Good evening and welcome to our live minute-by-minute coverage of this evening’s crunch games in the Guinness Pro12.

Home semi-finals, play-off places, and Champions Cup qualification are all up for grabs as Connacht travel to Treviso and Munster host Edinburgh in two crunch clashes.

Kick-off in Italy is at 6.30pm Irish time while it’s a 7.35pm start in Musgrave Park.

Stay with us and you won’t miss a thing.

Before we get underway, here’s a look at how things stand:

And if you need a quick reminder of what is at stake for each of the four provinces, and what they need from their final two games, here’s Sean Farrell’s cheat sheet:

• Here’s what your province needs from the last two Pro12 fixtures >

TEAM NEWS: Here’s the Connacht starting XV as named earlier this week — Pat Lam shuffles the deck and makes 10 changes.

15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Niyi Adeolokun
13. Rory Parata
12. Peter Robb
11. Fionn Carr
10. Jack Carty
9. John Cooney

1. Ronan Loughney
2. Tom McCartney (c)
3. Rodney Ah You
4. Quinn Roux
5. Andrew Browne
6. Sean O’Brien
7. Jake Heenan
8. Eoin McKeon

TEAM NEWS: Here’s the Treviso XV

15 Jayden Hayward
14 Ludovico Nitoglia
13 Luca Morisi
12 Alberto Sgarbi11 Angelo Esposito
10 Sam Christie
9 Edoardo Gori

1 Matteo Zanusso
2 Ornel Gega
3 Simone Ferrari
4 Filo Paulo
5 Tom Palmer
6 Francesco Minto
7 Alessandro Zanni (c)
8 Abraham Steyn

KICK OFF: We’re underway in Italy

2 mins – Connacht knock on as they try to run the ball back out and it’ll be a Treviso scrum.

6 mins – Treviso work the ball through the phases and up towards the Connacht 22 but they concede the penalty for coming in from the side and Connacht are able to clear their lines.

9 mins – Great break by Fionn Carr who makes up 30 yards to bring Connacht into the Italians’ half. It looks like they’ve managed to hold him up with the choke tackle and force a turnover, but the referee rules it was never a maul and when it goes to ground, pings Treviso for not rolling away.

11 mins – McCartney goes to the front of the lineout and Connacht have secured possession deep inside the 22. Good platform here…

TRY CONNACHT! Connacht 7-0 Treviso (Parata 12′) Connacht have their first try, and it’s Rory Parata who dives over to touch down.

Robb nearly finds his way through, and then Cooney tries a quick pick and go with Treviso on the back foot. They’re within yards of the line and Jake Heenan shows a delicate touch to pop off to Parata, who scores under the posts.

Cooney converts and Connacht are up and running.

TRY CONNACHT! Treviso 0-14 Connacht (Carr 15′) If there were any nerves from Pat Lam’s men, consider them well and truly banished. Great rugby intelligence from Jack Carty who measures his chip in behind the Treviso line perfectly. Fionn Carr wins the foot race and, despite an awkward bounce, manages to touch down cleanly.

Cooney converts again and Connacht are well on their way.

Alfio Guarise / INPHO Alfio Guarise / INPHO / INPHO

TRY TREVISO! Treviso 5-14 Connacht (Morisi, 20′) Hang on a second… Treviso will try to make a bit of a scrap of this. They win a scrum penalty which allows them to kick play down to inside the Connacht 22, and the lineout is sharp. Centre Luca Morisi barrels through a couple of Connacht tackles and forces his way over the line.

It should be a pretty simple conversion for fullback Jayden Hayward, but he skews it to the right.

TRY TREVISO AGAIN! Treviso 12-14 Connacht (Steyn, 24′) Here come Treviso again! Hayward carries inside Connacht territory before he’s dragged down by O’Halloran. Treviso have the numbers to recycle possession quickly and they move it quickly to the left where number eight Abraham Steyn is isolated one-on-one against the scrambling O’Halloran. He holds off the Connacht man with a big hand-off, and dives over in the corner.

Hayward adds the extras and just like that, Treviso are back within two points!

29 mins – Play has stopped here while one of the Treviso players receives attention for a head injury.

27 mins – Our favourite French ref parody account has its say on that second Treviso try…

29 mins – We’ve just seen the replays of that incident involving Treviso’s first tryscorer Luca Morisi, and despite the referee calling for a HIA, it looks like he may have in fact been injured in the tackle from Tom McCartney. He’s stretchered off.

31 mins – Treviso number eight Abraham Steyn is pinged by the touch judge for a late tackle on O’Halloran as he kicked away possession. Steyn did make contact as he jumped to block the kick but Treviso feel it was innocuous enough.

