A thundering start to the second half in O’Moore Park sent Kilkenny on their way to a third straight Leinster final.

Bishopstown 1-9 Clyda Rovers 0-8: This fourth-round Cork SFC game at Páirc Uí Rinn Saturday proved an endurance test for both teams. Similarly for neutrals, with the worst excesses of the modern game in terms of ‘blanket’ covering, body-checking an obsession with hand-passing and, additionally, an undercurrent of bad feeling which saw two of seven players yellow-carded eventually shown a red card, another black-carded and several more escape censure.

Cork PIHC: Tracton 1-17 Courcey Rovers 1-11

Clyda Rovers 0-12 Aghada 0-7: James Murphy gave an exhibition of point scoring for Clyda Rovers as they defeated Aghada in the third round of the Cork senior football championship at Watergrasshill on Saturday night.

Carbery Rangers 1-7 Clyda Rovers 0-8: An opportunist 45th minute goal by Declan Hayes proved the decisive score in this sterile and disappointing Cork SFC second round tie at Coachford yesterday.

Dublin 1-20 Cork 0-34

Cork ended Dublin’s bright start to the NHL with extreme prejudice tonight, shooting the lights out in Croke Park to record an emphatic victory.

Cork ended Dublin’s bright start to the NHL with extreme prejudice tonight, shooting the lights out in Croke Park to record an emphatic victory.

Munster 31 Zebre 5

Ospreys 11 Munster 25

Glen Rovers 3-18 St. Finbarr’s 2-15

Tipperary 4-20 Dublin 0-17

THERE’S plenty speculation, but it’s most unlikely Paul O’Connell will return for Saturday’s Amlin Cup semi-final clash with Harlequins at Thomond Park.

Munster travel to the Stade Municipal to take on Brive in the Amlin Challenge Cup looking to book a place in the last four of European rugby’s ‘second tier’ competition.

MUNSTER’S injury crisis has been well documented, but there were no histrionics from coach Tony McGahan yesterday as he announced a 27-man squad to prepare for Saturday’s Magners League derby with Leinster at Thomond Park (7.30).

DAVID WALLACE has been around long enough to know that there are no easy matches these days. At the very least, top teams like Munster can expect to receive increasingly difficult physical challenges.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan sounded almost like Finance Minister Brian Lenihan when describing the selection of his squad for Sunday’s Heineken Cup clash with Ospreys as his toughest task of the year.

MUNSTER don’t expect a definitive report on the calf injury that forced Jerry Flannery out of last week’s Heineken Cup game against Toulon until later in the week.

Munster A 13 Llanelli 15

THE availability of centre Sam Tuitupou hinges on the outcome of today’s ERC disciplinary meeting in Dublin, but Munster have been boosted by the availability of hooker Jerry Flannery for Saturday’s must-win Heineken Cup clash with Toulon at Thomond Park.

BALLYMARTLE showed too much class yesterday for Tracton in the Evening Echo Cork Premier IHC final, edging out their local rivals by seven points in an entertaining derby game.

MUNSTER confirmed a triple injury blow yesterday with Denis Fogarty, Felix Jones and Ian Dowling facing lay-offs after Saturday’s Magners League victory over the Ospreys.

CONFUSION reigned at the end of yesterday’s Premier IHC clash between Tracton and Youghal, with the scoreboards in Páirc Uí Chaoimh reading 1-12 a-piece though many observers had Tracton on 1-13 at the final whistle.

MUNSTER manager Shaun Payne has backed the province to bounce back from their Heineken Cup elimination in Sunday’s crucial Magners League clash with the Blues at Cardiff City Stadium.

JEREMY Manning, a player whose season has been ravaged by injury, demonstrated his potential with two smashing tries in Munster’s British & Irish Cup semi-final victory at Thomond Park on Saturday.

HAVING defeated Ulster twice this season in the A Interprovincial Championship, Munster will be fancied to complete the hat-trick as they take on the Ravens in the semi-final of the inaugural British & Irish Cup at Thomond Park this afternoon.

PAUL O’CONNELL and Keith Earls remain major injury concerns for Munster ahead of the Heineken Cup semi-final clash with Biarritz in San Sebastian on May 2nd.

MUNSTER legend Anthony Foley is confident his young side will add further lustre to the province when his Munster A side takes on the Ulster Ravens in the first of a highly attractive double-header at Thomond Park on Saturday next (3.30pm).

YOUNG MUNSTER turned the clock back two decades with a stirring ODM Munster Senior Cup triumph over gallant University College Cork at sunny Musgrave Park on Saturday.

MUNSTER chiefs are confident that Lions pair Paul O’Connell and Keith Earls will be fit for Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final with Northampton Saints.

MUNSTER will pick from close to a full deck for Friday night’s Magners League clash with Leinster at Thomond Park.

DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN is the only member of the Irish team that started Saturday’s Six Nations defeat to Scotland included in Munster’s squad for Friday’s Magners League game with Glasgow at Thomond Park (8pm).

THE KERRY management’s desire to employ Marc Ó Sé’s footballing talents in the half-back line gets another trial tomorrow in Tralee, with the youngest of the Gaeltacht brothers selected at right half-back for the clash with Mayo.

GALWAY may have their work cut out with Colm Cooper at Pearse Stadium tomorrow, but Joe Kernan’s side will have another dangerous Dr Crokes corner-forward to contend with too.

IN order of priority, Kieran Donaghy’s excellence at full-forward, outstanding free-taking from the returning Colm Cooper and a marvellous save from goalkeeper Brendan Kealy just before half-time were the primary factors in Kerry avoiding a three-game losing sequence in Tralee yesterday.

AS Kerry last night named their side for tomorrow’s vital Allianz NFL Division 1 clash with Derry at Fitzgerald Stadium (2.30pm), the Kerry County Board confirmed the news that former Kingdom great John Egan is being treated at Cork University Hospital following a recent accident at his home in Cork.

THE answer to the above question that has dominated Irish rugby for the past 10 weeks will be provided at 1.30 this afternoon when Declan Kidney announces his Ireland team to play Italy in the RBS Six Nations Championship at Croke Park on Saturday.

MUNSTER have opted to give John Hayes another week off and he will sit out Sunday’s Magners League game against the Scarlets at Musgrave Park. Meanwhile, they are keeping their fingers crossed that Marcus Horan will take a full part in Shannon’s AIB League game against St Mary’s College on Saturday.

AS DRESS rehearsals go, this was up there with the best. Ireland’s display against the inexperienced but gritty Fijians left coach Declan Kidney smiling despite the selection headaches he faces ahead of Saturday’s date with world champions South Africa.

“AN unbelievable bunch of players.”

ON his 100th Test appearance it was fitting that Brian O’Driscoll should produce a late, late try under the posts for Ireland to secure a share the honours against Australia at Croke Park yesterday.

Munster 19 Sale Sharks 17