The Irish needed all the pick-me-ups they could find after a sobering Saturday against England.

The IOC can go on about Olympic ideals, that this pursuit is more noble than the greasy professionalism that pervades sport elsewhere, but if that’s the case they should probably stop giving executive board members per diems of $900 while at events.

“It is not right. If you look at it any angle it’s not right."

Bernardo Silva’s 79th-minute strike kept the holders on course for a double Double, yet Guardiola questioned why City’s semi-final could not be staged on Sunday and Manchester United’s with Coventry on Saturday instead.

The girls in green were subject to a shellacking in Twickenham on Saturday afternoon as they conceded 14 tries to a ruthless and relentless England.

Treble winners turn their focus to becoming the first English men’s club to claim a double-double in FA Cup semi-final

Attack coach Mike Prendergast confirmed that it is an ongoing situation, with head coach Graham Rowntree content to let Beirne lead them at the moment.

City’s hopes of successfully defending their European crown – and winning a second successive treble – were shattered on Wednesday as they were beaten by Real Madrid on penalties.

The Argentina international saved two penalties in the 4-3 quarter-final shootout victory over Lille, but earned a yellow card for his trademark gamesmanship and baiting the home crowd.

Two big Wembley meetings await in the Cup, while a desperation derby looks to be in store at Goodison Park

“Alejandro is a young player, has to learn a lot. He apologised for it and after that we move on.”

“We just want it to click for us. There are 47,000 in Twickenham from what I have been told and we want to put on a show,” said the Gloucester-Hartpury scrum-half.

While in hurling: written off by almost everyone in a game that more Cork than Waterford people seem interested in, Sunday's is a game that will feed into Davy Fitzgerald’s us-against-the-world philosophy.

“We’ve improved week on week and we’re not exactly going to England just to sit down and enjoy the big show and ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ at half-time,” said the 24-year old flanker from Ballygarrett in Wexford.

“He's ruptured his Achilles tendon so it was as bad as we feared. He will be out for around 9 to 10 months," confirmed Southampton's manager.

Along with Arsenal and Liverpool, City were knocked out of Europe this week, but their exit was not accompanied by the vituperative response that accompanied the failure of the others.

The Argentina goalkeeper saved spot-kicks from Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin Andre to earn a 4-3 shootout win.

Madrid being cast as underdogs is a grotesque measure of where we are but absorbing tie was a telling clash of contrasts.

The Connacht man would love to step up his deal.

ON HER retirement from active refereeing, I want also to acknowledge the remarkable career of Joy Neville, an esteemed figure in the world of Irish Rugby.