49ers bid to cut Giants down to size

IN just his first year as an NFL coach, Jim Harbaugh has brought his San Francisco 49ers to the brink of a Super Bowl appearance.

Meanwhile, his brother John, just a year older, will be hoping to guide the Baltimore Ravens to a first AFC title in his fourth season and potentially an intriguing rematch with Jim on February 5.

But both teams have it all to do tomorrow night. The New York Giants are slight favourites to escape from the Bay Area with the NFC Championship (Candlestick Park, 11.30pm Irish time) while the Ravens face a daunting trip to the home of the New England Patriots in Foxborough (8pm, Irish time) with quarterback Tom Brady eyeing up a fifth AFC victory on the way to a possible fourth Super Bowl ring.