Leinster are set to announce a new recruit to their squad today, a fillip made all the more pertinent by the knee injury sustained by their 23-year-old Australian-born secondrow, Adam Byrnes, in the match against the Dragons at Donnybrook last weekend.
Byrnes is likely to be out of action for up to eight weeks - though the medical team are hopeful he might return a fortnight sooner, all going well - after damaging the medial ligament in his left knee.
The province still have two contracts open (one forward, one back) and one or both could be officially unveiled tomorrow.
Australian Tamaiti Horua was a long-time front runner for one contract but there is a suggestion that Byrne's injury has forced the Leinster management to rethink their options.
Horua's availability had been dependent on his club, Eastern Suburbs, getting knocked out of the Tooheys Cup; Manly duly obliged last weekend, 40-5.
However, the ACT Brumbies flanker appears to have lost out, Leinster instead heading across the Tasman Sea to recruit a Wellington Hurricanes secondrow.
Paul Tito (27), Ross Kennedy (22), Luke Andrews (29) and Kristian Ormsby (25) appear to be the main contenders.
The latter two can play both secondrow and backrow, but it is Tito - he played against the Lions - and Kennedy (he has lined out for the New Zealand under-19s, under-21s and A team) in particular that offer the most compelling cases.
One potential stumbling block is that Wellington are still involved in the Ranfurly Shield and will play this weekend.
The final registration date for Heineken European Cup squads is September 29th.
Another man who has been linked with the province is rugby league player Johnny Hepworth, a 22-year-old centre who has played with the Leeds Rhinos and in Australia.
Leinster - they don't have a Celtic League match this weekend - will, as well as clarifying player issues, today announce their move to the RDS for European Cup matches.
Meanwhile Munster will today announce a squad for their Celtic League match against Llanelli at Musgrave Park on Friday night.
Coach Declan Kidney must plan without Anthony Horgan, who has been ruled out with a knee strain that may keep the in-form winger on the sidelines for a couple of weeks.
He may, however, be able to call upon Lions duo Paul O'Connell and John Hayes, who have finished their pre-season work.
Lions Ronan O'Gara and Donncha O'Callaghan have already returned to the provincial fold and competitive action.
Ulster coach Mark McCall will today name his team for Saturday's trip to the Dragons but will be without his New Zealand-born centre Paul Steinmetz.
The latter has been in superb form but suffered the misfortune of a fractured jaw against Edinburgh at Ravenhill last weekend, a match the home side did very well to win. He is likely to be sidelined for four weeks.
Connacht are set to welcome back James Downey to make his first appearance since his full recovery from a back operation.
His return will be a major boost to Michael Bradley's squad, who go in search of their second home win of the Celtic League season, against the Border Reivers at the Sportsground on Saturday.
The Reivers come into the game on the back of a superb victory over the Ospreys (16-6) on Sunday.
The Welsh side - the defending champions - will be looking for their first win over Connacht in two seasons, having lost both meetings last year, a remarkable achievement for the western province.
This is the first of two crucial home games for Bradley's charges as they entertain Munster the following weekend.
There is no confirmed date as yet for the Connacht Cup final between Connemara and Buccaneers. It will take place on either Saturday (noon) or Sunday (3pm) at the Sportsground.
The International Rugby Board has announced two more global partners for the 2007 World Cup in France.
EDF, one of the leading energy companies in Europe, will be the exclusive partner of energy services while GMF will be the exclusive partner of insurance services. Both companies sponsor the French national team.
