Ulster Bank All-Ireland League Division 1B<br>Dolphin 24 Buccaneers 23<br>An excellent penalty strike from Rory Scannell three minutes from the end of this absorbing Ulster Bank League Division 1B tie gave Dolphin a priceless victory at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

Connacht 19 Grenoble 52: Bernard Jackman returned to Connacht with his Grenoble troops and blitzed the westerners for eight tries at the Sportsground. 

Munster A 33 Connacht Eagles 13: Munster A showed flashes of brilliance during their comprehensive win over the Connacht Eagles at Thomond Park yesterday.

Garryowen 28 Buccaneers 20

Connacht head to Bayonne for tonight’s return leg (Stade Jean-Dauger, 7.45pm) of the back-to-back Challenge Cup fixtures with a new starting side featuring five debutants.

Munster A 20 Connacht Eagles 12

Connacht are preparing for a massive Biarritz backlash when the two sides clash in Parc des Sports Aguiléra this evening.

Eric Elwood has named a side which shows only one change to the starting XV following last Friday's 22-14 win over Biarritz for the return Heineken Cup Pool 3 fixture at the Parc des Sports Aguilera on Friday (8pm).

A heavy list of injuries and poor weather will not help Connacht’s hopes of claiming a home victory over French heavyweights Biarritz this evening.

Ireland second-row Mike McCarthy makes his return to the Connacht starting XV for the province’s Heineken Cup Pool 3 meeting with Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque at the Sportsground on Friday (8pm).

Connacht 23 Edinburgh 24

Injuries have robbed Connacht of a host of front-line players for the visit of Edinburgh to the Galway Sportsground today (5pm).

Connacht head coach Eric Elwood has made three personnel changes up front for Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO 12 meeting with Edinburgh at the Sportsground (5pm).

Roger Wilson will make his return from injury today as Ulster Ravens kick off their British & Irish Cup campaign against Bridgend Ravens in Deramore Park. Wilson will line out in his familiar number 8 position while former Ireland U20 captain Niall Annett starts at hooker.

Munster A 15 Connacht Eagles 19

Ireland’s U20 Grand Slam dream died at Adams Park in High Wycombe last night after they failed to fully recover from a strong opening by England.

Second-half drop goals from half-backs Luke McGrath and Paddy Jackson against Wales set the Ireland U20s on a Grand Slam journey back in February but the duo are not underestimating the final road block.

Ireland coach Mike Ruddock believes his side must counter the physicality of their English opponents in tomorrow’s RBS U20 Six Nations clash at Adams Park if they are to achieve their grand slam dream.

Coach Mike Ruddock praised his men for maintaining their composure and seeing off the challenge of a weak Scotland side at Dubarry Park last night to set up a Grand Slam decider away to England next Friday.

Ireland wing Tommy Bowe has ended speculation about his future by confirming his return to Ulster on a three-year deal announced yesterday by the IRFU and starting next season.

Mike Ruddock’s Ireland remain on course for an U-20 Six Nations Grand Slam after seeing off Italy at Dubarry Park last night.

Ireland’s U20s captured their share of the headlines on a dramatic weekend for Six Nations rugby in France when they dug deep for a thrilling victory over Les Bleus, surviving a pulsating finale at the Stade des Alpes, Grenoble on Saturday.

A good start against Wales has given Irish coach Mike Ruddock belief in the ability of his U20 team for their meeting with France at Grenoble this afternoon.

Scarcely has a team been so dominant and still have to work so hard in the closing stages to carve out a victory.

Seven players from last year’s squad are included in the Ireland team for Friday night’s U20 Six Nations clash with Wales (Dubarry Park, Athlone. 7.05pm).

A LIVELY Ulster Bank AIL Division 1B battle at Dubarry Park culminated in a morale-boosting Buccaneers win despite playing with 14 men for nearly an hour.

A FIRST-HALF penalty try, supplemented by 14 points from the right boot of Scott Deasy, steered the Munster ‘A’ team to a workmanlike 19-3 victory over their Connacht counterparts at the Sportsground last night.

MUNSTER A had to wait until the dying moments to secure a hard-earned victory over a youthful and inexperienced Connacht at Thomond Park yesterday.

THE effects of four games in 12 days were very much in evidence as a jaded Ireland Under-20 side were hammered 57-15 defeat by their South African counterparts in a one-sided IRB Junior World Championship play-off clash in Padova last night.

SCOTLAND are understood to be ready to join Ireland in withdrawing their Under-20 sides from future Junior World Championships, it emerged yesterday.

IRELAND U20’s head coach Mike Ruddock saluted an improved defensive display as his side secured their first win in this year’s IRB Junior World Championship with a 30-13 defeat of Scotland in Rovigo onSaturday night.

IRELAND U20s coach Mike Ruddock is calling for an 80-minute performance from his players in their final IRB Junior World Championship Pool C fixture, against Scotland in Rovigo tonight (7.10pm, Irish).

IRELAND U20s captain Niall Annett insists victory over South Africa tonight (7.10pm Irish time) will erase the pain of their agonising 33-25 defeat to England in their IRB Junior World Championship opener on Friday.

IRELAND U20s suffered heartbreak in their opening IRB Junior World Championship clash against England in a thrilling Pool C clash last night.

IRELAND U20s head coach Mike Ruddock is hoping the return of some key players will enable his side spring a surprise in their IRB Junior World Championship opener against England in Treviso tonight.

IRELAND U20 rugby team coach, Mike Ruddock, says his team are ready to cut England down to size at the IRB Junior World Championships in Italy.

THERE are eight survivors from last year’s Ireland squad for the Junior Rugby World Cup in Italy next month.

IRELAND U20 coach Mike Ruddock described yesterday’s World Cup warm-up game at Musgrave Park as “a very useful exercise” as he finalises his preparations for next month’s tournament in Italy.

Ireland U20 15England U20 46

IRELAND U20 coach Mike Ruddock’s hand has once again been forced by provincial call-ups, leading him to make four changes to the side that takes on England in their final RBS Six Nations clash with England at Dubarry Park tomorrow (7.45pm).

IRELAND U20 missed a chance of victory as Paddy Jackson struck the post with an injury-time conversion at Parc Y Scarlets.

AFTER consecutive away victories, Darren Edwards has made four changes for Wales U20’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland at Parc Y Scarlets tonight (7.10 pm).

IRELAND’S Under-20 team have followed a similar path to the senior team in their RBS Six Nations battle — wins over Italy and Scotland away and a home defeat to France.