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Live Leinster v Toulon commentary onRT 2fm, Munster v Toulouse onRT Radio 1.

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Dublin will be mostly sunny on Friday evening, with temperature at around 9C. In Limerick on Saturday, it's set to be around 14C, partly sunny.

Four-time champions Leinster entertainToulon at the RDS this afternoonlooking to build on their latest Guinness Pro14 success, a routine win over Munster last Saturday.

Leo Cullen's sidebeat Northampton and Montpellierto reach the last 16 of thetournament, which was originallysupposed to consist offour pool games each.

However, Covid-19 issues caused a mid-streamre-jiganditsknockout from here on in.

Leinster, who top the carries (140)and passes (182) chart this season,have recalledTadhgFurlong and Johnny Sexton is fit to start in one of four changes made.

Toulon, three in a row winners between 2013 and 2015,forfeit their opening match against the Scarlets 28-0 but recovered to beat Sale 26-14.

Currently in seventh place in the Top 14, Patrice Collazos side are missing former New ZealandcentreMaaNonu, who was sent off in lastweekends loss to Lyon.

Also absent is out-halfLouis Carbonel, who kicked six from six against Sale,although France captain CharlesOllivonandscrum-halfBaptiste Serin return.

The sides have met four times previously in thecompetition, with the French outfit winning all four ties, the last of which came at the end of 2015, with Cullen admittingthat facing an unfamiliar opponent necessitates a bit of second-guessing.

The winner of today's game faces either Exeter or Lyon away in the quarter-final next weekend.

Leinster:Hugo Keenan; Jordan Larmour, Rory O'Loughlin, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe;Johnny Sexton (capt), Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, Ronn Kelleher,TadhgFurlong; Devin Toner, Ryan Baird; Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan.

Replacements:James Tracy, Ed Byrne, Andrew Porter, Ross Molony, Scott Fardy, Hugh O'Sullivan, Ross Byrne, Dave Kearney.

Toulon:Gervais Cordin;Masivesi Dakuwaqa, Rudi Wulf, JulienHeriteau, GabinVillire; DuncanPaia'aua; Baptiste Serin (capt); Jean Baptiste Gros, ChristopherTolofua, Beka Gigashvili;EbenEtzebeth, RomainTaofifenua; SwanRebbadj, CharlesOllivon, Sergio Parisse.

Replacements:BastienSoury, SbastienTaofifenua, EmerickSetiano, RaphaelLakafia, Julien Ory, Frederick du Plessis, Anthony Meric, Simon Moretti.

Referee:Matthew Carley (England)AR1:Chris Busby (Ireland)AR2:Sean Gallagher (Ireland)TMO:Tom Foley (England)

Munster must lift themselves from the disappointment of another no-show in a knockout game against Leinster, somethingthatboth head coach Johann van Grann and attack coach Stephen Larkhamadmitted would take a bit of work.

Still, we've seen in recent weeks (Ireland v England) that teams are capable ofproducingan exceptional performance without any indication beforehand that its possible.

You get the feeling thatits going to take something special for Munster towin and earn a quarter-final againstWasps or Clermont but the fact they are defending a 16-game unbeaten record at home in the competition helps. The absence of a crowd does not.

The 2006 and 2008 winners beat Harlequins 21-7 at Thomond and Clermont 39-31 on the road to finish fourth in Pool B, while the French outfits 29-22 victoryover Ulster and the walkoverwinover Exeter left them one place higher.

It will be the seventh meeting of the teams in the competition; Munster have four wins to their name, including a 41-16 success in their last clash in April 2017.

Ugo Molas star-studded side, who have won the competition four times, will bringfinesseand speedin the shape of Antoine Dupont, RomainNtamackandCheslinKolbe, whilethe likes of Charlie Faumuina, Jerome Kaino and Cyril Baille bring the power up front.

Toulouse are top of the standing in the Top 14 but did lose 29-16 to Montpellier at home last weekend.

The teams will be named at midday with Munster captain Peter O'Mahony hoping to have recovered from a deep cut to his thigh.

Munster: To follow...

Toulouse: To follow...