31 mins – Connacht secure possession inside the Treviso 22 from the lineout. There’s an advantage coming to them for side entry from the Treviso hooker Ornel Gega, and so Jack Carty tries a Hollywood cross-field kick. It’s too high and straight into touch, but we’re back for the Connacht penalty. They’ll go to the corner again.

33 mins – Another soft Connacht penalty as Tom Palmer tackles his man in the air. Treviso’s discipline is really letting them down here.

34 mins – Treviso call a mark and are able to quickly clear their lines. Will Connacht look back on that period of territorial dominance and rue the fact that they didn’t stretch their margin?

36 mins – Treviso win the turnover penalty at the breakdown and are able to kick inside the 22 again. After weathering that Connacht storm, any points here would be a huge boost for the Italians.

37 mins – Treviso go to the back of the lineout… but Filo Paulo knocks it on as he tries to pick and go around the corner. Connacht need a solid scrum here to get themselves out of trouble.

38 mins – And they don’t get it! The ball squirts out from the back of the scrum and a Connacht player plays it illegally. Treviso scrum five metres out.

40 mins – Treviso get a huge shove on and have Connacht turning, but the referee rules that the front rows have popped up first and orders a reset. This will be the last action of the half.

WHAT A LET OFF! The Treviso scrum is on the front foot again, and Steyn peels off the back to go within a couple of feet. They have the numbers out wide… but Hayward lets a high pass squirm free with the Connacht line at his mercy. Connacht survive!

HALF TIME: Treviso 12-14 Connacht

Ok, this is where it starts to get tricky with Munster and Edinburgh getting set to kick off in Musgrave Park very shortly. Here’s a quick reminder of the teams:

Munster

15. Simon Zebo
14. Andrew Conway
13. Francis Saili
12. Rory Scannell
11. Keith Earls
10. Johnny Holland
9. Conor Murray

1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Niall Scannell
3. Stephen Archer
4. Dave Foley
5. Billy Holland
6. Dave O’Callaghan
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. CJ Stander (captain)

Replacements:

16. Mike Sherry
17. James Cronin
18. John Ryan
19. Robin Copeland
20. Jack O’Donoghue
21. Duncan Williams
22. Ian Keatley
23. Ronan O’Mahony

Edinburgh

15. Blair Kinghorn
14. Damien Hoyland
13. Matt Scott
12. Andries Strauss
11. Tom Brown
10. Jason Tovey
9. Sean Kennedy

1. Alasdair Dickinson
2. Ross Ford (captain)
3. WP Nel
4. Anton Bresler
5. Ben Toolis
6. Jamie Ritchie
7. John Hardie
8. Cornell Du Preez

Replacements:

16. Stuart McInally
17. Rory Sutherland
18. John Andress
19. Alex Toolis
20. Magnus Bradbury
21. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
22. Chris Dean
23. Dougie Fife

Anthony Foley: under pressure. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

While you’re waiting for kick off, read Murray Kinsella’s match preview here >

SO IT IS that Anthony Foley’s reign as the top man in Munster comes down to the final two games.

The former number eight, a true legend from his playing days, has two matches to ensure that he is not remembered as the head coach who oversaw Munster’s slip out of the Champions Cup.

One can only imagine the pressure Foley is feeling as the southern province prepares for this evening’s decisive Guinness Pro12 clash with Edinburgh. The 42-year-old cares about Munster more passionately than most.

Unfortunately for Foley, his devotion to the province has not been rewarded with results this season. Instead, Munster find themselves on the brink of failure.

SECOND HALF: We’re back underway in Italy. Can Connacht take their chances to pull clear of Treviso?

41 mins – Jake Heenan pinged for a forward pass and Treviso will have a chance to put more pressure on the visitors’ scrum… and they win a penalty!

KICK OFF: Munster and Edinburgh are underway in Musgrave.

TMO! Have Treviso got over the line here?

43 mins — NO TRY! It looked like Treviso captain Zanni who tried to make those final few inches with a big dive following good carries from Sgarbi and Gega, but there are a lot of bodies and hands and the TMO can’t award the try. Treviso scrum five.

TRY TREVISO! Treviso 19-14 Connacht (Penalty Try, 47′) That has been coming as the Connacht scrum is under massive pressure, and the introduction of Finlay Bealham doesn’t do a huge amount to immediately alleviate it. This time, the pressure is all on tighthead Rodney Ah You who is nearly lifted off his feet, and it’s an easy decision to award the penalty try.

TRY MUNSTER! Munster 7-0 Edinburgh (R Scannell, 6′) Magnificent start for Munster! As the red wave swarms forward, Andrew Conway picks out Rory Scannell in support and he dives over the line. Johnny Holland lands the conversion from out near the touchline.

