Tommy Bowe© Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

A superb last minute conversion from Paddy Jackson ensured that the spoils were shared at the Kingspan Stadium as Ulster drew 23-23 with Munster to set up a dramatic clash next weekend to decide who will host the Guinness PRO12 semi-finals.

The game also saw Ulster's Iain Henderson red-carded late in the second half for leading with his head when hitting Ronan O'Mahony at a ruck, forcing the home side to finish the game with 14-men.

Ulster's hopes of hosting a semi-final now also look to be somewhat unlikely as they not only have to win at Glasgow next week but also have to hope that Munster and the Ospreys fail to taste victory.

Tries at the end of either half - the first a cracker from Tommy Bowe and Paul Marshall bagging the second - got Ulster back into a game which looked to be slipping away from them while Munster managed six penalties from Ian Keatley and a try from Keith Earls.

Ulster turned a 9-0 deficit round into a 10-9 lead right at the end of the first half through Bowe's dramatic try and then battled back from 23-16 and Henderson's red card to snatch the draw.

Connacht kept alive their hopes of European Champions Cup qualification with a 40-10 away win over bottom-of-the-table Zebre in the Guinness PRO12.

A 10th win of the season, which marks a season's best for Pat Lam's men, lifted them level with Scarlets in the all-important sixth place which would secure a place in Europe's elite knockout competition for next season.

Scrum-half John Cooney scored two first-half tries to put the Irishmen on their way to a 10th successive win over the Italian minnows.

Brendon Leonard pulled a try back for the home side on 26 minutes and Luciano Orquera closed the gap further with the conversion and a penalty.

However, winger Matt Healy also went over for Connacht in the first half, with Jack Carty kicking his third conversion to make it 21-10 at the break, and back rower Eoghan Masterson secured the bonus point with a fourth touchdown 14 minutes into the second half.

Connacht then pulled away, adding further tries through Tiernan O'Halloran and Shane O'Leary in the final 10 minutes to overwhelm the Italian side, who were led by veteran flanker Mauro Bergamasco in his final home game.

Bergamasco, who recently turned 36, is bowing out after 18 years of club rugby at Petrarca Padova, Benetton Treviso, Stade Francais, Aironi and Zebre and will finally hang up his boots after this autumn's World Cup.