ended the Irish province's run of six straight wins.

Dai Young believes that Wasps' European Champions Cup quarter-final showdown against Leinster this afternoon is "a challenge you run into, not away from".

STUART Lancaster insists Johnny Sexton will be carefully managed throughout the business end of a season that concludes with the British and Irish Lions' tour to New Zealand.

SOMETIMES a change of perspective brings a different view; a different view also changes perspective.

The award has been dominated by Irish players since it was launched in 2004.

Rory Best believes Ireland team-mate Johnny Sexton is back to his "nightmare" best - just in time for the summer's British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand