Celtic League News:Munster and Leinster are outmuscled by English forward power; Ulster fold in Toulouse; Connacht's abysmal Challenge Cup experience ends in yet another defeat. Maybe the dizzy heights of November, when every major nation was so keen to label Ireland third best in the world, was a case of Irish rugby getting a little ahead of itself.
Is it back to the more traditional feeling of doom and gloom already? "Obviously people take what is their most recent memory," says Michael Cheika. "We look at it from our own point of view. I'm not going to ignore two months of what I consider to be really good progress for our team.
"At the same time I'm not going to ignore the lessons from losing on Friday night. For ourselves, and Munster, there are many teams who didn't make it to where we are now (European Heineken Cup quarter-finals) so we have to take advantage of having that opportunity."
With every potential Irish, Scottish and Welsh international in absentia, it hardly represents an ideal weekend from a sponsors or live television perspective.
Still, Leinster and Connacht are out tomorrow night in Magners League action, while Ulster will attempt to maintain top spot - they are currently two points clear of Leinster - away to the Ospreys on Saturday.
The announcement of a 24-man Irish squad by Eddie O'Sullivan ensures a return to Leinster training today for Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip, Trevor Hogan, Luke Fitzgerald and Kieran Lewis, while Rob Kearney has a fighting chance of recovering from a hamstring strain for the visit of Llanelli Scarlets tomorrow night.
Looking at the Scarlets line-up, shorn of five forwards including captain Simon Easterby and livewire flanker Alix Popham, along with Lions half back pairing Dwayne Peel and Stephen Jones, one imagines Leinster will begin their rehabilitation process after the comprehensive defeat in Gloucester.
A three-week, mid-season break (only in Northern Hemisphere rugby) follows for the Magners League as the Six Nations becomes the priority.
Leinster claim this game represents an opportunity for development players - Kevin McLoughlin and Devon Toner were at yesterday's weekly press conference - but the only understrength areas are at lock, wing and centre.
Toner may get a run but Cameron Jowitt, Owen Finegan and Adam Byrnes are also keen to partner Trevor Hogan in the secondrow. Christian Warner and Michael Berne are candidates for Gordon D'Arcy's jersey, Kieran Lewis should play 13, while Ross McCarron, Luke Fitzgerald and Gary Brown could fill the back three slots.
Connacht welcome back David Slemen, Ray Hogan and David Gannon to their squad ahead of the trip to Murrayfield to play Edinburgh. Ted Robinson, Brett Sturgess and Ryan Strudwick are ruled out through injury. Fullback Daniel Riordan is also included after returning from his first ever Irish training camp.
Ulster coach Mark McCall has included Bryan Young and Tommy Bowe, who were both cut from the Six Nations squad, along with last season's Irish under-21 captain and hooker Stuart Philpott and Stephen Ferris, who has recovered from a fractured thumb.
LEINSTER:S Wright, B Jackman, W Green, D Toner, C Jowitt, S Keogh, O Finegan, K McLaughlin, R Corrigan, B Blaney, A Byrnes, H Vermaas, C Whitaker, G Easterby, N Ronan, C Warner, J Sexton, M Berne, F Contepomi, R McCarron, G Brown, S Grissing. (K Lewis, L Fitzgerald, R Kearney, J Heaslip, K Gleeson, T Hogan expected to be available)
CONNACHT:P Durcan, A Farley, A Flavin, J Fogarty, D Gannon, J Hearty, R Hogan, C Keane, S Knoop, M Lacey, M McHugh, C McPhillips, B O'Connor, R Ofisa, C O'Loughlin, C Rigney, D Riordan, D Slemen, M Swift, P Warwick, B Wilkinson, G Williams.
ULSTER:K Campbell, P Marshall, A Larkin, P Steinmetz, K Maggs, S Young, P McKenzie, M Bartholomeusz, B Cunningham, T Bowe, J Fitzpatrick, B Young, D Fitzpatrick, P Shields, S Philpott, J Harrison (capt), M McCullough, R Caldwell, T Barker, K Dawson, R Wilson, S Ferris, D Pollock.