Referee: Wayne Barnes (Eng)AR1: Sen Gallagher (Ire)AR2: Chris Busby (Ire)TMO: Tom Foley (Eng)

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Read more:
Leinster & Munster in Euro action: All you need to know Rugby - RTE.ie

Portugal had to come back from behind to win Luxembourg 1-3 in their final World Cup Qualifier. The player to start it all off, Liverpools Diogo Jota.

Make that three goals in three games for Diogo Jota while on country duty and finally returning to full fitness from his long injury lay-off. His goals for Portugal were crucial additions in their Group A qualifiers.

Thanks to his contribution and a team win with three goals scored against Luxembourg, they are Group As leaders over Serbie but only a goal separates them with both group favourites on seven points each.

Furthermore, the Liverpool man has been the go-to-guy for his country and has directly been involved in eight goals this season for Portugal. This is evidence the Reds have really found a gem in Jota and hes exactly what they need now to recapture their dominance.

This is exactly what is needed at Anfield, one of the forwards brimming with confidence just after returning to action from injury and just ahead of a critical period for the Reds.

In what has been a truly disappointing campaign for the former Premier League champions, Jota and the rest of the squad has the chance to salvage their season with a good run from now until the end of the season.

In Liverpools next three games they go up against Arsenal (Saturday night), Real Madrid in the Champions League next week (Tuesday), and then a visit from the team that gave them their biggest hiding of the season so far, Aston Villa (Sat Apr 10).

Every cup game is a knockout game, every Premier League game is a must-win if they want to keep their top-four hopes alive. They need him to be starting and playing as much as possible.

He has already scored a goal on his return to club action.This capped off Liverpool first back-to-back victories since January. It was a bittersweet day as his first visit against his old team Wolves ending in victory for him.

Since making his move to Anfield fromMolineux Stadium for41 million, he has forced himself into the conversation as being named one of the best summer transfers of 2020, if not, the best.

If it was not for his injury setback, which have could have easily been avoided by Jurgen Klopp, the in-form forward could have been closer to Salahs numbers for the season and the club could have been in a better position.

The Reds boss will be a fool to start Jota on the bench for any of the next three encounters. Firmino has been missing for the last three matches after picking up a knee injury last month not forgetting who has been the more in-form number 9 of the two.

There are some big decisions for Klopp to make when the weekend comes and Saturdays top-6 duel is fast approaching.

Read the original post:
Diogo Jota: The Liverpool striker is trending for the right reasons - The Top Flight

MUSCAT: Shoaib Ismail and Adnan Ul Haqs magnificent all-round performances powered Maniz Azad International to a 46-run victory against Bank Muscat in a Senior Division Knockout Tournament game at Muscat Municipality ground 2 in Amerat on Friday.

Adnan struck a vital 51 while Shoaib contributed a breezy 34 as Maniz Azad posted 161 for 7 on the board in 20 overs. Muhammed Umar picked up 3 for 29. Shoaib was unplayable with the ball, taking 5 for 19 while Usman Asghar and Adnan claimed two wickets each as Bank Muscat was dismissed for 115 in 18.5 overs. Abbas Al Balushi topscored with a fine 44.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Senior): Maniz Azad International 161 for 7 in 20 overs (Adnan Haq 51- 6x4, Shoaib Ismail 34 6x4, 1x6, Muhammed Umar 3-29, Vinoth Thangavel 2-35) beat Bank Muscat 115 all out in 18.5 overs (Abbas Al Balushi 44 3x4, Shoaib Ismail 5-19, Usman Asgher 2-17, Adnan Haq 2-15) by 46 runs.

Nadeem helps Orient to victory

In another Senior Division Knockout match, Nadeem Karamat Ali excelled with the bat and ball to steer Orient Travels/Gitacs to an emphatic 6-wicket win over Khalsa United at the same venue in the afternoon.

Khalsa could not post an imposing total on the board as it was restricted to 127 for 9 due largely to Nadeems brilliant 3 for 31. Rafique and Umar Rahman bowled well too, taking two wickets each. Sushil Kadam scored 32.

