Irish Rugby

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Ulster captain Iain Henderson has returned to training before Friday's crucial United Rugby Championship game against Munster at Thomond Park.

The experienced second row has been out of action with a hamstring issue since Ireland's Six Nations win over England on 1 February.

Sean Reffell, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume and Eric O'Sullivan have also resumed training and will be "monitored throughout the week", Ulster said in a squad update.

Michael Lowry (concussion and neck injury) and Stewart Moore (concussion) are fit after being injured in the URC loss to Leinster on 19 April, while prop Tom O'Toole is available again after missing the defeat by the Sharks because of a family bereavement.

Jake Flannery (knee), John Cooney (ankle), Ben Carson (back), Ethan McIlroy (knee), and Ben Moxham (knee) are still sidelined for the game (19:35 BST).

Ulster are 12th and three points off the top eight as they chase a spot in the end-of-season play-offs and next season's Champions Cup.

After facing ninth-placed Munster in Limerick on Friday, Richie Murphy's side travel to Edinburgh on 16 May.

On Monday, Munster welcomed a large group of players back to training, including recently retired Ireland internationals Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony.

Tom Ahern, Stephen Archer, Liam Coombes, John Hodnett, Oli Jager and Josh Wycherley are also available for interim boss Ian Costello.

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Ireland wing Mack Hansen will miss Connacht's final two United Rugby Championship games because of an ankle injury.

In a squad update issued on Tuesday, Connacht ruled out the Australia-born 27-year-old for "approximately five weeks".

Hansen is hoping to be included in Andy Farrell's British and Irish Lions squad when it is unveiled on Thursday.

He has scored 12 tries in 28 caps for Ireland since being handed his debut by Farrell in February 2022.

If selected, Hansen should have recovered in time for the Lions' pre-tour game against Argentina in Dublin on 20 June.

Another Lions hopeful in Bundee Aki is available again after missing Connacht's URC games in South Africa against the Stormers and Lions with a heel problem.

On Monday, Ireland captain Caelan Doris' Lions hopes were hit as Leinster announced he needs a shoulder operation.

Connacht host Edinburgh in the URC on Saturday evening (19:35 BST). Interim boss Cullie Tucker's side are 14th and have only slim hopes of reaching the end-of-season play-offs.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

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Ireland forward Dorothy Wall has been ruled out of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup with an Achilles tendon injury.

Wall, 24, sustained the injury during Ireland's final Women's Six Nations game against Scotland last weekend and will undergo surgery in Dublin on Wednesday.

The Exeter Chiefs player, who can play as a lock or flanker, was forced off early in Ireland's 26-19 loss.

"I'm devastated to be missing the next couple of months, but my main focus now is on my rehab programme and I'm looking forward to ing the team in the Rugby World Cup," said Wall.

Former sevens player Wall has won 37 caps for the Ireland XVs since making her debut in 2020 and started four of Ireland's five Six Nations games this year.

Her injury is another significant blow for Ireland after back row Erin King was ruled out of the tournament with a serious knee injury earlier this month.

The 2025 World Cup takes place in England between 22 August and 27 September.

Ireland, who finished third in the Six Nations, will face Japan, Spain and New Zealand in the pool stage.

Scott Bemand's side will face Japan in their opening fixture on 24 August before games against Spain and New Zealand on 31 August and 7 September.

Before that, Ireland will have warm-up matches against Scotland in Cork on 2 August and Canada in Belfast on 9 August.

Ireland did not qualify for the 2021 World Cup and finished eighth when they hosted the tournament in 2017.

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Concerns over the fitness of Leinster second row RG Snyman before Saturday's Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton at the Aviva Stadium have been allayed.

A squad update issued by the Irish province on Monday indicated that the former Munster forward has returned to full training.

Ireland lock James Ryan, who has not played since the Six Nations, remains a major doubt however as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.

Leinster say they will "look to increase his training load this week as he continues his recovery from injury and will be further assessed as the week goes on".

Snyman was introduced as a replacement in the URC win over Ulster nine days ago but was replaced midway through the first half.

At the time Leinster indicated that he had sustained a dead leg and he subsequently missed his side's weekend defeat by the Scarlets.

"RG Snyman has returned to full training having recovered from injury," Leinster confirmed.

Back Rob Russell will be assessed during the week as he steps up his recovery.

Forward Ryan Baird came through the game at the weekend with no issues after his return from injury, but Will Connors suffered an arm injury against Scarlets and has been ruled out of the meeting with the English Premiership side.

Second row Brian Deeny, meanwhile, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing a procedure on a knee injury.

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy praised the "effort and commitment" of his side despite the latest blow to their United Rugby Championship play-off hopes.

The province were beaten 22-19 by the Sharks at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday despite leading 19-0 after half an hour.

The result leaves the side 12th in the URC with two games remaining, three points off the all-important top eight who will advance to the play-offs and secure Champions Cup rugby next season.

