IRELAND U20’s head coach Mike Ruddock saluted an improved defensive display as his side secured their first win in this year’s IRB Junior World Championship with a 30-13 defeat of Scotland in Rovigo onSaturday night.

IT was a 21st birthday to remember for Dublin’s Liam Rushe at Tullamore on Saturday night.

THIS year’s Sporting Press Irish Oaks has been right out of the top drawer and this evening there are two ultra-competitive semi-finals down for decision.

IT was freakish, it was stunning and it was painful. Three years ago, Darach Honan stood in Cusack Park and readied himself for the coronation of Clare as Munster U21 hurling champions for the first time.

IRELAND U20s coach Mike Ruddock is calling for an 80-minute performance from his players in their final IRB Junior World Championship Pool C fixture, against Scotland in Rovigo tonight (7.10pm, Irish).

SOME of the 21,000 Junior Certificate home economics students reached the end of their exams with papers that were considered fair yesterday afternoon.

EMPLOYERS rushing to boost cyber defences after a rash of US online break-ins won’t block spies and thieves by simply throwing technology at the problem, since their core weakness is often badly-trained and badly-managed workers.

Political Reporter Juno McEnroe looks at the changes Fine Gael promised to make in its first 100 days in office and those it has actually delivered on.

JUDGES will be hit with pay cuts if the public agrees to it in a super-referendum to be held on the same day as the presidential election later this year.

SHANE LOWRY got his first look at a US Open course set-up at Congressional County Club yesterday having admitted he was taking a leap into the unknown.

“FLYING IT!” That was the surprising reaction of Limerick selector TJ Ryan yesterday when asked how he was feeling after Sunday’s heartbreaking late-goal loss to Waterford in the Munster SHC semi-final.

FORTY years after the explosive leak of the Pentagon Papers, a secret government study chronicling deception and misadventure in US conduct of the Vietnam War, the report has come out in its entirety.

A number of stadia will host one Championship clash this summer — if they’re lucky. Brendan O’Brien looks at grounds that are under-employed and dragging county boards into the red

THEY call Porto ‘the Dragons’ and, even if it was all more huff than Puff, they lived up to their nickname by breathing just about enough fire to incinerate the dream of battling Braga in the Europa League Final.

ON opposite corners of Parnell Square, the protestors were making their voices heard.

IT MAY go down in the history books as having finally drawn a line under centuries of animosity between two neighbouring nations.