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Clongowes Wood College and Belvedere College players react to the final whistle in their Leinster Schools Senior Cup semi-final this afternoon. Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO

• Shane Duffy has been ruled out of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Wales later this month as he sustained a fractured metatarsal in Brighton’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest over the weekend.
• Leinster have announced the signing of talented Kiwi back James Lowe for next season, prying him away from the Chiefs.
• Joe Schmidt and Ireland have yet to discuss whether they want the retractable roof at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to be open or closed for Friday night’s Six Nations clash against Wales.
• Offaly footballer Paraic Sullivan has urged supporters to “lay off” the current crop following a humbling 30-point hammering by Armagh on Sunday.
• Ian Madigan will be playing under Pat Lam next season as the Dubliner has agreed to leave France and join Bristol.
• Kerry U21 football manager Jack O’Connor has named a star-studded side containing 14 All-Ireland winners for Wednesday’s EirGrid Munster quarter-final against Clare.
• Jared Payne is unlikely to start for Ireland on Friday as he sat out today’s training session at Carton House with bruising.
• Katie Taylor will fight for the second time in a month after it was confirmed she will appear on the Anthony Crolla-Jorge Linares undercard on 25 March in Manchester.
• Leinster lock Mike McCarthy will be playing his club rugby in France next season after he secured a move to Pro D2 side Racing Club de Narbonne.
• Belvedere College held off a late surge from Clongowes Wood College at Donnybrook this afternoon to advance to the final of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
• The Ireland women’s national team kept up their encouraging start under new boss Colin Bell with a 1-0 win against Wales in the Cyprus Cup this afternoon.
• Limerick FC defender Paudie O’Connor has clinched a move to Championship side Leeds United.
• Carl Frampton may be waiting quite a while to complete a trilogy of fights with Leo Santa Cruz after the Mexican indicated he wants to face off with Lee Selby first.

Away

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez (left) shakes hands with manager Arsene Wenger. Tim Goode Tim Goode

• Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings and Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic have both been charged with violent conduct by the English Football Association.
• Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has denied he had a training ground bust-up with star forward Alexis Sanchez
• David Haye has undergone surgery on the Achilles tendon he ruptured during Saturday’s heavyweight defeat by fellow Briton Tony Bellew.

The Best Thing We Shared

Laura Muir had one of the biggest moments of her career when she won gold in the women’s 1500m at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade. An official wanted the Scot to leave the track and forego her victory lap but after some awkward conversation she eventually side-stepped her and did it anyway.

Where We Were Today

Sean Farrell and Ryan Bailey were at Carton House for Ireland’s training session ahead of Friday night’s game in Wales.

Andrew Conway carries Simon Zebo on his back at Carton House today. Marcus Sheridan / INPHO Marcus Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

On The Record

It was a massive emotional week for me leading up to the match. I was kind of surprised myself how focused I was. I wasn’t nervous immediately before the game. I knew he was there today and he’d be a massively proud man. It’s just unfortunate that he missed the biggest match of our lives.

Victorious Slaughtneil camogie captain Aoife Ní Chaiside opens up on how difficult it’s been having to deal with the loss of her father Thomas during her club’s run to the All-Ireland title.

The Fixture List

• The Champions League is back tomorrow night and Arsenal have it all to do against Bayern Munich as they trail 5-1 from the first leg of the Round of 16 tie. Napoli host Real Madrid in the other fixture and are 3-1 down after the first meeting between the sides. Both games kick off at 7.45pm.
• It’s a busy night in the English Championship too with a full card of fixtures scheduled.
• After Belvedere College beat Clongowes today, tomorrow it’s the turn of Gonzaga College and Blackrock College to battle it out for a spot in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final in Donnybrook from 3pm.

Showbiz, baby!

Katie McCabe scored this delightful goal, which proved to be the match-winner, as Ireland’s women defeated Wales 1-0 in a Cyprus Cup today.
https://www.facebook.com/FAIreland/videos/1474424052576336/

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‘He’d be a massively proud man. It’s just unfortunate that he missed the biggest match of our lives’

Analysis: Mayo’s first-half shambles and Dublin’s clever attacking