Head coach Johann van Graan has named his Munster team for Sunday's Champions Cup semi-final against Racing 92 in Bordeaux (kick-off 4.15pm local time/3.15pm Irish time).

The Leinster team to face the Scarlets in Saturday's Champions Cup semi-final at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 3.30pm) has been announced by head coach Leo Cullen.

Yesterday saw the Munster squad begin preparations at the High Performance Centre in UL for Sunday's Champions Cup semi-final against Racing 92 at Bordeaux's Stade Chaban-Delmas (kick-off 4.15pm local time/3.15pm Irish time).

In-form Leinster flanker Dan Leavy believes the Scarlets will be full of confidence when they come to the Aviva Stadium to face the tournament favourites in Saturday's opening Champions Cup semi-final (kick-off 3.30pm).

The referee appointments for the fast-approaching Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals were announced today, following a meeting of EPCR's selection committee which is chaired by Joel Jutge, EPCR's Head of Match Officials.

Leinster and the Scarlets will have the honour of kicking off the Champions Cup semi-finals weekend when they face off at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, April 21, while the following afternoon will see Munster take on familiar rivals Racing 92 at Bordeaux's Stade Chaban-Delmas.

Leinster captain Isa Nacewa believes the pain of last season's semi-final defeat to Clermont Auvergne can drive his side onto greater heights in the Champions Cup.

Munster captain Peter O'Mahony reckons their two-match tour of South Africa will give them the ideal lead-in to the Champions Cup semi-final against Racing 92 in three weeks' time. It was a very happy Easter weekend for the province after their dramatic late victory over Toulon.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen believes a strong start was the key to their impressive 30-19 Champions Cup quarter-final success against defending champions Saracens at the Aviva Stadium yesterday.

A thunderous third-quarter surge, during which they rattled off 17 unanswered points, launched Leinster into the Champions Cup semi-finals as they knocked out last year's champions Saracens in a memorable 30-19 victory at the Aviva Stadium.

Andrew Conway took on the mantle of match winner for Munster as his stunning 74th-minute try saw them pip Toulon 20-19 in a titanic Champions Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park.

Gloucester survived a frantic finish to end Connacht's unbeaten run in this season's Challenge Cup with a 33-28 quarter-final win at the Sportsground.

Leinster have the carrot of a home semi-final against the Scarlets to aim for when they host Saracens, last year's Champions Cup winners, in what is shaping up to be another seismic European clash at the Aviva Stadium.

A little under four years on from their semi-final defeat to Toulon in Marseille, Munster renew rivalries with the French powerhouses as they look to make home advantage count and record another famous European win at fortress Thomond.

Hosting Gloucester at a packed Sportsground, Connacht will put their unbeaten record in this season's Challenge Cup on the line as they bid to qualify for their first European semi-final since 2010.

Ulster have announced that Sale Sharks captain Will Addison will join the province this summer on a two-year deal.

The Leinster team for Sunday's Champions Cup quarter-final against Saracens at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 3.30pm) has been named by head coach Leo Cullen.

The Munster team has been announced for the province's record 17th Champions Cup quarter-final against French heavyweights Toulon at Thomond Park on Saturday (kick-off 3.15pm).

Grand Slam winners Bundee Aki and Kieran Marmion have returned to the Connacht starting XV to face Gloucester in the Saturday's Challenge Cup quarter-final at the Sportsground (kick-off 1pm).

The Aviva Stadium and Coventry's Ricoh Arena, as well as three French stadiums - Saint-Etienne's Stade Geoffroy Guichard, the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice and Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux - have been chosen as the venues which are in line to host this season's Champions Cup semi-finals on April 21-22.