Former minor star Lyndon Fairbrother goaled from a 25m free five minutes into injury time to give JK Brackens a sensational one-point win over Holycross-Ballycahill in the O'Riain Cup (Tipperary Senior B hurling final) at Semple Stadium, yesterday.

Five-try Connacht picked up their second bonus-point victory in a week as Andy Friend’s side overwhelmed Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Andy Friend has knocked down a few barriers since arriving in Galway 15 months ago, and this evening (kick-off 7.35pm) hopes to win in Wales for the first time since he took charge of Connacht.

It mightn’t have been a performance to set the pulses racing but Munster still got the new campaign off to a five-try, bonus point start by hammering the hapless Dragons - even without a dozen of their World Cup-tied players on duty in Japan.

Dragons new head coach Dean Ryan has described this afternoon’s Guinness PRO14 visit to Thomond Park as “a massive challenge”. His forwards coach, Ceri Jones, went a stage further in calling it “the acid test”.

Jim Stokes Auckland-born Sean Reidy makes his 100th appearance for Ulster tomorrow against the Dragons at Rodney Parade - the same opponents he faced when making his debut five years ago.

Simon Lewis Dragons coach Bernard Jackman is under no illusions about the size of the task his side face when they welcome Guinness PRO14 champions Leinster to Rodney Parade this evening.

Cork’s side for tonight’s Munster U21HC semi-final against Waterford in Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7.30pm) will feature five players who have played in this year’s provincial senior championship while none of the Déise side saw action.

Veteran wing Tommy Bowe will be the centre of attention as Ulster seek to consolidate their Guinness PRO14 position when they travel to the compact and atmospheric Rodney Parade to face Bernard Jackman’s Dragons this evening.

Leinster Head Coach Leo Cullen has handed a first start to Josh Murphy in tonight’s Guinness PRO14 clash with the Dragons at the RDS Arena (7.35pm).

Rassie Erasmus admits that he will experience mixed emotions at Musgrave Park tonight when Munster take on the Dragons in what may be his last game as the team’s head coach.

Ulster 52 Dragons 25: Ballymena’s Nick Timoney marked his first Ulster start with a double helping as the home side charged virtually unopposed to the top of Conference B following a comprehensive eight-try drubbing of a dreadful Dragons outfit at the Kingspan Stadium last night.

Connacht return to their happiest hunting ground in the league this evening, bidding for their seventh win in 16 visits to Rodney Parade when they take on Dragons.

Leo Cullen is expecting a Dragons side revitalised under new ownership and the guidance of former team-mate Bernard Jackman when Leinster open their Guinness Pro14 campaign at Rodney Parade in Newport this afternoon (3:15pm).

With Kilkenny not exactly lighting up Cusack Park on Wednesday evening, it was left to Limerick to fire the first warning signal in the race for All-Ireland U21 glory.

Limerick fired an early warning shot that they are one of the leading contenders for All-Ireland U21 glory with this comprehensive 12-point Munster quarter-final dismissal of Tipperary.

This Limerick U21 team carries shades of last year’s Waterford class.

Our Lady’s, Templemore (Tipperary) 0-24 Kilkenny CBS 2-15: Our Lady’s Templemore manager Tom Byrnes is relishing a crack at competition kingpins St Kieran’s in the Croke Cup final on Saturday week.

Joey Carbery will make his first start at full-back for Leinster in their Guinness PRO12 visit to Dragons tonight.

Dr Harty Cup final

Connacht 14 - Dragons 9: Connacht coach Pat Lam says Kieran Marmion is fit to make his first start in the Six Nations next Saturday against France if called into action.

Our Lady’s Templemore 3-14 Thurles CBS 1-10: Our Lady’s Templemore haven’t tasted Harty Cup glory since winning the competition for the one and only time in the school’s history back in 1978.

LAST year’s runners up Our Lady’s Templemore eased into the last four of the Harty Cup with a ten-point victory over local rivals Thurles CBS in front of a huge crowd at The Ragg this afternoon.

Connacht will bid to make it eight wins from eight against Dragons in the Pro12 at Rodney Parade this evening and bounce back from their Leinster nightmare (kick-off 7.15pm).

Tipperary 7-12 Galway 2-12

Munster MHC play-off - Waterford 1-20 Tipperary 1-17: Waterford minor hurling boss Stephen Gough got the response he craved from his team at Walsh Park on Saturday. 

Munster and the Newport Gwent Dragons both received good news yesterday as they prepare for their Guinness Pro12 clash at Thomond Park tonight.

Anthony Foley has laid it on the line for his players ahead of tomorrow’s Guinness PRO12 clash with the Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Tipperary 2-17 Dublin 1-15: When eventually the Dublin dam gave way, Liam Cahill’s young charges flooded through to devastating effect – seven-points in the final 12 minutes comfortably progressing Tipperary to the All-Ireland minor final.

The gates of Cusack Park could be reopened later this month to stage the third round of Clare SHC games.

Tipperary 0-20 Limerick 0-17: A rousing finish from Tipperary – in which Liam Cahill’s charges hit four unanswered points in the final four minutes of action – put paid to Limerick’s Munster minor hurling three-in-a-row bid.

Declan Hannon and Seamus Hickey have been returned to the Limerick hurling team for tomorrow evening’s qualifier clash against Dublin.

Tipperary 1-15 Clare 1-11

Clare minor hurling manager Kenny Morrissey is adamant this evening’s Munster minor semi-final against Tipperary should not have been scheduled so close to the end of the Leaving Cert.

Anthony Foley will send his Munster players out against Newport Gwent Dragons today hoping last Saturday’s late meltdown was not an omen for the last throes of the regular season.

Tipperary 1-14 Waterford 0-16: Despite registering just 1-3 from play, Liam Cahill’s Tipperary did just about enough to book their place in the semi-finals of the Electric Ireland Munster minor hurling championship last night.

GUINNESS PRO12: