Caelan Doris, Ireland’s captain for the Italy test suggested designated sections for students or younger people where they could have “a few more pints”.

That Munster’s most recent away day, five weeks ago, delivered a Champions Cup pool win at Toulon suggests a squad more than capable of securing valuable league points away from Cork and Limerick.

Last season’s wooden spoon resulted in Ireland being relegated to Tier 3 of women’s Test rugby but Fiona Coghlan recognised the positive impact of winning that level’s new WXV competition last autumn, heading into this season’s championship.

'Going into Turner’s Cross now as part of Kerry as an established League of Ireland club on the same footing as Cork City is going to be a very proud moment for me.'

Palmer makes a first return to the Etihad Stadium since moving to west London in a surprise switch.

The duo have been thrown straight into the starting lineup for the Parc y Scarlets clash.

On Wednesday, UCD lost the Sigerson final to University of Ulster, a massive disappointment and one that will linger for a very long time. It's not easy to be philosophical after losing a final. It would be much better to have the memories and the medals.

Kerr was also of the opinion that the job opening is unlikely to tempt Chris Hughton. 

Five league wins in row from late January to mid-April took Connacht into the knockout stages of the URC last season.

Asked whether talk within the group had centred on being at the start of a World Cup cycle, Doris said: “Not a whole lot, no to be honest."

The FAI unveiled its Football Pathways Plan at a well-attended meeting in Cork on Wednesday night.

Ollie Lawrence faces a battle to prove his fitness with the Bath centre continuing to rehab his hip problem in camp.

We need to be able to critique women’s sport, and identify the areas where it may not be firing on all cylinders. Anything else is pandering.

Carsley was a teammate of Given’s over the 40 Ireland caps he earned between 1996 and 2003.

Four years ago Jack Crowley steered the Ireland under-20s to a 36-22 win over Wales in Cork. Directly opposite him, that day was Sam Costelow, while at full back was Ioan Lloyd.

While Crowley is just emerging from the considerable shadow of Johnny Sexton, both Costelow and Lloyd are on probation following the international retirement of another totem figure in Dan Biggar. 

The South African double World Cup winner is yet to play for his province this season having required surgery on a shoulder and neck injury following last October 31’s final victory over New Zealand in Paris.

The 25-year-old back row describes the extent of the damage as “a car crash”, but with the surgery deemed a success he is now progressing through his rehabilitation programme.

Ireland’s multi-phase attack is proving a nightmare to defend against, as evidenced by the eleven tries they have scored to date. Wales are closest to that with six while England, Scotland and France have all scored just four each.