DCU produced a ruthless attacking display against Queen’s University at St Clare’s on Sunday to storm into the Sigerson Cup semis.

The furnishings in Pairc Ui Rinn won’t rival Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano for comfort anytime soon, but no-one was forced to the edge of their seats Saturday night in Cork as the hosts romped to a 21-point Munster SFC semi final victory over Limerick.

Clare secured safe passage to a fifth Munster semi-final meeting with Kerry in six years, but what they produced in this desperately poor provincial quarter-final fixture won’t be anywhere near sufficient to even remotely trouble Kerry.

Tipperary 2-12 Antrim 0-13: A much-improved second-half display saw Tipperary claim an opening day victory over Antrim in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League.

Cavan 2-13 Carlow 0-12: Hosts Cavan became one of a select group of counties to win an All-Ireland qualifier following the infamous six-day-turnaround.

Brendan Murphy kicked 1-4 and Darragh Foley eight points as Carlow enjoyed a convincing qualifier win over Wicklow.

Offaly 0-15 Clare 1-11: Offaly added their name to the shortlist of Division 3 promotion candidates yesterday when they overcame the concession of a late Eoin Cleary goal to snatch the last score of an entertaining contest against Clare at O’Connor Park.

UCD 0

O’Byrne Cup - Offaly 0-13 Louth 1-9: A late Louth rally came up short as Offaly rang in the new year with a win in Darver. 

Cork Constitution 19 UCD 19: Four games in, Cork Constitution still await their first win of the Ulster Bank League campaign after Saturday’s Division 1A clash with University College Dublin ended in stalemate at Temple Hill.

Wexford 1-10 Meath 0-12

Louth 3-11 Carlow 2-10

Longford 4-13 Wicklow 1-5

Allianz FL Division 4 Round 2: Carlow 2-9 London 0-13: Second-half goals from Hughie Gahan and Darragh O’Brien proved decisive as Carlow just held off the sustained challenge of London in this entertaining fog-shrouded NFL Division 4 tie at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday.

Dolphin 34 UCD 15: In a week when Munster announced the departure of its brightest young talent, JJ Hanrahan, the province’s head coach Anthony Foley may not have to look too far to nurture another burgeoning tyro.

Rathnew (Wicklow) 1-13 Rathvilly (Carlow) 1-09

Cork Constitution 19 UCD 6

ULSTER BANK LEAGUE:

Athlone IT 1-15 Carlow 0-13

Shannon 0 UCD 42

DIT 1-15 Wexford 1-11

Two goals in the space of two minutes in the opening half proved decisive as Carlow went on to an eight-point victory over Wexford in their Leinster MFC losers’ section at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow, last night.

There are plenty of rugby traditions to baffle the uninitiated — New Zealand’s haka, the French smuggling cockerels into stadiums, clubs touring to the other side of the world for no practical reason whatsoever — and university rugby is no different.

The teams for this weekend's All-Ireland League fixtures have been announced.

Blackrock College will be able to call on the strike power of their Ireland U20s Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken in Division 1A against a Dolphin disrupted without their regular number eight James Coughlan, who has been called up by Munster.

The teams for this weekend's round of All-Ireland League rugby matches have been announced.

Cork Constitution will have to wait and see if their centre Scott Deasy is available to play – he is a replacement for Munster against Leinster – against UL-Bohemians at Annacotty tomorrow as they bid to return to the top of Division 1A of the AIB League.

Leaders Cork Constitution plan to utilise Munster's Jeremy Manning at out-half with David Lyons slipping back to full-back for the first-versue-second tussle with St Mary's College in Division 1A of the AIB League at Templeville Raod on Saturday.

Blackrock College co-coaches Barry Gibney and Emmett Farrell bring in prop Sean Byrne to tight-head as their only change to the leaders' side to play Clontarf at Castle Avenue.

The teams for this weekend's upcoming AIB League fixtures have been annnounced today.

AIB League teams

The team lineups for this weekend’s AIB League fixtures have been announced.

Team news ahead of this weekend's All-Ireland League clashes.

All the team details for the opening weekend of the 2007/8 AIB League.

THE curtain comes down on a successful IRB under 19 World Championship in Belfast today, with the host nation bidding to finish on a positive note when they face Scotland in the 9th Place Play-Off Final at Ravenhill (3pm).

A TOURNAMENT that started so promisingly for Ireland U19s now sees the hosts fighting for respectability.

WHAT drama at Ravenhill last evening as Ireland snatched victory from under the noses of Scotland in the IRB U-19 World Championship.

THE palpable sense of disappointment in the aftermath of Ireland U19’s 15-10 bonus point defeat to Australia, demonstrated a deep-rooted realisation that a top four finish — and a place in the World Championship semi-finals — is well within this side’s grasp.

COACH Eric Elwood has named an unchanged Ireland U20 team for tomorrow’s Grand Slam decider against Italy.

Leinster 17 Munster 7