Connacht's Challenge Cup home quarter-final clash with Pontypridd will take place at Ericsson Park, Athlone, on January 11th (kick-off at 5.30 p.m.). The second leg will take place the following Saturday at Sardis Road, Pontypridd, with the kick-off also at 5.30 p.m. as both legs will be televised live by S4C.

Connacht's inter-pro tie against Leinster will be played at Ericsson Park on January 3rd (kick-off at 5.30 p.m.). Both teams will use the tie to prepare for their European campaigns, with Leinster meeting Swansea on January 10th.

The winners of the Connacht/Pontypridd quarter-final will play either Stade Francais or Wasps in the semi-finals. On the other side of the draw, Saracens meet Newcastle, while Bath take on French side Montabaun.

Fixtures due to be played on December 29th have been changed from Donnybrook to St Mary's RFC, Templeville Road: Irish Schools v Irish under-19s, kick-off 12.30; Irish Schools B v Irish Youths, kick-off 2 p.m. The Irish under-21s v Blackrock game at Stradbrook will take place on January 12th (kick-off at noon).

The Senior Cup final will be played on February 14th, with kick-off at 7.30 p.m. The semi-final matches take place on Saturday as Malone travel to Stevenson Park to take on Dungannon while Ballymena host Belfast Harlequins at Eaton Park.

IRISH U21 (V Irish Colleges, Stradbrook, on December 21st, kick-off 1.00: T Bowe (Queens University); K Matthews (UL Bohemians), J Hearty (Blackrock College), B Murphy (UL Bohemians), R Lane (UCC), D McAllister (T College), C O'Loughlin (Buccaneers); E McGovern (Old Crescent), R Best (Belfast Harlequins), W Maxwell (Garryowen), S Crawford (UCD), D Gannon (UCD), J Muldoon (Galwegians), N Ronan (Lansdowne), S Keogh (UCC, Captain). Replacements: K Corrigan (UCD), N Conlon (Dublin University), N McComb (Dundee Univ/Belfast Harlequins), M McComish (Ballymena), F O'Loughlin (Shannon), B Keeshan(UCC), P O'Brien (UCC).