AFTER an opening victory over Treviso, coach Eric Elwood says Connacht must raise the bar again today when they open their home season against the Scarlets in the Rabo Direct Pro12 at 3.15pm.

Bret Wilkinson, who suffered a grade 3 hamstring tear in pre-season training, has been named in Eric Elwood’s extended 26-man squad to face the Scarlets on Saturday afternoo

IRISH squad member Mike McCarthy returns to Connacht for today’s final pre-season fixture with English premiership side Saracens in London (6.45pm).

CONNACHT’S player budget will not be increased for next season despite their qualification for the Heineken Cup for the first time by virtue of Leinster’s magnificent title win on Saturday.

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.

Cork Constitution 17 Old Belvedere 20

Old Belvedere have won the Ulster Bank league Div 1 final by three points as they saw off Cork Constitution by three points.

Old Belvedere 22 Clontarf 20

Connacht rugby are poised to land arguably their biggest signing since the advent of the professional game in the form of All Black centre Benson Stanley.

HOPES that All Black Benson Stanley is moving to Connacht may be premature.

CONNACHT’S longest serving player, Michael Swift, could miss the remainder of the season after fracturing a bone in his right hand during Saturday’s loss to Aironi in the Magners League in Viadana.

OLD BELVEDERE 17 YOUNG MUNSTER 19

Old Belvedere 24 Garryowen 3

DOLPHIN 15 OLD BELVEDERE 18

Young Munster 0 Old Belvedere 31

Leicester Tigers 37 Leinster 14, Welford Road

Former Ulster lock Ed O'Donoghue could make his Leinster debut from the bench in a pre-season match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on Friday night (KO: 7.30pm).

Argentina Under-20s 24 Ireland Under-20s 21

Ireland U-20 21 England U-20 36, Rosario

The Ireland U20 Team to play England in their second game of the IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina has been named.

AIB LEAGUE DIVISION 1B:

Ireland U-20 44 Scotland U-20 15

IRISH U20 coach Allen Clarke is preparing himself for a difficult but exciting night at the office in Dubarry Park, Athlone, tonight (7.30) when Wales come in search of glory.

IRISH U20 coach Allen Clarke has shuffled his deck for tomorrow night’s Six Nations clash with Wales at Dubarry Park, (7.35pm, RTÉ Two).

The Ireland U20s will travel to Gloucester this weekend to take on their English counterparts in the mid-tournament clash in this year's Under 20 RBS Six Nations.

There are seven players returning from last year for the Ireland Under 20s in their Six Nations Championship opener against Italy in Dubarry Park on Friday night (K.O. 7.35pm).

An Ireland U-20 squad of 26 players has been named for the forthcoming U-20 RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Girvan Dempsey has been added to the Leinster squad to face the Cornish Pirates in Friday's British & Irish Cup clash at Donnybrook (KO: 4pm).

There is an exciting look to the young side coach Colin McEntee has selected to represent Leinster against Plymouth Albion in the opening round of the first British & Irish Cup at Brickfields Recreation Grounds on Saturday (KO: 4.30pm).

Leinster Academy manager Colin McEntee has announced the squad of young players charged with making the breakthrough into the senior set-up.

Wales 25 France 13

Wales are hoping to make it three from three in this year's U-18 Six Nations Festival in Cork but the young Welsh players will be sternly tested by France who are on the hunt for a first win.

Wales and Italy have named their sides to play each other at the Mardyke this Saturday at 2.30pm in the U-18 Six Nations Festival sponsored by the Bowen Group.