Ulster Academy prospect Hayden Hyde has acknowledged it was a relatively straightforward decision to choose playing for Ireland over his native England.

David McCann will captain the Ireland Under-20s as part of a 37-man Six Nations squad dominated by Leinster players.

The five-try display means that the Irish did all they can to stay in the hunt but must now await the results of France v Argentina (5pm) and South Africa v New Zealand games this evening.

Towering Munster Academy lock Thomas Ahern will make his Ireland U20 debut in today’s final Pool B clash with Italy at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Santa Fe (kick-off 2.30pm Irish time — live on eir Sport 1).

A combination of Ryan Baird's 21st-minute red card and a luckless spate of injuries left the Ireland Under-20s exposed down the final stretch as Australia ruthlessly took advantage to claim a 45-17 bonus point win in Santa Fe.

Ireland head coach Noel McNamara has been forced to make two changes for tomorrow's World Rugby under-20 Championship match against Australia.

Captain Charlie Ryan praised the collective efforts of his Ireland Under-20 side as they repeated their Six Nations heroics with a brilliant 42-26 bonus point win over England on the opening day of the World Rugby U-20 Championship in Santa Fe.

Ireland U20s coach Noel McNamara insists his full focus is on the upcoming Junior World Cup despite suggestions that he could be a possible candidate for a role with Munster under Johann van Graan.

The party will be whittled down to 28 before departure for Santa Fe, via Amsterdam and Buenos Aires. Ireland face England, Australia and Italy in their pool: a tough task.

Over 5,500 tickets have been sold for the game at Musgrave Park, which kicks off at 7:15pm on Friday night.

It's a starting fifteen shot-through with senior provincial experience.

Far too many four and five-star hotels in Ireland are under-performing and proving a disappointment to high-paying guests, according to Georgina Campbell, the woman behind the annual hospitality awards.

Irish-based banana and fruit distribution company, Fyffes, has received a takeover offer from a Japanese trading company, Sumitomo Corporation.

Clemens Fankhauser became just the seventh rider in Rás history to win the race more than once yesterday, the Austria Tirol man riding into sun-baked Skerries adorned in the yellow jersey he claimed last Tuesday in Dingle.

Eddie Dunbar avoided disaster to stay in contention for the yellow jersey at the An Post Rás yesterday, the young Corkman battling to limit his losses to just 14 seconds after a late mechanical threatened to derail his chances.

Fruit distributor Fyffes has diversified its product offering with the €98m acquisition of Highline Produce, the largest mushroom producer in Canada.

Dolphins accompanied a group of long-distance swimmers on much of their fundraising route across Tramore Bay, Co Waterford, in aid of the local lifeboat service.

The mystery owners of Ireland’s most expensive house were the subject of a heated exchange at yesterday’s Bord Pleanála appeal hearing over plans to build homes on the site.

Fyffes’ management has vowed the Dublin company will remain at the forefront of the global produce industry, despite its proposed $1bn (€789m) merger with US banana rival, Chiquita Brands, collapsing.

A deal to create the world’s largest banana company has collapsed after shareholders of US firm Chiquita rejected a merger with Fyffes.

Fyffes has responded to an increased rival bid for US banana producer Chiquita by saying its merger proposals remain the superior offer for shareholders.

The European Commission has cleared the proposed merger between Fyffes and its US banana rival, Chiquita Brands — removing any regulatory barriers to a deal being concluded before the end of the year.

Irish banana producer Fyffes yesterday announced it had agreed to a new merger proposal with Chiquita which would see it receive a smaller share of the newly-combined company.

Fyffes has said that an additional $20m (€15m) worth of synergies from its proposed merger with US fruit giant Chiquita have been identified.

Almost 10 years to the day since Mayo’s Davy O’Loughlin claimed an incredible solo stage win atop Carrick-On-Suir’s Seskin Hill in the latter stages of the An Post Rás, Austrian powerhouse Markus Eibegger did something remarkably similar in yesterday’s gruelling journey from Clonakilty.

Jan Sokol of the Synergy Baku Cycling Project Team won stage three of the An Post Rás into Charleville, Co. Cork yesterday on a day where two of the strongest domestic Irish riders lit up the race and Kiwi Patrick Bevin retained the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Initial professional fees connected with its proposed merger with US banana producer, Chiquita, affected profits at Fyffes in the early part of this year, but the Dublin-based fruit distributor has maintained its positive earnings forecast for this year.

Chiquita Brands International, owner of the namesake banana label, agreed to buy Ireland’s Fyffes to create the world’s biggest supplier of the fruit for about €407m.

Tropical fruit supplier Fyffes is to merge with US-based rival Chiquita in a deal creating the world’s largest banana company, which will be based in Ireland.

Fruit distribution giant Fyffes has upped its full-year earnings outlook on the back of a strong first-half showing and continued growth into the latter half of 2013.

Michael Hutchinson won his second successive Irish national time-trial title in the elite men’s event in Carlingford, Co. Louth last night.

Marcin Bialoblocki became the first rider on this year’s An Post Rás to retain the yellow jersey when he finished eighth on stage four yesterday in Glengarrif where Russian Kirrill Pozdnyakov took stage victory for the Irish-run Synergy Baku team.

Fyffes has generated revenues of over €1bn for the first time in six years.

Fruit importer Fyffes is on track for a bumper year after recording a 30% increase in profits for the first half of the year.

Bradley Wiggins last night became the most decorated British Olympian in history after he claimed a sensational gold medal in the elite men’s time-trial.

Bradley Wiggins goes to the start-line in the men’s Olympic time-trial today as the red-hot favourite having blitzed all before him in last month’s two Tour de France tests against the clock.

When Great Britain’s Team Principal David Brailsford was quizzed on his team’s plans prior to Saturday’s Olympic men’s road race, his response drew as much exasperation as it did wry smiles from rivals teams.

John Joe Nevin is through to the last 16 in the bantamweight division at the Olympic Games in London. The fifth seed wasn't troubled in his first round fight, beating Denmark’s Dennis Ceylan 21-6.

Mark Cavendish began his bid to claim Great Britain’s first Olympic gold of the London 2012 Games today, while Irish hopes rested on Nicholas Roche, Daniel Martin and David McCann.

Mark Cavendish may be the raging hot favourite but today’s Olympic Road Race may not go according to the script, Irish team manager, Martin O’Loughlin, has warned.

For a man who has just completed the Tour de France, Dan Martin is looking remarkably relaxed and refreshed as he sits on his bike in the Olympic Village.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Dan Martin (Garmin Sharp) have set some pretty high standards for themselves going forward in their respective cycling careers, but few could argue they’re not capable of even more after a thrilling few weeks in the saddle.