Orient chased the total down in 16.1 overs, scoring 129 for 4 with Ibrar Hussain striking an elegant 55 not out and Nadeem Karamat contributing 39.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Senior): Khalsa United CT 127 for 9 in 20 overs (Sushil Kadam 32 2x4, Nadeem Karamat Ali 3-31, Rafque 2-18, Umar Rahman 2-13) lost to Orient Travels/Gitacs 129 for 4 in 16.1 overs (Ibrar Hussain 55 6x4, Nadeem Karamat Ali 39 5x4, Muhammad Parvez 2-29) by 6 wickets.

Waleed bats OHI to easy win

Waleed Rahims splendid 65 not out was the highlight of Douglas OHIs exciting 34-run victory against Ideal International in a Senior Division Knockout Tournament match at Muscat Municipality ground 1.

Waleed topscored while Ismail Al Balushi made 32 as OHI compiled 167 for 8. Salman Khan bagged 2 for 27.

Ideal failed to bat with the same flourish and was bundled out for 133 in 18.4 overs despite Salman Khans fluent 38. Viplav Kumar claimed 3 for 37 while Rajender Kumar and Mohsin Alimamad took two wickets each.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Senior): Douglas OHI 167 for 8 in 20 overs (Waleed Rahim 65 5x4, Ismail Al Balushi 32 5x4, Salman Khan 2-27) beat Ideal International 133 all out in 18.4 overs (Salman Khan 38 5x4, Wasim Jamadar 32 4x4, 1x6. Viplav Kumar 3-37, Rajender Kumar 2-22, Mohsin Alimamad 2-24) by 34 runs.

Abdul Jalil stars in Al Hail A win

In another Senior Knockout game, Abdul Jalils superb 62 helped OCT Al Hail A to a thumping 59-run win over Zubair CT at Muscat Municipality ground 1. Abduls brilliant batting led Al Hail side to 165 for 8 in 20 overs. Arif Khan and Ruwan Rupa picked up three wickets each.

Zubairs chase was over quickly as it was bowled out for a dismal 106 in 15.5 overs. Abdul Ghani was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 for 18 whereas Suhaib Abdul and Hisham Shafi bagged two wickets each.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Senior): Oct Al Hail 'A' 165 for 8 in 20 overs (Abdul Jalil 62 6x4, 3x6, Arif Khan 3-17, Ruwan Rupa 3-27) beat Zubair 106 all out in 15.5 overs (Fazal Khan 24 2x4, Parthiban Mohan 23 1x4, 1x6, Abdul Ghani 3-18, Suhaib Abdul 2-15, Hisham Shafi 2-24, Ismail Al Balushi 2-27) by 59 runs.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Junior): Sam Royals 149 for 8 in 20 overs (Shaji Shanu 43 4x4, 2x6, Mohammed Arif 2-27) lost to Aflag Group CT 153 for 4 in 18.1 overs (Haris Alam 58 9x4, Junaid Iqbal 51 11x4, Vijith Ravi 3-19) by 6 wickets.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Junior): Israr Ghala 226 for 6 in 20 overs (Sagheer Muhammad 72 6x4, 4x6, Wajid Mohammed 39 7x4, Ahmed Tahir 36 5x4, Sooraj A Raj 3-42, Arun Kumar 2-45) Ideal Technology 155 all out in 19.5 overs (Vijesh Vijayakumaran 38 54, 1x6, Yasir Jamal 4-22, Amir Munir 3-20) by 71 runs.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Junior): Pitspot 153 for 9 in 20 overs (Wajid Ali 27 4x4, Mushir Nazir 34 2x4) beat Safara International 117 all out in 19.1 overs (Hardik Toprani 22, Mohazin Moosa 2-21, Anzil Nazumudeen 2-17) by 36 runs.

Brief Scores (Knockout - Junior): Vanderlande 189 for 7 in 20 overs (Vignesh Kumar 36 5x4, Prasanth Reddy 30 3x4, 1x6, Washil 4-31, Yesupaul Martin 2- 39) beat Sketch International 96 all out in 18.2 overs (Manish Bhatia 38 5x4, Vignesh Kumar 3-17, Aasim Mohammed 2-18) by 93 runs.