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

45 mins – Ronan Loughney is having a rough afternoon at the scrum and the referee has his number as he pings him again for going down under pressure. It’s Loughney’s last action as Finlay Bealham comes on to replace him.

TMO! Peter Robb has the ball grounded after a brilliant Connacht move — is there any reason not to award the try?

TRY CONNACHT! Treviso 19-21 Connacht (Robb, 53′) It’s a try! Connacht are at their free-flowing best here and they get their reward. Henshaw provides the final pass but Robb is dangerously close to the touchline as he dives over in the corner… he just about gets there.

It leaves Cooney with a wickedly difficult conversion attempt but, somehow, he makes it! Connacht are back in front!

51 mins – Treviso are making mincemeat of the Connacht scrum here and once again, they have the visitors’ front row under all sorts of pressure and win the penalty.

Couple of changes for Connacht as Parata and Carty go off to be replaced by Henshaw and MacGinty. Will that be the boost that Connacht need?

TRY EDINBURGH! Munster 7-10 Edinburgh (Tovey, 18′) Oh dear, oh dear… Jason Tovey slices through the middle of the Munster defence far too easily with a show-and-go, and touches down under the posts. He converts and Edinburgh have the lead in a Musgrave Park that has fallen pretty silent.

62 mins – Back in Italy, Connacht still have their two-point lead. Treviso have a line-out on the Connacht 22 but they make a hames of it and it allows Tom McCartney to scoop up possession and run it back towards Treviso territory.

21 mins — Munster 10-10 Edinburgh: Powerful running by CJ Stander and Munster have the penalty. There’s work to be done for Johnny Holland but he drops it over the posts. All square!

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

While we were updating you on the action from Musgrave, John Muldoon and JP Cooney came on for Connacht; Heenan and Ah You the two men to make way.

24 mins – Chance for Tovey to kick Edinburgh back into the lead but he misses it.

MUNSTER TRY! Munster 15-10 Edinburgh (Zebo, 27′) That is delicious! Munster’s second try is finished by Simon Zebo but it has Andrew Conway’s fingerprints all over it. He makes the initial break and then chips ahead. The bounce couldn’t be kinder, popping up perfectly as Zebo flicks on the afterburners, and he dashes clear to finish it off.

Again, it’s a tricky conversion attempt for Holland. He starts it left but it never comes back in. Munster lead by five.

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

68 mins – A Treviso knock on gives Connacht the put in to the scrum around 30 metres. Can they get clean possession on their own put-in here and put some points on the board?

32 mins – How did Munster not score there? Stander burrowed and burrowed but there were too many Edinburgh bodies to allow him to get his body turned and touch the ball down. Scrum five Munster.

69 mins – Connacht lose their chance as Bealham is pinged for going in off his feet at the scrum, but they manage to turn over possession and drive back inside the 22.

MUNSTER TRY! Munster 20-10 Edinburgh (Conway, 33′) Great composure by Munster and they get their reward with a third try — and nobody deserves to get in on the act more than Andrew Conway, who set up the first two. Stander finds Billy Holland in support, and his floated pass allows the winger to pick his gap in the Edinburgh defence and dive over.

Johnny Holland can’t add the extras but there’s 10 between the sides now as we near the break.

Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

74 mins – Six minutes on the clock in Italy. Can Connacht hang on for a massive win?

75 mins – Oooooh, so close for Connacht. Henshaw can’t quite gather a grubber cleanly but it looks like it comes off his shin rather than a hand, and as he scrambles to secure the ball, Caolan Blade arrives like a steamtrain in support. Connacht are only a couple of yards short if they can recycle but Treviso have too many bodies and it comes back on their side.

77 mins – Treviso quickly move the ball back down deep inside Connacht territory but the visitors force the turnover and then respond through a lightning counter-attack by Fionn Carr. Again, he has Blade inside him — magnificent support running again — but when he’s eventually hauled down, he’s isolated and Treviso poach an easy turnover.

This is going to be end-to-end stuff for the last few minutes. Connacht can’t even afford to concede a kickable penalty, remember.

79 mins – Treviso have the ball inside the Connacht 22. Less than two minutes to play. A mistake from either side here will decide the game.

80 mins — CONNACHT PENALTY! Filo Paulo is pinged for dangerous play, hammering JP Cooney illegally, and Connacht just need to survive for another 58 seconds.

80 mins – Connacht kick to touch, win the lineout… but they’re pinged for “a clear forward pass.” Blade was the offender. It’s a Treviso scrum on the half way line with 10 seconds to play…

80+1 mins – Scrum down. Reset.

TREVISO PENALTY! Just inside the Connacht half…

Hayward’s going for goal. Can he snatch it for Treviso with the clock deep into the red?

