CLUBS INTERNATIONAL:

Leinster ‘A’ 12 Munster ‘A’ 18

Shannon 3 Young Munster 36

Munster head coach Rob Penney has resisted the urge to start returning Test backs Ronan O’Gara, Conor Murray and Keith Earls in tomorrow night’s RaboDirect Pro12 tussle with Ulster, having named the Ireland trio on the bench for the Ravenhill derby.

It was edge of the seat stuff as Ballygarvan had to survive a stiff challenge from Barryroe in the fourth round of the Cork IHC at Cloughduv on Saturday, setting up a quarter-final meeting with Charleville.

Barryroe 4-13 Dripsey 2-12

Last year’s beaten finalists Fr O’Neills came from six points down with five minutes to go to fashion an unlikely two point victory over Barryroe in the opening round of the Cork IHC at Ballygarvan yesterday.

Goals at the start of each half were crucial as Meath advanced to the Leinster MFC semi-finals with a win over Offaly in Tullamore yesterday.

With 60 seconds to kick-off and their side fighting relegation from the top tier of the Ulster Bank League, there was barely a Shannon fan to be found in the stand at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

The reception Shannon received from their ecstatic fans as they trooped off the Coonagh pitch spoke volumes for the sense of relief felt by those from the Limerick club.

Shannon out-half Tadg Bennett held his nerve under fierce pressure at Dooradoyle last night to land an equalising penalty from 45 metres with the last kick of the game to force a 20-20 draw with Garryowen in the Ulster Bank League.

Shannon’s need may have been greater before kick-off, but that didn’t stop Garryowen from inflicting a 12-point defeat on their Limerick rivals in this All-Ireland League Division 1A clash at Thomond Park last night.

Allianz Sciath na Scoil roundup

A CASE of two points lost by Old Belvedere, two points gained by hosts Shannon in this All-Ireland League clash at chilly Coonagh on Saturday.

SEANIE O’CONNELL proved the scoring hero for Milford last night as his 58th minute point was a match winner when they advanced past Barryroe at Páirc Uí Rinn.

GARRYOWEN swept Shannon aside in convincing fashion under the Dooradoyle lights last night to climb off the bottom of Division 1A of the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League and in the process gave their ailing season a massive boost.

PAUL O’CONNELL’S return after an eight-month injury lay-off attracted a fine crowd to Thomond Park last night, and they were well rewarded for coming out on a bitterly cold and wet night as Shannon pipped Young Munster by a single point in a highly competitive AIL Division 1A encounter.

Garryowen 12 Shannon 10

AIB league champions Shannon face the toughest of starts to the defence of their crown tonight as they face old rivals Garryowen in Dooradoyle (7.30pm).

REWARDING consistency has always been a Shannon thing, and it remains so under the coaching baton of Geoff Moylan in the build up to this afternoon’s AIB League final clash with Clontarf at Thomond Park (4pm).

Teams for the finals of the AIB League Divisions One, Two and Three

CLONTARF’S flirtation with AIB League glory has been consigned to failure in recent years; five semi-finals and two final appearances being just the sum total of the club’s success.

IN A TIME of necessity, you do what has to be done to survive.

DISPLAYING silky skills, excellent team work and accumulating an impressive final tally, UCC issued a statement of intent to other pretenders in the Evening Echo Cork county SHC by swatting Carbery aside with remarkable ease at Cloughduv last evening.

ANTHONY FOLEY, described by former Munster coach Alan Gaffney as one of the most astute brains in rugby, will lead Munster again this season.

Carbery 1-11 Duhallow 1-11

IRELAND return to the exact field where Ulster flanker John McCall died a little over a year ago and are depending on other results working in their favour to progress at the U19 World Championships in Durban today.

Irish Schools 20 Irish U19’s 5

The Ireland Under 18 Squad that will compete in the Four Nations Tournament which begins in Belfast on Saturday has been announced.