PERHAPS a place in the final was more than Nenagh Ormond anticipated a few weeks ago, but Saturday’s last gasp defeat by Queens University in the AIB Division Three final at Anglesea Road was a bitter pill to swallow nonetheless.

JEREMY Manning, a player whose season has been ravaged by injury, demonstrated his potential with two smashing tries in Munster’s British & Irish Cup semi-final victory at Thomond Park on Saturday.

HAVING defeated Ulster twice this season in the A Interprovincial Championship, Munster will be fancied to complete the hat-trick as they take on the Ravens in the semi-final of the inaugural British & Irish Cup at Thomond Park this afternoon.

ALAN QUINLAN is back in the Munster squad for Saturday’s Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).

THE inaugural IRB Junior World Championship, to be held in Wales in June, will be uppermost in the minds of respective Irish and Welsh U20 team coaches Eric Elwood and Patrick Horgan at Dubarry Park, Athlone, tonight (7.30pm).

IT’S a very social club, is Bruff RFC, and that was much in evidence at last Saturday’s vital AIL division 3 match against promotion rivals Queens University, from Belfast.

IRISH U20 coach Eric Elwood isaiming for another Grand Slam success this season, but accepts that the fixture schedule is a tougher proposition this time around.

LEINSTER bid for the U-20 Interprovincial title at Dubarry Park, Athlone tomorrow (4pm) in a must-win game against an Ulster side who have won all three games so far.