Billy Morgan, perched in front of the sitting room television, is counting down to the start of the Arsenal v Bayern Munich Champions League tie.

Mark Sugrue (Cork)

Former League of Ireland player Shane Barrett turned in a remarkable display when powering Na Fianna into the semi-finals of the Meath SFC for the first time at Páirc Tailteann on Saturday.

The number of contenders for the Meath SFC title was reduced to nine following the final round of the group phase at the weekend — and 2011 champions Summerhill were among the big winners.

Former ref insists action must be taken to offer officials more protection

The Leinster management are hopeful of re-introducing a number of Ireland internationals from the summer tour to New Zealand for Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Benetton Treviso in Stadio di Monigo (7.05pm).

Leinster flanker Seán O’Brien, who scooped the man of the match award in last weekend’s Heineken Cup final, has been ruled out of the province’s RaboDirect PRO12 final clash against the Ospreys in the RDS on Sunday (4pm) due to a knee injury.

Luke Fitzgerald returns to the Leinster team for their RaboDirect PRO12 meeting with Aironi in the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella tomorrow (6pm).

The Leinster squad trained in UCD this afternoon ahead of Saturday's Heineken Cup Round 6 visit of Montpellier Hérault to the RDS (1.30pm) with the medical team hopeful that a number of players could return to the panel following Sunday's 23-16 victory in Glasgow.

NEW Galway football manager Tomás O Flatharta hopes to have his backroom team in place in the coming weeks. The Kerryman, who has taken over from Joe Kernan for the next three years said he was really looking forward to the job and would have no problem combining it with his daytime profession as a business manager with AIB in Dublin.

The Irish team are in a positive mood despite two withdrawals ahead of this weekend's World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh.