With Cork Week well into it’s programme and approaching it’s finale tomorrow, a change in conditions today could upset the overall standings in several key classes, although some leaders appear uncatchable.

It was always going to be a monumental challenge playing the world champions on their home turf, but any notions Ireland could catch the All Blacks cold on their first run-out of the season were quickly dispelled at Eden Park on Saturday.

Carbery Rangers issued a significant statement of intent at the opening hurdle of the Cork SFC in Dunmanway last night when they swept past Clonakilty.

Carbery Rangers produced a significant statement of intent at the opening hurdle of the Cork SFC in Dunmanway last night when they swept past Clonakilty in convincing fashion.

MUNSTER’S ongoing front-row injury problems have ensured John Hayes’ glittering career with the province will be further extended, after he was named in their Heineken Cup squad for the 2011/’12 season last night.

JOHN HAYES’ retirement party has been put on hold after it emerged he may be required to stay on at Munster due to a series of injuries to the province’s front-rowers.

IT’S been a tough week for Joe Schmidt and Tony McGahan as they congratulated themselves – and their charges – on World Cup selection, while dealing with the emotionalfallout of those who failed to make the plane.

LEINSTER will battle to retain the services of prop forward Mike Ross next season with increased speculation the Cork native is set for a return to his Munster roots following the departure of Tony Buckley to Sale Sharks.

A MASSIVE second-half turnaround to this Evening Echo Cork SFC quarter-final at windy Bandon on Saturday saw Carbery Rangers turn a six points interval deficit into a 10-point victory with some swashbuckling football that simply blew Douglas away.

JAMIE HEASLIP yesterday hailed forwards coach Gert Smal for his ability to spot slight weaknesses in Ireland’s opponents, an ability that helped Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan wreak first-half havoc on Wales’ lineout play at Croke Park on Saturday.

IT WAS the one area, they said, where Ireland were vulnerable against the Italians, the one area where Italy could make Ireland suffer.

CALL it musical jerseys. When Keith Wood got injured for Munster, Frankie Sheahan took over. When Sheahan got injured, Jerry Flannery took over. Now Flannery is on the physio’s table and Denis Fogarty owns the number two jersey.

IF anything is likely to put a Munster player in bad humour it’s defeat to Leinster. It’s fair to assume, then, that a 30-0 loss in the RDS with a man sent off is likely to conjure up a pretty black cloud of crankiness over training the following week.

Leinster 30 Munster 0

A FEW weeks ago Tony Buckley must have wondered what he had done to upset the rugby gods.

A CRACKING goal by centre-forward Cathrach Keane 10 minutes into the second half proved decisive in this thrilling Cadburys All-Ireland U-21 FC semi-final replay at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, on Saturday.

DEFENDING champions Neptune and the reigning Cup champions, Mardyke UCC Demons, got their respective ESB Men’s SuperLeague campaigns off to the perfect start yesterday when Basketball Ireland introduced the new conference format under which this season’s competition will be decided.

SPORT is a cruel business. Once again last Saturday we saw the dreams of a talented young sportsman shattered with an innocuous tackle. The forthcoming World Cup was the perfect stage for the talents of Geordan Murphy.

Ronan O’Gara suffered another goalkicking disaster as wholehearted Irish endeavour again counted for nothing in Auckland today.