"You're probably looking at 47 points getting through into the top eight so we go away to Munster and away to Edinburgh to finish and we'll be fighting all the way to the end until there's nothing left to play for," said Murphy whose side have taken 38 points from 16 games.

"I think we've shown that over the last number of weeks, there's been great commitment out of the lads.

"We've put some really good rugby together at times."

The reverse against the Sharks, who featured eight World Cup winners in their side even with captain Eben Etzebeth ruled out through illness, was Ulster's third in a row in all competitions.

Despite some spirited performances, Ulster have also lost to Bordeaux-Begles and Leinster during the run and Murphy said there could be no question that playing for the side "really means something" to his squad.

"The effort and the commitment and the heart that the lads are showing in relation to playing for Ulster Rugby, it really means something to this group," he added.

"That was questioned a number of months ago, but I would find that hard to question now.

"I never questioned it myself but for people looking in, they must see a group of players who are working really hard and are completely committed to getting Ulster Rugby back to where we want to be which is in the top eight."

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Lions (11) 26

Tries: Du Plessis, Pretorious, Van der Merwe Con: Dobela Pens: Wolhuter 3

Connacht (0) 7

Try: De Buitlear Con: Hawkshaw

Connacht's hopes of reaching the United Rugby Championship play-offs suffered a blow with a 26-7 defeat by the Lions in South Africa.

In contrast to Connacht's dramatic defeat by the Stormers in their previous fixture, when there were eight first-half tries, the opening 40 minutes in Johannesburg proved to be relatively low key.

The hosts made the breakthrough in the 14th minute after slick offloading in the Connacht 22 allowed back Renzo du Plessis to crash over.

Kade Wolhuter pushed the conversion attempt wide, but the fly-half soon made a penalty count to extend the Lions' advantage.

Wolhuter was on target again four minutes before the break as the Lions led 11-0 at half-time.

The Lions' number 10 kicked the first score after the restart with his third penalty of the game, but the South Africans were reduced to 14 players when Du Plessis was sent to the sin-bin for a trip on Santiago Cordero.

Connacht, without a head coach after Peter Wilkins stepped down, thought they had immediately capitalised when Dylan Tierney-Martin rounded off a rolling maul by dropping over the line, but the TMO adjudged there was obstruction and the try was ruled out.

It was the Lions' turn to have a try ruled out when Edwill van der Merwe looked to have scored a sensational solo effort. Play was brought back for a high tackle on centre David Hawkshaw by opposite number Heco van Wyk when Connacht had the ball earlier in the play.

However, the hosts got a deserved try with 10 minutes to play when JC Pretorius got on the end of Jarod Cairns' offload to score.

Eoin de Buitlear responded for Connacht on his return from injury with seven minutes to play, and David Hawkshaw converted, but the Lions had the final say when Van der Merwe pounced on a loose ball to race clear and score.

The defeat is a blow to Connacht's play-off hopes. They are 14th in the URC table and now five points off the top eight with two matches remaining, while the Lions move into 13th with the win.

Lions: Horn; Kriel; Van Wyk, Mills; Van der Merwe; Wolhuter, Van den Berg; Naude, Visagie, Ntlabakanye; R Schoeman, Delport; Pretorius, Du Plessis, Cairns.

Replacements: Botha, Kotze, RF Schoeman, Landsberg, Esterhuizen, Steyn, Dobela, Jonker.

Connacht: O'Conor; Bolton; Hawkshaw, Forde; Jennings; Carty, Devine; Dooley, Tierney-Martin, Aungier; Murphy, Joyce; Prendergast, Oliver, Jansen.

Replacements: De Buitlear, Duggan, Illo, Dowling, Boyle, Reilly, Gavin, Cordero.

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Co-captain Edel McMahon believes three away victories are more important than Ireland's finishing position in the Women's Six Nations.

Ireland had been without an away victory in the Six Nations since 2021 but take on Scotland on Saturday after wins in Italy and Wales.

Regardless of the result in Scotland, the Irish look set to finish the tournament as they are five points clear of Italy with a vastly superior points difference.

"Three wins away from home is what we targeted as a squad," said McMahon, who is co-captain with the injured Sam Monaghan.

"We want to be getting wins away from home, and that builds confidence heading into the World Cup."

Scotland, who have just one victory in this year's Six Nations, won 36-10 in Edinburgh in 2023 while Dannah O'Brien's late penalty handed Ireland a 15-12 win last year.

Ireland will head into the game without injured back row Aoife Wafer, but Niamh O'Dowd returns in the front row after sitting out the 40-14 win in Wales.

"Our history with Scotland has been a bit tit-for-tat, so we're just focused on the game and we'll worry about the table after that," added McMahon.

"We respect Scotland and they know they will give us a good fight.

"We know it's not going to be enough to turn up."