Munster will have its largest representation for any Irish panel in many years next week when eight players travel with the U18 squad to Lilleshall for a series with England.

Ireland U20s assistant coach Kieran Campbell expects his side to be more ruthless in tonight’s Six Nations second round clash with Wales at Musgrave Park (kick-off 7.15pm).

Ireland Club head coach Gearoid Prendergast has made two changes to his starting line-up for their return game at home to Scotland.

The coaching group have also named four development players who will train with the squad.

Cork’s two leading lights C of I and Harlequins have set about their task of restoring a Munster presence in the EY Hockey League’s top tier in the best possible fashion.

A tremendous late rally by a depleted Coughlan C&S Neptune side secured them maximum points (80-74) over DCU Saints following a titanic battle at the DCU Complex on Saturday.

Holders Kilmacud Crokes kept alive their ambitions of back-to-back Dublin SFC titles when accounting for 14-man Clontarf by 0-16 to 0-8 in their quarter-final at Parnell Park yesterday.

Stephen Findlater Hockey

Cork C of I and Harlequins start the long road in pursuit of a place for Munster at the top table of the national league stage with their maiden games in EY Hockey League Division 2 tomorrow.

C&S Neptune remain unbeaten in the Men’s Super League after a terrific 79-75 win over UCD Marian. The only other undefeated side are newly promoted Eanna, who inflicted a shock 87-70 defeat on Garvey’s Tralee Warriors.

Julian Dale’s last-minute goal earned Cork Harlequins a memorable 2-1 win over Corinthian in the Irish Senior Cup as the Munster Division One side knocked out EY Hockey League opposition at Farmers’ Cross.

Ireland will take a fully fit squad to Japan for the World Cup.

Munster out-half Joey Carbery is part of the 40-man squad flying to Portugal today for an eight-day warm-weather training camp.

Ultan Dillane and Rory Scannell became the first players to be jettisoned from Ireland’s World Cup planning as Joe Schmidt’s training squad was trimmed ahead of Saturday’s opening summer Test against Italy.

Tom Willis’ last-minute try ruined the Ireland Under-20s’ final quarter fightback as England won a titanic play-off 30-23 in awful underfoot conditions in Rosario.

Tom Willis’ last-minute try ruined the Ireland Under-20s’ final quarter fight-back as England won a titanic World Rugby U-20 Championship play-off 30-23 in awful underfoot conditions in Rosario.

In the John West Féile Hurling Division 2 final, Kilcormac/Killoughey (Offaly) had a three-point win over Cork's Valley Rovers, thanks to a goal from Arran Danzell, with Brecon Kavanagh lifting the cup for them.

Irish exploration company Clontarf Energy has said it remains "hopeful" it can reach agreement on a long-running dispute over lost acreage in Ghana.

Ireland U20s coach Noel McNamara insists his full focus is on the upcoming Junior World Cup despite suggestions that he could be a possible candidate for a role with Munster under Johann van Graan.

The party will be whittled down to 28 before departure for Santa Fe, via Amsterdam and Buenos Aires. Ireland face England, Australia and Italy in their pool: a tough task.

Cork Constitution celebrated their second All-Ireland League Division 1A title in three years following an impressive 28-13 final victory over Clontarf at the Aviva Stadium.

Cork Con's clash with Clontarf is live on RTÉ 2

Clontarf centre Sean O’Brien is determined to follow in his older brother Conor’s footsteps and win an All-Ireland League title at the Aviva Stadium next Sunday.

Cork Constitution are through to their fourth successful All Ireland Final next Sunday in the Aviva Stadium where they will face Clontarf after a deserved win over Trinity at Temple Hill yesterday afternoon.

Clontarf centre Sean O'Brien is determined to follow in his older brother Conor's footsteps and win an All-Ireland League title at the Aviva Stadium next Sunday.

2014 and 2016 winners Clontarf proved too strong for defending All-Ireland League champions Lansdowne as they deservedly clinched their place in next Sunday's Division 1A final after a hard-fought 23-15 victory at a windy Castle Avenue.

Dave Mervyn looks ahead to this weekend's AIL action.

Joe Schmidt has made seven changes to the Ireland team to face France in Sunday's Six Nations clash.

Cronin has been dropped from the 37-man squad just a week after his first Six Nations start in 68 international appearances.

Billy Scannell, the younger brother of internationals Niall and Rory, will be looking to make his first U20 cap on Friday.

An 82nd-minute penalty from Chris O’Leary gave UCC a dramatic win over DCU in a tense Fitzgibbon semi-final tonight. Tom Kingston’s side held on, despite a late, late penalty appeal from their opponents, to celebrate a first final appearance in six years.

Three teams in the lower half of All-Ireland League Division 1A all won on Saturday

Dave Egner has divided loyalties this weekend as the Cork Harlequins side he plays for face the UCC team he coaches in the Irish Hockey Trophy.

UCC Demons got their Men’s SuperLeague off to winning start with a comfortable 100-88 away win over great rivals C & S Neptune.

The prospect of a shock victory was but a false promise when Ireland took a 12 points lead into the break in the opening match of the World Rugby U-20 Championship in Perpignan.

Ireland, ever-present in the tournament since it started in Wales in 2008, will face a baptism of fire this evening when they open their World Rugby U20 Championship campaign against France at Stade Aime Giral.

Joe Schmidt called it their "most difficult selection process" yet.

Cork Constitution’s form in the capital has not been great this season - four losses in six trips - but a repeat of last April’s 19-16 semi-final win at Lansdowne would do nicely when they visit Terenure College this afternoon.

Last year’s beaten finalists, Ballymun Kickhams, got their Dublin SFC campaign up and running on a positive note as they defeated St Brigid’s by 2-13 to 1-10 in their Group 4 clash at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.

Lansdowne continue to look the team to beat in Ulster Bank League Division 1A after winning at Tom Clifford Park for the first time since 2011, while defending champions Cork Constitution have leapfrogged Terenure College in pursuit of the second home semi-final berth.

Wednesday morning on Dublin’s southside and the brain is having to compute a few new realities.

Basketball

There are also three new faces on the bench from the win over Wales.

The prospect of an Irish U20s jersey must have seemed a distant dream to a 16-year-old Tom O’Toole, as he looked out the window of Campbell College, in Belfast, on his first night at the school, and thought about the family he had left 10,000 miles behind, in Australia.