Crowley, who won the AIL Try of the Month award for December, is one of three Munstermen to face their home province.

St Michael’s College were crowned Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup champions for the third time in their history with an emphatic victory over Gonzaga College at the RDS Arena.

A new Banksy piece has sold for more than £200,000 at auction in England.

A judge who sentenced a Meath man to two and a half years in prison for assaulting his girlfriend did not inquire into an allegation that the man locked the woman in a dog cage, his lawyers claimed at the Court of Appeal yesterday.

St Michael’s College and Newbridge College will contest to the quarter-finals of the Leinster Schools’ Junior Cup, following respective victories over St Gerard’s, Bray and Gorey Community School, yesterday afternoon.

Galway 3-18 Westmeath 0-17: Galway’s senior hurlers qualified for the semi-final of the Walsh Cup thanks to a 10-point victory over a hard-working Westmeath side in this final group game, played in Lakepoint Park, Mullingar, yesterday.

Does the hunt for a cracking championship game in hurling go on?

Another of the early front runners for the Leinster job has withdrawn himself from the race with Jono Gibbes committing himself to Clermont Auvergne until 2018.

After being outplayed from first whistle to last and losing emphatically on the Kingspan Stadium scoreboard, Munster were in no position to make excuses for Saturday night’s Guinness Pro 12 at the hands of an outstanding Glasgow Warriors side.

Paul O’Connell won’t be the only Munster player making his last appearance in the red jersey at the Kingspan Stadium tomorrow night.

A word of warning for Anthony Foley and his crew in advance of today’s Guinness Pro12 semi final at Thomond Park – Ospreys don’t much care about reputation or about location.

GUINNESS PRO12

Guinness Pro 12

Anthony Foley has wasted no time in recalling Ireland’s Six Nations heroes as the province continue to seek the victories required to help them to a top two Guinness Pro12 finish.

Guinness Pro12  

Munster 42 Connacht 20: Munster moved closer to a home Guinness Pro12 semi-final in some style at Thomond Park on Saturday evening, running in six tries to thump derby rivals Connacht.

Guinness Pro12

Three brothers have been remanded in custody after they were charged with attacking a 72-year-old woman as she made her way home from Saturday evening mass.

Galway 0-20, Kilkenny 0-18: Sometimes a pedestrian game produces an exciting finish, but sometimes it produces a conclusion to suit the preamble.

US civil rights leaders are calling for an independent investigation into the fatal police shooting of a homeless man.

Police officers in Los Angeles have reportedly shot and killed a homeless man in a struggle over an officer's weapon, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

Guinness Pro12

Munster assistant coach Ian Costello last night dismissed media reports that Robbie Henshaw could be on his way to the province at the end of next season. 

Munster are sweating on the results of a medical scan on Conor Murray’s neck injury ahead of their do-or-die European Champions Cup clash at Saracens this Saturday.

Stunned Munster supporters watching their side forfeit a 13 point lead and eventually lose 24-16 to the hosts departed the Galway Sportsground on Thursday night wondering how Connacht were able to draft in such influential players as All Black legend Mils Muliaina and another Kiwi, Bundee Aki, while their own side have to settle for virtual unknowns from the Southern Hemisphere.

There was a time when Connacht were regarded as a soft touch. That day has long passed, however, and Munster make the trip to Galway on Thursday fully aware that the one-time Cinderella province has not lost a league match there this season.

US law enforcement agencies are a long way from being able to effectively track threats of the kind a gunman posted on Instagram before his execution-style murder of two New York City policemen last weekend.

Munster are keeping their fingers crossed that two experienced Irish Internationals, Keith Earls and Donnacha Ryan, will be available for their European Champions Cup games against Saracens and Sale Sharks next month.

The difference in the perceived challenges facing Munster and Leinster over the weekend is reflected in the fact that Leinster find themselves roundly criticised despite their win over Harlequins, while Munster have received a very positive response for their achievement in rescuing a bonus point in defeat from a game that could have run away from them at one stage, writes Donal Lenihan.

Munster may have lost the back-to-back games for the first time in history, but coach Anthony Foley believes there is a lot they can take out of their two jousts with Clermont Auvergne.

Munster have built a reputation on delivering big performances when they’re least expected, and to survive the type of examination they were to get yesterday at the Stade Marcel Michelin, nothing less than a season’s best would suffice, writes Donal Lenihan.

Munster head coach Anthony Foley has thrown down the gauntlet to JJ Hanrahan by asking the reportedly unsettled young playmaker to provide the cutting edge needed to inflict a famous victory over Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel Michelin tomorrow (3:15pm Irish time).

Munster head coach Anthony Foley has made four changes to the side that were beaten at home last weekend by Clermont as the province head to France for the return fixture on Sunday.

Munster coach Anthony Foley is still praying for a miracle that one of his international loosehead props can recover for this weekend’s crucial weekend trip to Clermont Auvergne.

Versatile back Johne Murphy is poised to start at outside centre for Munster in their must-win Champions Cup clash with Clermont Auvergne at Thomond Park tomorrow if head coach Anthony Foley decides Andrew Smith is not fit.

Munster head coach Anthony Foley yesterday added new centre signing Pat Howard to the province’s registered European Champions Cup squad as doubts continued over Andrew Smith’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s must-win pool showdown with Clermont Auvergne.

Munster are awaiting results of scans on Andrew Smith and Robin Copeland’s knees ahead of Saturday’s must-win European Champions Cup pool clash with Clermont Auvergne but head coach Anthony Foley today welcomes back to training a quintet of Ireland Test stars, as well as James Cronin.

The Thomond Park factor might not be enough to unsettle Clermont Auvergne on Saturday if Munster gift them 12 easy and early points the way they did against Ulster, Donncha O’Callaghan has warned.

Rory Best will start for Ulster against Munster in tomorrow's match at Thomond Park while Munster coach Anthony Foley has named a strong squad bolstered by a number of returning internationals.

GUINNESS PRO12:

Dragons 12 Munster 38