Meanwhile, uncapped Leinster back-row Will Connors has been drafted into Andy Farrell's squad.

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

With 15 players away with the Ireland team as World Cup preparations intensify, Munster front row forward Stephen Archer says there is a great opportunity for the province’s young stars to stand up and be counted.

Munster Senior Challenge Cup specialists Cork Constitution will open their title defence with a mouth-watering tie against 2018 champions Garryowen.

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.

Towering Munster Academy lock Thomas Ahern will make his Ireland U20 debut in today’s final Pool B clash with Italy at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Santa Fe (kick-off 2.30pm Irish time — live on eir Sport 1).

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.

Regular readers will be familiar with my views on the club game in this country and the role it can still play for professional players at either end of the rugby spectrum.

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

Size isn’t everything. Generations of Irish forwards have learned that much.

Over 5,500 tickets have been sold for the game at Musgrave Park, which kicks off at 7:15pm on Friday night.

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

Munster coach Johann van Graan believes that his squad’s recent contract extensions mean that Munster’s hand will be stronger than ever going into tomorrow’s extremely testing clash with the Scarlets in Llanelli and for the remainder of what promises to be an demanding programme of matches in the PRO14 and the European Champions Cup.

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

Cork Constitution captured the Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup for the 30th time at Thomond Park this afternoon when scoring a fully deserved 26-23 victory over their old rivals Garryowen.

The World Rugby U20 Championship has been horrendous for Ireland but one of the few bright sparks has been the emergence of Jack Daly, the latest to come off the remarkable Currow conveyor belt in Kerry.

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.

Terenure College and Garryowen were the big winners on the final day of Division 1A’s regular season, setting up semi-final clashes with defending champions Cork Constitution and table-topping Lansdowne respectively.

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.

Niall O’Driscoll is living the life of a rugby nomad. Since leaving Cork Con five years ago, he has captained the Cayman Islands at the North American/Caribbean Sevens Championship and now plays for the Dubai Eagles, who are coached by his own brother.

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

There are nine new caps in the Ireland Under-20 team for their Six Nations opener against France on Friday.

It’s the job of the Ireland U20s coach to push and prod the players of tomorrow further down the development line but Noel McNamara found himself talking about one from the past yesterday.

Garryowen 18 ... UL Bohemian 3: Garryowen claimed their 39th Munster Senior Cup when overwhelming local rivals UL Bohemian 18-3 in their all-Limerick final at the Markets Field last night.

There were times throughout the last century when a Munster Senior Cup clash of Garryowen and Cork Constitution would have tested the capacities of Markets Field, Thomond Park, The Mardyke or Musgrave Park.

Italy 22 Ireland 21: Munster’s Calvin Nash ran in a couple of tries, but Ireland’s hopes of reaching successive World Rugby U20 Championship finals took a nosedive as Italy pipped them at the death in Georgia.

Ireland U20 head coach Peter Malone is looking forward to having another crack at New Zealand as he prepares to bring his side into battle for this summer’s World Rugby U20 Championships in Georgia, writes Daire Walsh.

Ireland 27 France 22: Not a performance to shout about, but Ireland’s U20s did just about enough to make it three wins from three in this year’s Six Nations at Donnybrook last night.

A look ahead to today’s action in Divisions 1A and 1B...

Rassie Erasmus will not be expecting perfection when he sends his Munster charges into action for the first time tonight.

Garryowen 8 Young Munster 14: Young Munster took a giant step towards qualifying for the semi-finals of this season’s Ulster Bank League with a hard fought 14-8 Division 1A derby victory over local rivals Garryowen at Dooradoyle last night.

DIVISION 1A