When Ulster coach Neil Doak named 33 players in his matchday panel for tonight’s friendly with Leinster (7.30pm), he said he was throwing down a challenge in his squad.

Kieran Marmion is determined to make the most of what could be his last audition for a place in Joe Schmidt’s 31-man World Cup Ireland squad when he plays for Connacht against Munster tonight.

FAI boss John Delaney is confident Ireland can still set up what he calls “a big October” in their current European Championship qualifying campaign.

Almost 30 years years after visiting Santiago de Compostela as a teenager Arlene Harris returned with her family to see if this corner of Spain was as special as she remembered.

A West Cork retreat offers women the chance to indulge in personal reflection and fine food, writes Colette Sheridan.

It has been a busy couple of days for Leinster Rugby, who finally confirmed the appointment of Leo Cullen as the permanent replacement for Matt O’Connor on Wednesday morning.

The public has been warned to be on the lookout for a host of new scams being used by fraudsters to con consumers out of their money.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Sometimes being given more questions than answers from an exercise can be a good thing.

Coach Steve Hansen said his world champion All Blacks would bounce back from their off-night after losing the Rugby Championship decider to the Wallabies 27-19 in Sydney on Saturday.

If Rory McIlroy does return to the fray this week in defence of his PGA Championship crown, Colin Montgomerie hopes the Irishman is in the right shape to do so.

Keith Earls:

Shane Lowry from Clara, Co Offaly, last night pulled off the biggest win of his golfing career when claiming the first prize of US$1,570, 000 (€1.45m) in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational Championship at Akron, Ohio.

Raheem Sterling will hope to justify the fuss as Manchester City begin their Barclays Premier League campaign at West Brom tonight.

Kilkenny 0-26 Galway 2-20 (AET): Drama at the death in the opener at HQ yesterday — both after the 70 minutes and extra-time — but the sum of this first All-Ireland minor semi-final added up to significantly less than its parts and, in that, it was no different to the senior contest that followed.

Ireland’s dominance of the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show came to end in yesterday’s feature €200,000 Longines Grand Prix, courtesy of American Kent Farrington.

Developments across the water caught my eye last week, specifically some news filtering out of Newcastle and Glasgow.

Perched high above the pitch, Seamus Brady will have a bird’s-eye view of Aston Villa’s opening game of the new Premier League season and what he sees could just change everything.

Jamie Heaslip has challenged his Ireland team to forget the scrap for World Cup places and get on with their jobs when they face Wales at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon (2:30pm).

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has declared there can be no excuses for his side in this morning’s Rugby Championship decider against Australia and warns they’re in for a tough game if they don’t improve.