Italy 1 Ireland 0: Noel King last night hailed the courage of his Ireland U21 players after they succumbed to a second-half winner against 10-man Italy in Vicenza.

Ireland maintained a 100% record in their Uefa U21 qualifiers last night as a pair of early goals killed off Andorra on their home patch.

Ballinhassig 2-16 Carrigaline 2-12: “One of the first trophies of many, hopefully,” was how Ballinhassig boss Michael Walsh put it after his side secured South-East U21A hurling honours yesterday.

Cork Premier IFC

SSE AIRTRICITY PREMIER DIVISION:

By Creggan Kickhams 1-11 Ballysaggart 1-07

Creggan Kickhams (Antrim) 2-10 Fullen Gaels (Manchester) 1-08

Team Montenotte 62 DCU Mercy 53

Blackrock 2-19 Carrigaline 0-11

Roslea 1-12 Belcoo 1-09

Ireland U19 manager Paul Doolin wants Uefa chiefs in Serbia next week to protect his players from anything like the racism England were subjected to last October.

Ireland U19s 1 Czech Rep U19s 1

Ballymartle 1-16 Carrigaline 1-12

Two late goals for Waterford United sealed a victory they deserved, but one they were far from certain to secure throughout the last 15 minutes of this Airtricity clash.

Armagh’s decision to drop down a tier paid dividends as they cruised to victory in Saturday’s Nicky Rackard Cup final at Croke Park.

Louth will face Armagh in the Nicky Rackard Cup final after a 20-point rout of Donegal at Letterkenny on Saturday.

Connacht signed off with a best place finish in this season’s RaboDirect Pro12 League but Eric Elwood won’t be happy with this performance.

There’s a positive buzz around Connacht rugby at the moment.

Eric Elwood has made just three changes for Connacht’s final RaboDirect PRO12 game of the season against Glasgow Warriors in Firhill (kick off: 7.30pm).

Connacht are determined to finish their home RaboDirect Pro 12 season on a high when they host Aironi at the Sportsground this evening. Having picked up 15 points in their last six matches, Connacht can post a third successive win and leapfrog Dragons and Treviso.

The inclusion of prop Denis Buckley, who joins the front-row in place of the injured Brett Wilkinson, is the only change Eric Elwood has made for his side’s PRO12 meeting with Aironi in the Sportsground tomorrow (5pm).

Eric Elwood has included three academy players in Connacht’s match day squad to face the Scarlets this Friday at Parc y Scarlets (7.30pm).

Former Irish and Munster scrum-half Michael Bradley has ruled himself out of the Munster job.

Connacht Academy prop Denis Buckley will make his first competitive start for the province when they face Edinburgh at the Sportsground tomorrow night (7.30pm).

Connacht will view this evening’s Pro12 fixture against Glasgow Warriors at the Galway Sportsground (5.30pm) as a must-win if they want to improve on last season’s league finish.

Head Coach Eric Elwood has made just two changes to last week's starting XV for Connacht’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with the Glasgow Warriors at the Sportsground on Saturday (5.30pm).

Connacht coach Eric Elwood rallied his side for tonight’s clash with Cardiff Blues by urging them to show the spirit they showed in Europe this season.

Despite an injury crisis, Eric Elwood’s starting XV to face the Cardiff Blues this Friday at Cardiff Arms Park (7.30pm) shows just one change from the side that beat Harlequins in the Heineken Cup.

Our Lady’s Secondary School from Belmullet in Mayo snatched victory in the dying minutes to knock reigning champions Coláiste Íosaef, Kilmallock out of the All-Ireland.

IN A game that was always about a performance, not the result, Connacht fulfilled their brief.

Connacht Rugby have made three changes to the team that lost to Aironi last weekend for the visit to Toulouse this Saturday (4.40pm local time).

A COUPLE of months ago Connacht were relishing the prospect of playing French aristocrats Toulouse in the Heineken Cup; this week they head there in a different frame of mind.

CONNACHT bid to end a miserable run of form away to Aironi this afternoon.

Eric Elwood has made a number of changes following his side’s narrow defeat to Leinster for the visit to the Stadio Zaffenella to play Aironi tomorrow (4.35pm).

AFTER last weekend’s historic Heineken Cup fixture against Toulouse, Connacht’s desire to translate their strong European form into points in the RaboDirect Pro 12 came unstuck against league pacesetters Ospreys.

IN a return to RaboDirect action, the challenge facing Connacht does not get any easier with the visit of the Ospreys to the Galway Sportsground this evening.

CONNACHT out-half Niall O’Connor is looking forward to playing in Ravenhill again tomorrow night when he hopes to pull one over on his former Ulster colleagues in the RaboDirect PRO12.

A FIRST-HALF penalty try, supplemented by 14 points from the right boot of Scott Deasy, steered the Munster ‘A’ team to a workmanlike 19-3 victory over their Connacht counterparts at the Sportsground last night.

FULHAM IRISH are champions of London for the first time in their history after a stunning late show against Parnells at Ruislip.

A last-minute point by James Dolan earned holders Garrycastle a second chance after an exciting battle with Mullingar Shamrocks in the county SFC final at Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday.

Eric Elwood has made three changes to his Connacht pack for their trip to the Liberty Stadium to face the Ospreys tomorrow night (7.30pm).

MUNSTER A had to wait until the dying moments to secure a hard-earned victory over a youthful and inexperienced Connacht at Thomond Park yesterday.

AN emotional and historic day at Donnybrook as Old Belvedere toppled champions Cork Constitution to claim the top prize in Irish club for the first time yesterday.