I thought my days of accumulating caps finished a long time ago, but not so. Thirty-three years after featuring for the British and Irish Lions as part of the IRB’s centenary celebrations in Cardiff, test recognition yielded just that.

This year’s championship journey has been far from routine for Corofin, but yet again Kevin O’Brien’s side figured out the route to victory as they stretched their advantage at the top of the awards table with a tenth Connacht senior club title.

There has been plenty of uncertainty and upheaval in Galway GAA in recent months, but when it comes to Corofin some things never change. They needed a replay for the second year in a row, but for the first time in their history Corofin won their seventh county senior title in a row.

Tuam Stars manager Tommy Carton is confident his side have shown that All-Ireland champions Corofin are beatable after they needed Gary Sice’s late heroics to force a replay of the Galway SFC final in a cracking game at Tuam Stadium.

Corofin manager Kevin O’Brien is confident former county players Micheál Lundy and Kieran Fitzgerald will be back fit in time for their defence of the Galway SFC in two weeks.

It’s a long way from the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa to Tuam Stadium in the heartland of North Galway, especially if you go via The Twickenham Stoop, the Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, and a few laps of MacHale Park in Castlebar, but Gavin Duffy has played in them all, and in doing so, has rather silently compiled one the most compelling sporting CV’s of any Irish man or woman these last two decades.

Galway manager Kevin Walsh believes that the depth developed in the squad during an injury-stricken league campaign will stand to them as they face into the championship without several key players.

Beyond Liam Silke and All-Star Ian Burke, former Galway football manager Tomás Ó Flatharta believes the leading figures from Corofin’s back-to-back All-Ireland-winning side will struggle to break onto Kevin Walsh’s Galway team.

Another All-Ireland title for Corofin and another one by double digits.

Corofin coasted to a third All-Ireland crown in five years, the current kingpins of club football totally outclassing a frustrated Dr Crokes side.

It isn’t so long since Alan Brogan and others were speculating as to whether Stephen Cluxton’s guardianship of the Dublin nets would stretch past the quiet one’s 40th birthday.

The contribution of Corofin’s younger brigade has been central to their Croke Park return, according to manager Kevin O’Brien.

Scotland registered their first victory over England in a decade to reignite their NatWest 6 Nations title aspirations and leave the champions nursing a conclusive 25-13 defeat.

Corofin (Galway) 2-13 Castlebar Mitchels (Mayo) 1-12 (AET): These Corofin lads have a tendency to make life needlessly difficult for themselves. Rarely, though, do they fail to get the job done.

Two of the best and most consistent club sides in Connacht, went toe to toe in Tuam Stadium yesterday. Corofin produced the best and stylish football, yet they once again had to go extra-time to finish the job. Why do they make it hard on themselves, asks John Divilly.

Like so many of those who knew Anthony Foley, James Downey could not believe the news last October that his former boss had passed away so suddenly.

AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final

Corofin (Galway) 2-13 St Brigid’s (Roscommon) 0-5: In a way, it was a pity that referee Jerome Henry blew full-time just as Michael Farragher bore down on goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time, as another point would have given Corofin the biggest winning margin ever in a Connacht final.

With the Women’s World Cup now just ten months away Ireland tomorrow commence what coach Tom Tierney calls “a critical period” in their preparations with a tough assignment against England at the UCD Bowl.

Corofin (Galway) 4-14 St Mary’s (Sligo) 2-6: Classy Corofin cruised into a second successive Connacht club SFC decider as the reigning All-Ireland champions were just too good for Sligo outfit St Mary’s in a one-sided provincial semi-final at Markievicz Park.

Michael Lundy and Martin Farragher found the net for Corofin as the All-Ireland club champions beat Tuam Stars 2-9 to 0-11 in a tense Galway SFC quarter-final replay.

Of all the lessons Warren Gatland purports to have learned since Wales last lifted the Six Nations title, the biggest and most painful was that served up in Dublin 13 months ago.

Corofin (Galway) 2-6 St Gall’s (Antrim) 1-8

Brian O’Driscoll admits he resented Warren Gatland’s decision to drop him from the final British and Irish Lions Test — and that it spoiled the series win for him.

As Munster prepare to meet Harlequins this weekend, Simon Lewis recalls, through the eyes of visiting players Daren O’Leary and Tulsen Tollett, the first European meeting between the clubs, back in 1997/98.

Some day he’ll enter those turnstiles in Thomond Park.

JOHN HAYES spent much of his rugby career avoiding the limelight.

JASON LEONARD has warned England they must perfect the art of winning close games if they are to stand any chance of regaining the World Cup.

Ireland’s Tommy Bowe has been voted the Player of the Championship for the 2010 RBS 6 Nations, winning more than half of the votes.

TOMMY BOWE is the only Irishman on the shortlist for the RBS Player of the Six Nations Championship.

Tommy Bowe is the sole Irish contender in a six-strong shortlist for this season’s RBS 6 Nations player of the championship in which French players dominate.

TWO of the great names of Irish and English rugby led legends onto the field last night for a major fundraising game for injured players.

SHANE BYRNE will lead an Ireland Legends rugby team against the England Legends at The Stoop in Twickenham on the eve of Ireland-England Six Nations game.

Former Wales captain Rob Howley has paid tribute to Scotland star Chris Paterson on the eve of him joining international rugby’s 100-cap club.

A HOST of big names will take part in the first ever Stuart Mangan Memorial match between England and Ireland Legends at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, February 26 – the night before the countries meet in the Six Nations at Twickenham.

There are three Irish players - Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell, and Jamie Heaslip - shortlisted for the official RBS Player of the Six Nations Championship.

KYRAN BRACKEN believes England’s discipline problem stems from a lack of on-field leadership – and he warned it is not a problem that can be addressed overnight.

Keith Wood believes England are suffering from a lack of star players and insists it will take all of Martin Johnson’s fabled leadership skills to change their fortunes.

JOHN HAYES should join Jason Leonard in rugby’s exclusive Prop 100 Cap Club some time next season.