Newport-Gwent Dragons 13 Ulster 20

DENIS LEAMY has admitted Munster are determined to do the Magners League and Amlin Challenge Cup double after he led his side to a hard-fought triumph over the Scarlets in west Wales.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan handed the captain’s armband to seasoned international back-rower Denis Leamy, but named an experimental side to face Llanelli Scarlets in tonight’s Magners League clash in Wales.

International referee Alan Lewis has announced his intention to retire from refereeing at the end of this season.

HARLEQUINS will provide the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final opposition for Munster should they prevail in Brive today, after the English side won a London derby with Wasps 32-22 at The Stoop last night.

LIMERICK referee George Clancy will take charge of the opening game of this year’s Rugby World Cup.

JAMES COUGHLAN scored the game’s only try but it was Munster’s defence that saw them put one foot in the Magners League play-offs in Cardiff last night.

LEINSTER will have Welsh referee Nigel Owens in charge of their Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Leicester, following the latest round of appointments for next month’s European Rugby Cup matches.

OLD BELVEDERE 17 YOUNG MUNSTER 19

GARRYOWEN swept Shannon aside in convincing fashion under the Dooradoyle lights last night to climb off the bottom of Division 1A of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League and in the process gave their ailing season a massive boost.

Saracens 14 Clermont Auvergne 24

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS secured revenge over Connacht for an opening day Magners League thrashing in Galway this season by clinching a one-point victory at Rodney Parade.

MUNSTER skipper Paul O’Connell received bad news yesterday, as a European Rugby Cup (ERC) appeals committee decided a four-week ban was just reward for the red card he sustained in the Heineken Cup win over the Ospreys earlier this month.

Perpignan 24 Leicester 19

ALL BLACKS hierarchy have complained about Irish referees’ lack of fitness for the second time in less than six months with head coach Graham Henry taking a swipe at Irish whistler Alan Lewis.

“ALL or nothing” – that’s how Toulon and England star Jonny Wilkinson is viewing Saturday’s showdown at Thomond Park with Munster after helping his side to a Heineken Cup opening round win against the Ospreys.

FORMER Munster wing John Lacey is to become the third man to both play in, and referee, a match in the Heineken Cup.

Peter de Villiers will have to wait to hear what charges, if any, he may have to face after SANZAR reserved judgement in the misconduct case against him until Monday.

SOUTH AFRICA lock Victor Matfield was yesterday despairing at the way Irish referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland have policed the breakdown, following his side’s second successive Tri Nations defeat to New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA lock Bakkies Botha has apologised to his team-mates after being banned for his head-butt on New Zealand scrum-half Jimmy Cowan.

New Zealand 32 South Africa 12

WHILE the Super 14 is more commonly associated with dazzling backs and fingertip handling, it’s the forward-oriented pursuit of the lineout that is the primary focus at international level as the 2010 Tri Nations hovers into view.

Fluent French speaker Alain Rolland has lost out on the Heineken Cup final to Englishman Wayne Barnes.

IRISH officials will take charge of several key international rugby tests this summer.

WELSHMAN Nigel Owens renews his close relationship with Munster in the competition when he takes charge of the Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Northampton Saints at Thomond Park on Saturday, April 10.

FRANCE defence coach Dave Ellis was delighted with his side’s six-try show against Italy as Les Bleus remained on course for the Grand Slam.

WALES star Lee Byrne has been banned from the RBS Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham next week.

Wales star Lee Byrne has been banned from the RBS 6 Nations opener against England at Twickenham next week.

WALES star Lee Byrne and the Ospreys have been hit with misconduct complaints following last Saturday’s ‘16th player’ saga.

Leicester and the Ospreys were today both awaiting an official European Rugby Cup response over a 16th player blunder involving Wales and Lions full-back Lee Byrne.

The Ospreys look likely to be hit with a fine for briefly fielding 16 players in their Heineken Cup victory over Leicester.

Leicester tonight lodged an official protest with tournament chiefs after their Heineken Cup exit was overshadowed by a 16th player blunder at the Liberty Stadium.

WHO would want to be a referee? Well quite a few actually. In fact over the last three years the numbers officiating in Ireland have increased by 25%, from 400 to 500.

Toulouse 23 Cardiff Blues 7

THREE Irish referees are among the 13 officials who will oversee the 2010 RBS Six Nations next spring.

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

Cardiff Blues 20 Harlequins 6

MOST of the drama was crammed into the final few minutes of this AIB League 1A derby at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

Dolphon 13 Cork Constituion 12

ALAIN ROLLAND will become just the second referee to take charge of 50 Heineken Cup matches when he oversees next month’s round two clash between Harlequins and Toulouse at The Stoop.

Irish referee George Clancy has been rewarded for his solid refereeing by winning the right to handle the European Challenge Cup final between Northampton Saints and Bourgoin at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, May 22 (kick-off 7.45 pm).

Cork Constitution 6 Clontarf 25

LEADING referee, Nigel Owens, will take charge of the all-Ireland Heineken Cup semi-final between Munster and Leinster at Croke Park on May 2.

IN AS tough a game as either side have experienced all season, Cork Constitution held out for a victory at Temple Hill yesterday to enhance their position at the top of the AIB League.