HAYWARD MAKES IT! TREVISO WIN! Treviso 22-21 Connacht

That is heartbreaking for Connacht! Hayward booms over a penalty from almost 50 metres in the 83rd minute… and Treviso have upset Connacht with the final kick of the game.

A disappointing finale but the losing bonus point is enough to secure Connacht a place in the Pro12 semi-finals for the first time.

SECOND HALF: Straight back over to Musgrave Park where we’re ready to go again. Munster lead Edinburgh 20-13.

44 mins — Munster 20-16 Edinburgh (Tovey pen) Tovey finished that first half with three kicks from four, and he slots another now to bring Edinburgh back to within four points.

47 mins – Munster concede two penalties in quick succession at the same lineout, one for a tackle in the air and the other for diving over the top, but Edinburgh can’t find touch.

50 mins – Munster are struggling to keep control of possession, and struggling to keep pressure on Edinburgh. It’s a scrum to the visitors on the halfway line…

51 mins – “It appears to me that we’re having a reset on every primary scrummage,” says the ref – and he ain’t happy.

51 mins – WP Nel gets the better of Dave Kilcoyne there. The scrum goes down on the Munster loosehead’s side and Edinburgh are able to kick their way to just short of the Munster 22.

52 mins – Edinburgh fumble it forward as John Hardie tries to pass to Nel, and Munster have the put-in to the scrum and a chance to clear their lines. Stander picks, and then drops, at the back of the scrum but the ref wants a reset.

54 mins – This time Munster keep the scrum stable for long enough and Stander picks and goes. He’s brought down but Jason Tovey’s tackle is very high, and after letting play develop for a couple of phases, the TMO brings it back for a Munster penalty.

55 mins – Munster sub: James Cronin is on to replace Dave Kilcoyne… and he makes an immediate impact at the breakdown to help Munster win a penalty!

58 mins — Munster sub: Mike Sherry on to replace Niall Scannell

61 mins – Twelve phases of Edinburgh pressure is met by Munster resistance and, on the lucky 13th, Chris Dean comes in from the side and it’s a Munster penalty. Excellent defending there.

63 mins – Edinburgh scrum as Mike Sherry knocks on. As you can probably tell from these updates, there hasn’t been a huge amount of quality rugby played so far in this half… not that Munster will be too worried if they can hold on for the win.

64 mins – Munster hammered at the scrum again and it’s time for the referee to have a word with CJ Stander. You get the sense that might be Munster’s final warning and that it could be a yellow card for the next offence.

65 mins — Munster 20-19 Edinburgh (Hidalgo-Clyne penalty) Hidalgo-Clyne makes no mistake with the resulting penalty and we’re set up for a nailbiting finish here in Musgrave.

67 mins – Massive, massive maul from Munster who power their way from outside the Edinburgh 22 to within inches of the try line, thanks in no small part to the dogged work of Mike Sherry at the head of proceedings. He’s brought down just before the line and when the ball doesn’t come back, it’s an Edinburgh scrum. So close.

68 mins – Sherry is pinged for not driving straight at the scrum. What a needless penalty for Munster to give away with Edinburgh backed up on their own line. The visitors clear.

71 mins – Big chance for Munster here as Edinburgh are pinged for not rolling away… but Conor Murray can’t even find touch with the penalty and it comes straight back at them. Simon Zebo then hoofs the ball out on the full to follow up a mistake with a mistake. That’s poor.

74 mins – Great breakdown battling by  Munster, and by John Ryan in particular, and they have Edinburgh back-pedalling here. Matt Scott plays the ball on the ground and Munster kick to the corner. They desperately need to make this count.

76 mins – Another Munster penalty as Magnus Bradbury comes in from the side. They’re within six or seven yards of the line here — could they snatch a fourth try and a bonus point?

76 mins – Back to the corner we go, and Munster secure possession… just short!

TMO! Keith Earls is close — but is he close enough? Try: yes or no?

NO TRY! The referee is happy to leave it up to his TMO, and he rightly says it’s inconclusive if Earls managed to reach the line. Munster scrum five, four minutes on the clock — can they survive the Edinburgh heave?

MUNSTER TRY! Munster 27-19 Edinburgh (Saili, 77′)

THAT. IS. MASSIVE. Munster have their bonus point, and provided they can hold out, they’ll deny Edinburgh a losing one as well. Stander picks off the back of the scrum, and it’s Saili who make the decisive yards with James Cronin driving him every inch of the way.

Holland converts and Munster lead by eight. Never in doubt?

FULL TIME: Munster 27-19 Edinburgh

That wasn’t Munster at their best by any stretch of the imagination but it hardly matters, does it? Job done! They can secure their return to the Champions Cup next week and their destiny remains very much in their own hands.

That’s all from us on a marathon evening of Pro12 rugby. Thanks for reading.