Johnny Sexton has been ruled out of Ireland's RBS 6 Nations opener against Scotland

JOE Schmidt insists Johnny Sexton will be fit for Ireland's RBS 6 Nations opener in Scotland despite the fly-half still carrying a calf injury.

Johnny Sexton should be named in Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations squad despite facing a race against time to be fit for the tournament opener against Scotland.

Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss admitted his team were feeling the pressure after their final European Champions Cup pool game ended in a 26-22 home defeat to Bordeaux-Begles on Saturday.

ULSTER director of rugby Les Kiss admitted his team were feeling the pressure after their final European Champions Cup pool game ended in a 26-22 home defeat to Bordeaux-Begles.

JOHN Muldoon made his European debut for Connacht back in 2004 in a Challenge Cup game with Narbonne on the south coast of France.

ONE small step from the very definition of a dead rubber, Bordeaux travel to Belfast with both sides’ hopes of qualification exceptionally slim.

RORY Best insists Dylan Hartley still has plenty of time to state a compelling case for the British and Irish Lions' captaincy.

STUART Lancaster says the chance of being at home in the European Champions Cup quarter-finals is "a big driver" for Leinster.

LEINSTER expect hooker Sean Cronin to be out for 10 weeks with a hamstring injury, ruling him out of the RBS 6 Nations.

ULSTER director of rugby Les Kiss was left to run a sloppy performance as his side’s European hopes were all but ended in Exeter yesterday.

MUNSTER director of rugby Rassie Erasmus believes his side are in with a chance of conquering Europe after watching them book their place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

CONNACHT head coach Pat Lam believes a quarter-final spot is now in his team's hands after they kept their Champions Cup hopes alive with a 66-21 victory over Zebre.

LAST-EIGHT hopefuls Connacht had little difficulty in racking up a 66-21 bonus-point win in a Champions Cup mismatch at the Sportsground.

WITH their Pro12 hopes controversially slipping towards the brink, Ulster could really do with keeping their European hopes alive on the south coast of England tomorrow evening.

Gregor Townsend admits he will have failed to transform Glasgow into a true European power if he cannot find a way to end their Champions Cup hoodoo this month.

Ulster back-row forward Chris Henry has signed a new two-year contract that will keep him at Kingspan Stadium until June 2019.

ULSTER boss Les Kiss knows his team have it all to do to get back in Guinness PRO12 play-off contention after losing out narrowly to top-four rivals Scarlets.

CJ STANDER paid tribute to the hard work of the late Anthony Foley and his fellow Munster coaches after their 32-7 Champions Cup bonus-point victory over Racing 92.

OSPREYS went three points clear at the top of the Guinness PRO12 League with a bonus point victory over injury-hit Connacht at the Liberty Stadium.