Ulster’s unbeaten record in the Magners League came to an end at rain-soaked Murrayfield as David Blair’s drop goal put the seal on Edinburgh’s win.

A total of 13 Irish players are included in the field for the 115th Amateur Championship which gets underway next Monday June 14 at Muirfield & North Berwick Golf Clubs.

ULSTER got their first Magners League win of the season over a Scottish side and in the process took five points to make sure that they will stay ahead of Connacht and earn a Heineken Cup place next season.

Connacht 22 Edinburgh 21

THREE penalties from James Arlidge were enough to earn the Dragons a valuable Magners League victory in Edinburgh.

IRELAND’S top golfers have overwhelmingly come out in favour of the ‘3’ Irish Open moving next year to Killarney.

RONAN O’GARA yesterday warned the Emerging Springboks that the wounded British and Irish Lions remain a dangerous animal.

Donncha O’Callaghan has described being appointed British and Irish Lions captain as the biggest honour of his life.

Portstewart's Paul Cutler and Portmarnock’s James Fox fired three-under-par 69s to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at fast-running Baltray.

Edinburgh 27 Leinster 16

LEINSTER finally overcame their Edinburgh Heineken Cup bogey at Murrayfield on Saturday to secure victory and gain a priceless away bonus point.

Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson has been forced to put flanker Scott Newlands in for the injured Alan MacDonald in the only change to his side away to Leinster in the Magner's League on Friday night.

WALES have ruled out Grand Slam winner Warren Gatland leading the Lions to South Africa.

Walker Cup hopeful Jonathan Caldwell staked a strong claim for selection in yesterday's Irish Amatuer Close Championship at Cork, where he shot a five under par 67 to lead the field after day one.

Banbridge's Richard Kilpatrick fired a sensational six-under par 66 to scorch into an impressive six-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Co Louth.

Limerick's Pat Murray fired a three under par 69 to share the first round lead in the East of Ireland Amateur Championship at Baltray.

Walker Cup hopefuls Simon Ward and Jonathan Caldwell will lead the chase for the East of Ireland Amateur Open at Co Louth on Saturday.

Walker Cup skipper Colin Dalgleish has hailed Holywood star Rory McIlroy as a similar talent to Spanish wonderkid Sergio Garcia.

NORTHAMPTON boosted their hopes of earning a quarter-final place in the Heineken Cup with a solid bonus-point triumph over struggling Borders in a match switched from storm-lashed Netherdale to Murrayfield at short notice.

OSPREYS boss Lyn Jones has predicted “an encounter to remember” when his star-studded Welsh challengers tackle English champions Sale Sharks in a mouth-watering Heineken Cup clash this evening.

Holywood's Rory McIlroy and Portmarnock veteran Adrian Morrow share the clubhouse lead in the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close Championship at the European Club.

The Irish Amateur Close Championship at Westport Golf Club

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan called for a final flourish from his side as they ended a gruelling international season against South Africa at Newlands today.

Shaun Payne could be forgiven if he felt even a tiny bit of divided loyalty when Ireland take on South Africa in Saturday’s crucial Second Test match in Cape Town.

English man Philip Harrison squeezed in among leading Irish players John Dwyer and Damian Mooney during the second round in the £20,000 McCambridge-Duffy pro-am tournamant at City of Derry.

Brendan McGovern chalked up his tenth win of the season when he topped the leaderboard after the 36-holes €23,000 Shell-backed Dr William Flynn Memorial pro-am tournament at Shannon.

David Ryan, the former Irish Assistants' Champion from the Cork Club at Little Island, swept to the top of the leaderboard at Shannon in the first round of the €22,860 Dr William Flynn Memorial pro-am that is sponsored by Shell.

South Africa 19 Wales 8

Philip Walton put in a stroming finish at sunny Castlerock when he carded a two-under-par 71 to snatch the overnight lead in the first round of the £110,000 Smurfit PGA Irish Region Championship.

Philip Walton chalked up his first win on the Irish PGA Tour in more than two years with a storming finish in the 36-holes £20,000 AIB Connemara pro-am.

A closing three-under-par 68 at City of Derry gave Headfort professional

Eddie Doyle, from The Heath Golf Club in Co Laois, upstaged the European

Slade Valley Club professional John Dignam joined Challenge Tour players