See more here:
Maniz Azad, Orient, OHI and Al Hail A march on in Senior Knockout tourney - Times of Oman

Bath Rugby head to London Irish on Saturday in Round 15 of the Gallagher Premiership down to their third choice fly-half following an injury to Rhys Priestland .

Blue, Black and White director of rugby Stuart Hooper confirmed on Thursday that first choice stand-off Priestland will miss the game after suffering a hamstring injury on Saturday in the victory over Worcester Warriors

With South African Tian Schoeman ruled out for the rest of the season after injuring his knee in the victory away at Newcastle Falcons earlier this month that once again leaves Hooper stretched in the vital fly half position

Earlier in the day Hooper and Bath confirmed the signing of former England international fly-half Danny Cipriani was a free agent having parted company with Gloucester in December.

However Cipriani, 33, will not arrive at Bath until May leaving Hooper relying on Academy product Orlando Bailey this weekend having finished last weekend's 47-22 win over Worcester at 10, or playing centre Josh Matavesi out of position once again having started there twice last season and been moved over later in games on several occasions.

Centre Cam Redpath is making positive progress towards a return from his neck injury and could also be an option over the coming weeks having played very well there in the 33-17 victory against Worcester back in December following injuries to both Priestland and Matavesi inside eight minutes of the game.

Hooper said: "Rhys won't be available this weekend.

"We are awaiting some more scan results for him but he is going to be a few weeks out of the game. "

"The injury is the back of his knee/hamstring, it is soft tissue but we are getting it scanned and making sure we get the right treatment for him and he is not going to be available this week.

That means Bath will also be without their two senior fly-halves for their European Challenge Cup last 16 knockout game away at Zebre on Good Friday, with the club targeting the competition as a chance for silverware.

Young full back Tom de Granville also looks unlikely to feature this weekend at the Brentford Community Stadium having picked up another injury in the victory over Worcester

Hooper would not be drawn on the extent of the de Glanville injury when speaking to the press on Thursday saying that he still needed an assessment on the player however at this stage in the week he has likely named his his team internally and knows whether he will play or not.

He said: "He has got a bit of a leg injury and we are not sure whether it is one we can turn around this week or not."

With Anthony Watson back from England Six Nations duty, Hooper has a prime full back replacement ready in waiting while Ruaridh McConnochie is also another able option in the 15 shirt.

Bath have been bolstered in the forwards but the return of internationals Beno Obano, Will Stuart and Charlie Ewels from England, prop Jamie Bhatti from Scotland and number eight Taulupe Faletau from Wales with the Six Nations finished, all but the rearranged France v Scotland game on Friday night.

Looking ahead to the closing stage of the season Hooper feels his side are well placed to kick on and climb the table and achieve their target of making the four four.

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He said: "I think if I reflect on where we have been over the last few weeks and more importantly the energy and the work the lads are doing in the week, I feel like were in a strong position.

"Were in seventh place with some good games to come.

"Most of our squad are back on deck now and pretty healthy so I think were in a good position to go week to week.

"The players massively respond to a week-to-week focus. This week is London Irish and well do everything we can to win that game. If we win that game, well be one step closer, but I believe we can push on and I believe we can make the top four.

View post:
Injury latest: Bath Rugby down to third choice fly-half as Rhys Priestland is ruled out - Somerset Live

Picture an alternative scene in May. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is lifting the FA Cup at Wembley having narrowly finished fifth in the Premier League. Does he keep his job?

Louis van Gaal can answer that one.

So, when it comes to scrutinising Solskjaers selection for the quarter-final against Leicester, context is required. Manchester Uniteds manager said he had no regrets about his line-up afterwards, and while that may strike as obduracy amid the wreckage of a disastrous display, it also points to a clarity of thought in the practicalities of life at Old Trafford.

United supporters are perfectly entitled to think a club with the biggest revenue in England should be able to battle to the end in all competitions, and certainly put up a better fight in a knockout game against a squad built at a fraction of the cost.

View original post here:
Solskjaer has every right to rotate but Manchester United's FA Cup exit was a disastrous display - The Athletic