The four Irish provinces have named their teams for this weekend's Champions Cup clashes.

Friday night in Cork is set to be a major landmark for Stephen Archer, but he won’t be thinking about it too much.

All-Ireland U20 football winners Cork have seven of the 20 players named as the top performers in this year’s championship.

Man of the moment Jofra Archer claimed a brilliant six-wicket haul at Headingley as England bundled Australia out for 179 on a rain-affected first day of the third Ashes Test.

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.

Leaning against the wall outside a bouncing Cork dressing-room, happiness and contentment radiating from the broad smile he’s wearing, Cork U20 captain Peter O’Driscoll conveys his hope that this sensational come-from-behind final victory “will be the start of something”.

The words have only just come out Tom Gray’s mouth when immediately he regrets them.

I had the privilege of assisting with the development of the Galway U20 footballers over the past few months. Our squad mantra was very simple: the players would endeavour to improve in every session. Our manager, Pádraic Joyce, picked no selectors. Instead, he opted for coaches.

Dublin U20 manager Tom Gray expressed relief after surviving Galway’s spirited challenge in the Eirgrid All-Ireland football semi-final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

Ciaran Archer was Dublin’s main target man as they demolished Longford in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park to advance to the Leinster U20 Football Championship semi-final.

Three Academy players are included in the squad.

Johann van Graan’s glass remained half-full as he argued Munster are still very much in Guinness PRO14 title contention despite defeat to the Scarlets in Llanelli.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan reserved special praise for his young players and the experience of scrum-half Alby Mathewson after his team survived a big scare in Newport.

A quarter of all dogs surrendered to an animal shelter last year were old pets handed in by elderly owners who were no longer capable of looking after them.

Munster revealed good news and bad vibes about injuries yesterday with Johann van Graan expressing the latter on Ireland prop John Ryan.

Munster’s preparations for their Guinness PRO14 semi-final at Champions Cup winners Leinster have been hit by the loss of tighthead prop Stephen Archer following surgery on a pectoral muscle.

Johann van Graan is hoping he will be able to call on reinforcements for Munster’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final at Leinster in 12 days with the return of key players from injury.

No wonder Johann van Graan looked downbeat.

Munster are hoping for another new contract boost with the retention of Ireland back-three star Andrew Conway to follow extended deals announced last night for forwards Billy Holland, Stephen Archer, and Kevin O’Byrne.

New Munster head coach Johann van Graan has pledged to do everything he can to persuade Peter O'Mahony his future lies in his native province, despite reports linking the club captain with a move away from Ireland.

Zebre 19 Munster 29: Alex Wootton was one of the players that Rassie Erasmus name-checked in his final week with Munster when he was asked what he would miss when he returned to South Africa.

A Cork man has pleaded guilty to a number of assaults and related charges arising out of a violent incident at a house in Kinsale last June.

Despite having watched a couple of French front rows disappear into his rearview mirror, Munster prop Stephen Archer is not expecting any reduction in intensity tomorrow when the Guinness PRO14 campaign resumes with a trip to interprovincial rivals Connacht.

In the end the margin of victory was just five points, but Munster were the dominant force at the Liberty Stadium as they made it three straight Guinness Pro14 wins.

Munster 51 - Cheetahs 18: Munster coach Rassie Erasmus has warned against reading too much into the province’s eight try-rout of his native Toyota Cheetahs in a hopelessly one-sided Guinness PRO14 game at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Munster 21 Scarlets 30: For 40 minutes at Thomond Park last night, Munster played some of their finest rugby of the season and deservedly opened up a 15 point lead over Welsh visitors Scarlets in a truly remarkable Guinness Pro 12 encounter.

Your home viewing entertainment wrap for the week ahead, with Des O’Driscoll.

A new BBC drama is aiming to bring a Nazi-occupied London to life, writes Gemma Dunn

Though with not a trace of Irish blood in him novelist Jeffrey Archer likes to be known as a seanchaí, a description he first encountered when chatting with a tramp in Dublin. This time round, he chats with Sue Leonard. 

Last night at the game awards a teaser for the newest in a long line of telltale series games, and it’s none other than everyones favourite band of loveable, world-hopping, criminals, the Guardians of The Galaxy.

The Maori All Blacks have beaten several international teams — including Ireland and the British & Irish Lions — over the years and plan on adding Munster to their imposing list of victims at a packed Thomond Park on Friday night.

Munster 33, Ospreys 0: Head coach Rassie Erasmus made a declaration of intent in last night’s match programme when he insisted Munster couldn’t afford to have a rollercoaster season. 

O'Mahony was sprung from the bench for the final 20 minutes and received a huge ovation from the home supporters.

Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus still has more questions than answers surrounding the make-up and fitness of his squad as he attempts to prepare his players for Saturday’s Guinness Pro12 opener at Scarlets.

Archer is a comedy animated show about a really terrible (or brilliant) secret agent who kills a lot of people, mostly on purpose.