Italy 1 Ireland 0: Noel King last night hailed the courage of his Ireland U21 players after they succumbed to a second-half winner against 10-man Italy in Vicenza.

Ireland maintained a 100% record in their Uefa U21 qualifiers last night as a pair of early goals killed off Andorra on their home patch.

Kerry beat the Dublin District Schoolboy League (DDSL) 1-0 in yesterday’s SFAI Kennedy Cup final at the University of Limerick.

Republic of Ireland U21 boss Noel King has not included Jack Grealish in his latest squad following a request from the player to be omitted.

Norway 4 Ireland 1

Ireland U19 manager Paul Doolin wants Uefa chiefs in Serbia next week to protect his players from anything like the racism England were subjected to last October.

Ireland U19s 1 Czech Rep U19s 1

Roscommon could afford to hit 12 wides and still gain a comfortable win over Antrim at Hyde Park yesterday.

Connacht Academy prop Denis Buckley will make his first competitive start for the province when they face Edinburgh at the Sportsground tomorrow night (7.30pm).

ECSTATIC and joyous scenes in the Galway Sportsground last night, as Connacht finally delivered on their promise to turn their poor run of results around.

CONNACHT go into this evening’s final Heineken Cup pool match knowing it could be their last in the competition for some time.

IN A game that was always about a performance, not the result, Connacht fulfilled their brief.

LEITRIM scored a fully deserved win over Roscommon in a lively FBD League game in Ballinamore where a James Glancy penalty proved the decisive score.

Connacht Rugby have made three changes to the team that lost to Aironi last weekend for the visit to Toulouse this Saturday (4.40pm local time).

A COUPLE of months ago Connacht were relishing the prospect of playing French aristocrats Toulouse in the Heineken Cup; this week they head there in a different frame of mind.

CONNACHT bid to end a miserable run of form away to Aironi this afternoon.

Eric Elwood has made a number of changes following his side’s narrow defeat to Leinster for the visit to the Stadio Zaffenella to play Aironi tomorrow (4.35pm).

EUROPEAN champions Leinster travel west tomorrow for what, on paper, looks likely to be a New Year ramble at the Galway Sportsground.

A competitive debut for Mick Kearney represents one of five changes Eric Elwood has made to the Connacht starting XV for the visit of Leinster to the Sportsground this New Year's Day (5pm).

CONNACHT’S Eric Elwood signalled his intent ahead of Monday’s Rabo Direct 12 clash with Munster by making just one enforced change from the side that lost to Gloucester in last week’s Heineken Cup tie at Kingsholm.

Following Connacht's narrow defeat away to Gloucester in the Heineken Cup last weekend, Head Coach Eric Elwood has chosen not to tinker with the side too much for the trip to Thomond Park to face Munster in the RaboDirect PRO12 on St. Stephen’s Day (7.45pm), making just one enforced change.

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood has vowed that a heartbreaking late loss to English Premiership side Gloucester will not break his side’s spirit.

AN improved set piece is essential if Connacht are to have any hopes of overcoming Gloucester on the second of the back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures and grab that elusive win.

Experienced flanker Johnny O’Connor has made a timely return to full fitness and will start in place of the injured Tay Ofisa when Connacht face Gloucester in Kingsholm on Saturday (kick off: 3.40pm).

THERE is a bit of a way to go yet for Connacht, who suffered stage-fright in the face of high-quality opposition at Saturday night’s historic Heineken Cup clash at the Sportsground.

Connacht coach Eric Elwood has made just one change to the starting XV that narrowly lost out to Harlequins for tomorrow evening's meeting with Toulouse in the Sportsground (kick-off 6pm).

Connacht’s starting XV to face Harlequins in their first ever Heineken Cup Clash sees three changes from the side that were defeated by Ulster in Ravenhill last Saturday.

Connacht Rugby have released a 26-man squad ahead of their first ever Heineken Cup clash away to Harlequins in the Stoop on Friday Night (8pm).

HEINEKEN CUP: Connacht have named a 26-man squad for their first Heineken Cup game — away to Harlequins at The Stoop tomorrow (8pm).

ULSTER’S All Black World Cup winner John Afoa is relishing his provincial debut in today’s RaboDirect Pro 12 derby clash with Connacht at Ravenhill.

Eric Elwood has made six changes to the Connacht starting XV that will take on Ulster tomorrow evening in Ravenhill (5.35pm) from the team that lost to Cardiff.

CONNACHT out-half Niall O’Connor is looking forward to playing in Ravenhill again tomorrow night when he hopes to pull one over on his former Ulster colleagues in the RaboDirect PRO12.

ANOTHER frustrating night for Connacht.

Tongan World Cup star Fetu'u Vainkolo is set to make his Connacht debut in tomorrow’s RaboDirect PRO12 match against the Cardiff Blues at the Sportsground (6pm).

MANY of Leinster’s Irish Internationals intend to take out their World Cup frustrations on Edinburgh in the seventh round of the RaboDirect Pro 12 at the end of the month.

KEVIN McLAUGHLIN returns from injury to boost Leinster against Connacht in this evening’s RaboDirect Pro 12 clash at the RDS (5pm).

After a mounting injury list during the week sparked suggestions of calling up U20 players to the Connacht team to face Leinster in the RDS this Saturday (5pm) Eric Elwood will be relieved he’s only had to make three changes to his starting team.

Eric Elwood has made three changes to his Connacht pack for their trip to the Liberty Stadium to face the Ospreys tomorrow night (7.30pm).

Danny Barnes returns to the Munster side for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Cardiff Blues at the Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow night (7.05pm).

EDINBURGH took the spoils last night to claim their first win of the RaboDirect Pro 12 season at Connacht’s expense who had to settle for an away bonus point.

CONNACHT travel to the Scottish capital buoyed by two wins on the trot, but this evening (7.30pm) they will come up against an Edinburgh outfit determined to get their first victory in this season’s RaboDirect Pro12.

Jared Payne will make his Ulster debut in tomorrow night's RaboDirect PRO12 game versus Cardiff at Ravenhill (7.05pm).

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood was delighted with the opening day victory away to Benetton Treviso in Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 League clash at Stadio Monigo.