Only once before have Connacht lost their opening two league matches at the Sportsground but Pat Lam appreciates they must show significant improvement to prevent that happening again when Ospreys come to Galway this evening (7.35pm).

Ulster Bank All-Ireland League Division 1B<br>Dolphin 24 Buccaneers 23<br>An excellent penalty strike from Rory Scannell three minutes from the end of this absorbing Ulster Bank League Division 1B tie gave Dolphin a priceless victory at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

Ireland’s new captain Josh Murphy says the squad has put the disappointment of the New Zealand loss behind them and are now determined to claim fifth place in the World Rugby U20 Championship.

Ireland 3 New Zealand 25: The fairytale did not happen but neither did the nightmare.

Had things gone differently, then former Limerick minor hurler Stephen Fitzgerald might be preparing for a big one in the Gaelic Grounds instead of being part of an Irish squad bidding for glory at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.

Ireland 18 Argentina 16: There is something familiar about a kicker from Cork Con having nerves of steel to land a last-gasp winning penalty, but Tomas Quinlan wrote a script all of his own to get Ireland’s World Rugby U20 Championship off to a winning start.

Ireland coach Nigel Carolan has been forced to make a late change ahead of their opening game in the World Rugby U-20 Championship against Argentina in Parma today.

Nigel Carolan may be in charge of the Irish U20s at a world championship for the first time but the Galwayman has been involved with enough underage national sides to know they face a tough test against Argentina today, 3.30pm (live on TG4).

Dublin 1-15 Cork 2-7: After a week in which Dublin’s home comforts of Croke Park were atop the pre-Championship agenda, Jim Gavin’s men made a successful 600km round-trip to the hilly amphitheatre of Cill na Martra yesterday.

Pobal Scoil Chorca Dhuibhne 1-10 St Francis College Rochestown 1-10

One imagines Nigel Carolan and the rest of his U20s management team have spent many an hour poring over footage of England’s opening Six Nations loss to Wales in Colwyn Bay this last two weeks.

No defeats. No injuries. No changes. Ireland U20s coach Nigel Carolan finds himself in quite the enviable position.

Guiness Pro12

U20 RBS Six Nations

Ireland U20 Six Nations: Ireland’s U20s did all that was expected of them, and maybe more, in beating Italy 47-15 seven days ago but a truer reflection of their collective worth lies in store tonight as they host Fabien Pelous’ French side at Dubarry Park in Athlone (7.05pm).

Ireland’s U20s and Women’s: Both teams enjoyed ultimately comfortable openings to their respective Six Nations campaigns last Friday.

Under 20 Six Nations: Italy 15 Ireland 47: Nigel Carolan’s reign as Ireland U-20 coach got off to a perfect start in dreadful conditions in northern Italy last night as seven different players scored tries.

Ireland U20 preview: Expectations aren’t confined to Joe Schmidt’s Ireland side this next two months.

Irish rugby was relatively slow to cotton onto the benefits accrued from assimilating players with southern hemisphere backgrounds into the national team, but that process has belatedly taken hold in recent years.

More misery for Munster with the selection of just four of their players on Nigel Carolan’s expanded Ireland squad of 30 for the U20 Six Nations.

Coláiste Dun Iascaigh (Cahir) 4-8 Scoil Mhuire (Carrick-on-Suir) 2-9

McGrath Cup semi-final

Cork 1-14 Tipperary 0-12: Some may question the wisdom of these early season inter-county competitions but Cork boss Brian Cuthbert yesterday welcomed the opportunity for "game-time" for his extended squad as they continue their run through the McGrath Cup.

Garryowen 28 Buccaneers 20

Castletroy College 2-13 Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG 0-18

Pobalscoil Chorca Duibhne 0-14 Coláiste Chríost Rí 1-3

New Zealand U20s 45 Ireland U20s 23

England 42 Ireland 15

IRB JUNIOR WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL:

Ireland 38 Fiji 0

Revenge will be in the air when Munster A take on Leinster A in tonight’s B&I cup quarter-final clash at Donnybrook, (7pm) a repeat of last season’s final four encounter where Leinster came out on top.

Tipperary 2-22 Clare 0-09

France 23 Ireland 13

U20 SIX NATIONS:

PS Chorca Dhuibhne 1-13 Colaiste Chriost Ri 2-7

Mike Ruddock may have only two players who served in last year’s championship available to him this time around as he goes into tonight’s Six Nations opener against Scotland at Dubarry Park, but the Ireland U20 boss is unconcerned.

Myshall 3-9 Scariff/Ogonnelloe 0-8

Scariff/Ogonnelloe (Clare) 2-17 Butlerstown (Waterford) 0-03

Hamilton High School, Bandon 2-16 St Flannan’s College 2-11

Adare 2-17 Doon 2-15

Fly-half Sean O’Hagan weaved his magic as Connacht picked up their first win of the U20 inter-provincial championship when they staged a second-half comeback to account for Ulster at the Sportsground yesterday (27-25).