Ireland Schools 2 England Schools 2

Ulster lock Lewis Stevenson got a sniff of what international rugby was about earlier this month. Now he wants more.

Munster have confirmed that prop Darragh Hurley is the latest player to be forced to retire an account of ongoing injury problems.

Waterford United threw a spanner in Limerick FC’s promotion drive with a well deserved victory from last night’s Munster derby at Jackman Park.

ALL eyes may be on Thomond Park and the Aviva Stadium this weekend, but the more discerning Munster and Leinster supporters will also be keeping tabs on proceedings at the RDS this evening.

Barry O’Mahony, the one-time Ireland Schools and Dolphin wing-forward, was one of five former Munster players to take a leading role as Clontarf pulled off a hugely important victory over Young Munster in the Ulster Bank League at Clifford Park on Saturday.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS winger Vasily Artemyev admits he still has sleepless nights about Ronan O’Gara’s stunning drop-goal at Thomond Park two months ago and has vowed to take revenge on Munster this weekend.

CENTRE Rory O’Loughlin and replacement wing David Busby finished off well-worked moves for the Ireland Schools to outgun the Ireland Clubs in this Age-Grade International at Merrion Road yesterday.

Danny Barnes returns to the Munster side for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Cardiff Blues at the Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow night (7.05pm).

SEAN O’BRIEN put an end to any doubts he couldn’t be moulded into an effective openside flanker about the same time as he was busy knocking Australia out of shape last Saturday in Auckland.

Connacht Rugby have continued their recruitment drive for next season by securing the services of Harlequins scrum-half David Moore for next season.

Leinster Rugby have announced today the signing of Connacht and Ireland hooker Sean Cronin who will join the province in the summer on a two-year deal.

ALL known logic was almost defied as the Ireland Schools came within eight minutes of trumping all-powerful England in an adrenaline-fuelled FIRA U18 European Championship qualifier at Donnybrook yesterday.

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney is bracing himself for a possible second major injury blow in as many days with skipper Brian O’Driscoll another injury concern for tomorrow’s Six Nations opener against Italy at Croke Park.

Clifden's Tiernan O’Halloran, 18, will make his competitive debut for Connacht against Olympus Rugby Madrid in the Challenge Cup tomorrow at the Sportsground.

Stephen Keogh will lead Leinster out in their first match of the season in a pre-season friendly against Rugby Nice Cote d'Azur in the south of France (KO: 6pm Irish time, 7pm local).

Leinster Academy manager Colin McEntee has announced the squad of young players charged with making the breakthrough into the senior set-up.

Cork Constitution have delved into the transfer market to take Scott Deasy, Stephen Archer, Ian Nagle and Peter Murphy away from UCC ahead of the start of the AIB League.

ONE hundred years after lifting the inaugural Munster Schools Senior Cup, Christian Brothers College, Cork could bring perfect symmetry to the record books if they prevail in tomorrow’s final, sponsored by Avonmore Milk, at Musgrave Park (3pm).

ANDREW BURKE gets a chance to prove his credentials as a potentially top-class out-half when he makes his first appearance for Ireland U-20 against France at Dubarry Park tonight (7.30pm).

With Declan Kidney giving youth its chance in Ireland’s opening autumn Test against Canada, Brian O’Driscoll has spoken of the excitement of being involved in what he feels is a rejuvenated Irish squad.

Jordi Murphy’s Leinster Schools caned their Ulster counterparts for four tries in the Schools (Under-18) Inter-provincial Championship at Donnybrook today.

Mike Catt is the surprise selection at out-half for London Irish at home to Perpignan in the Heineken Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

The Ireland U-19 team will begin their international season this Saturday with a match against Italy in Malahide RFC, Dublin.

AFTER the shock exit of holders PBC, Christian Brothers College find themselves as hot favourites to add another Avonmore Munster Schools Senior Cup title to an impressive haul of trophies won over the decades.

EVEN GUEST speaker Alex Ferguson couldn’t help but smile when James Sandford stood alongside him in the Mansion House yesterday, remarking with a smile that the 6ft 5 inch UUJ student “might do a job” for him in the centre of the Manchester United defence!

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IF versatility was one of the buzzwords used by coaches this week in the context of picking a 30-man squad for the World Cup, then Gavin Duffy’s ability to play at 10, centre, wing or full back marks him out as shoo-in for next month’s tournament in France.

The Ireland Schools team management has made several changes from the team that defeated Italy 22-5 in the first game of the Six Nations Schools tournament for their next game against France.

The Ireland Schools selectors have named a 26-strong squad to take on Japan U19s this weekend and also to represent Ireland at the 6 Nations U18 tournament to take place in Glasgow from April 8 to 14.

CRESCENT COLLEGE Comprehensive’s Andrew Burke is out of the all-Limerick Avonmore Munster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final clash with Ard Scoil Ris at Thomond Park this afternoon (3pm).

Ireland Schools win final game

The Ireland Schools team fell to their second defeat of the Four-Nations tournament in Gloucester when they were beaten 35-14 by Wales today.

The Ireland Schools team to play England schools tomorrow in the opening game of the U18 4 Nations Schools tournament shows two personnel and three positional changes to the side that played against France last weekend in a friendly.

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Leinster Rugby have announced the signing of Munster back row forward Stephen Keogh for this summer on a two-year deal.

LEINSTER have signed Australian second row Adam Byrnes on a two-year deal.

Former Ireland Schools fly-half Andrew Dunne has signed a two-year deal with Bath.

The following are the Ireland Schools teams to play Ireland U19s and Ireland Youths over christmas.

Ireland Schools openside Barry O’Mahony will lead provincial champions Munster Schools into action against Ulster Schools at Campbell College this Saturday.

Ireland's schools side ended their seven-game tour down under on a losing note, as they succumbed to Australia 23-12 overnight in Canberra.

The Ireland Schools team to take on Austalia Schools tomorrow at Vikings RFC in Canberra has been named.

Ireland Schools just about held on their unbeaten record with a 14-5 win over New South Wales Schools in the Double Bay suburb of Sydney.