OFFALY'S two top forwards Joe Bergin and Shane Dooley hit a combined 4-4 as the Faithful County claimed their first NHL Division 1B points of the campaign with a deserved seven-point victory over Carlow in a game which started in a downpour and ended in a snowstorm at Netwatch Cullen Park.

A cold and calculated performance from Waterford on a perishing afternoon in Thurles.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has included two uncapped players but made no selection surprises in his squad for this season’s Rugby Championship.

Beauden, Jordie, and Scott Barrett will become the first trio of brothers to start a Test together for the All Blacks when they line up in the series-opener against France at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday.

A late flurry of scores from Laois masked the dominant nature of Offaly’s performance at

Fitzgibbon Cup Group B: University of Limerick 3-29 - Dublin Institute of Technology 4-17: It proved all too easy for the hurlers of University Limerick in this Fitzgibbon Cup clash.

Sam Whitelock does not want to emulate family history when he captains New Zealand against Wales today.

Jordie Barrett will make his first New Zealand start in Saturday's Test series decider against the British and Irish Lions.

Kieran Read has recovered from injury and will captain New Zealand in Saturday's first Test against the British and Irish Lions.

Galway 3-31 Laois 1-11: Galway thrashed Laois by 36 points the last time these sides met in the league back in 2008, and for a good while yesterday it seemed they might even surpass that margin.

Allianz HL Division 1B

DIT 3-15, GMIT 0-11: DIT manager Derek Brennan was delighted that his side gave themselves a fighting chance of making the knockout stages of the Fitzgibbon Cup after they scored an emphatic at Carnmore in Galway.

Galway 1-19 Laois 0-16: A first-half goal from Joseph Cooney proved crucial as Galway advanced to the semi-finals of the Walsh Cup.

World Cups can be yawn-inducing events for players who have so much time to kill between their daily duties and Steve Hansen’s All Blacks could do worse than spend an afternoon staring at the walls of their Lensbury Park Hotel.

Wexford 0-18 Offaly 1-9

Limerick GAA chiefs revealed they took the county senior hurling management to task following a below-par performance in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League.

IRB JUNIOR WORLD CUP POOLS:

Skipper Luke McGrath could this evening become the first man to lead an Irish team to victory over New Zealand in a competitive fixture when they take on the Baby Blacks in the key Pool B game in the Junior World Championship (kick-off 5.45pm Irish time, live on TG4).

Ireland U20 46 Fiji U20 3

Ireland U20 22 France U20 5

Six Nations: Scotland U20 21 Ireland U20 20

U20 Six Nations: Ireland 16 England 15

U20 Six Nations: Wales 17 Ireland 15

Munster U20 9 Ulster U20 18

Wexford’s supreme accuracy proved the difference as they emerged with a comfortable 14-point victory over Laois yesterday afternoon.

Aaron Moore’s dramatic injury-time goal provided Laois with a sensational victory over Offaly in the Leinster minor hurling championship.

Last year’s beaten finalists Kilkenny opened their Leinster MHC campaign with a flattering eight point win over Laois in O’Moore Park on Saturday.

CLOUGH-BALLACOLLA claimed their second Laois SHC crown in three years after a two-point victory over Portlaoise in O’Moore Park onSunday.

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.

Elsa O Riain is on course to make it three in a row in the Danone sponsored Irish Tennis Close championship after coming through her quarter final game with Joanne Macken at Donnybook.