Ireland 2 USA 0: Ireland will take aim at a place in the 2016 Olympics with confidence tomorrow after stunning world number five USA 2-0 in Valencia yesterday.

Ireland’s Olympic qualification campaign is already ahead of schedule following a stunning 4-1 success over South Africa on day one of World League 3 in Valencia yesterday.

Ireland’s senior women have moved into their final phase of preparation for their Olympic qualification campaign after selecting their squad for next month’s World League 2 yesterday.

HOCKEY: Ireland made it three from three with a 4-0 win at Alexandra College yesterday in their final test match against Scotland.

Ireland coach Craig Fulton will be taking on some familiar faces this afternoon as his men’s senior team play South Africa on day one of the London Cup.

Racing Metro 8 Harlequins 32

British & Irish Lions 59 Barbarians RFC 8

Hong Kong’s intense heat and humidity may be “hellish”, in Conor Murray’s words, but British & Irish Lions assistant coach Rob Howley believes conditions for the opening game this weekend will stand his players in good stead for the three-Test series with Australia.

Italy’s Sergio Parisse will captain the Barbarians against the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong this Saturday.

Harlequins 47 Connacht 8

Harlequins drew first blood in this season’s battles with Heineken Cup opponents Connacht, but coach Eric Elwood is not unduly worried, knowing there are more significant challenges ahead.

Gene Muller offered no excuses as a second Irish Olympic hockey dream went up in smoke within seven days when Belgium proved an all-round superior force in Kontich yesterday.

Gene Muller hailed Ireland’s women’s win over Spain yesterday in Kontich, Belgium as the “biggest result” of his tenure as his side now look forward to a play-off on Sunday for an Olympic berth.

Ireland coach Paul Revington insists playing for a draw against Malaysia in their crunch final pool clash at the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifiers in UCD tomorrow (3pm) is not an option.

ECSTATIC and joyous scenes in the Galway Sportsground last night, as Connacht finally delivered on their promise to turn their poor run of results around.

CONNACHT go into this evening’s final Heineken Cup pool match knowing it could be their last in the competition for some time.

OPPORTUNITY knocks for two of UCD’s leading lights as Ireland senior women’s coach Gene Muller has opted to shake things up for his side’s trip to Argentina next month.

PREMIERSHIP club Northampton Saints gained a small measure of revenge as they won this Heineken Cup final rematch at Donnybrook last night.

CONOR O’SHEA will keep Harlequins playing the high-tempo rugby that put Munster to the sword when the Londoners meet Michael Cheika’s Stade Francais tonight.

MUNSTER’S dreams of an Amlin Cup consolation prize were crushed ruthlessly by Harlequins on Saturday in the province’s most embarrassing defeat of a proud 16-year European odyssey.

HARLEQUINS will provide the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final opposition for Munster should they prevail in Brive today, after the English side won a London derby with Wasps 32-22 at The Stoop last night.

ENGLAND centre Riki Flutey admits Wasps are “hurting” ahead of tonight’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final clash against London rivals Harlequins.

A GOOD start helped Roscrea Community School overcome Clonakilty Community School with relative ease in the semi-final of the Munster Vocational Schools’ senior A hurling championship at Ballyagran yesterday.

ÁINE CONNERY looks set to be given the chance to resurrect her Irish international hockey career, after she was confirmed as a participant in the team’s central preparation programme (CPP) yesterday.

Ireland 18 Wales 3

Ireland 10 Wales 19

AS EXPECTED, coach Graham Henry has made a number of changes to the All Black team that enjoyed a big win over Italy last Saturday for this weekend’s meeting with World Cup minnows Portugal.

Canterbury duo Greg Somerville and Andrew Ellis have overcome injury to seal places in New Zealand’s World Cup squad.

IRISH women’s hockey coach Gene Muller yesterday announced his squad to face Scotland in a three match series in UCD at the weekend.

NEW Zealand rugby selectors picked scrum-half Brendon Leonard and prop John Schwalger for the first time and omitted winger Rico Gear for the All Blacks’ final matches before the World Cup.

New Zealand head coach Graham Henry has made seven changes for Saturday’s clash with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named an entirely different starting XV for Saturday’s clash with Ireland from the side that beat Wales last weekend.

Luke McAlister is undaunted by the challenge of stepping into New Zealand hero Dan Carter’s boots for the final Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

HEADFORT’S Brendan McGovern slipped off the pace going into today’s final round of the Glenmuir Club Professional Championship at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.

IAN McGEECHAN has insisted Lions flanker Lewis Moody will be available for selection against Otago on Saturday.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry was true to his word today when he named his team to face England in Dunedin on Saturday.