There was a high level of excellence and scoring power on show at Lansdowne yesterday, but Christian Brothers College, Cork also had to work hard to see off the challenge of Ardscoil Rís in the opening round of the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup.

England 45 Ireland 21: Twenty-one points was enough to win each of the two previous World Rugby U20 Championship finals and only twice has a team scored more than that and lost, but you got the impression at the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday evening that no matter what Ireland scored, England would nab more.

England 20 Ireland 26: Nigel Carolan’s U-20 side staged a remarkable comeback to defeat England in Newcastle last night.

THE sight of a giant second row with a mop of ginger hair marauding all over the lineout and stealing opposition ball is something the British & Irish Lions are counting on as a major weapon in their armoury during this tour.