Three Irish teams fill Semi spots

Leinster Ulster and Munster confirm their places in the Magners League playoffs

MAGNERS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS:

Friday, May 13 -

LEINSTER (2nd) v ULSTER (3rd), the RDS, 7.05pm

Saturday, May 14 -

MUNSTER (1st) v OSPREYS (4th), Thomond Park, 6.30pm

The winners of the play-off matches, which will be played at the home venues of the top two finishing sides in the regular Magners League table, will then meet in the Magners League grand final on Saturday, May 28 (kick-off 5.05pm).


The venue of this season's Magners League grand final will be determined by the results of the semi-finals.


The honour of staging the grand final will go to the team that has the highest regular season league ranking once the two finalists are known - it will be Munster if they win their game or the winners of the other semi-final.
Information on ticketing for both semi-finals and the Magners League grand final will be available on the respective team websites and also on www.magnersleague.com.

Ulster take win against Connacht

Ian Humphreys had a hand in all three tries and kicked the rest of the points as Ulster beat Connacht to keep on course for the Magners League's last four.

Rory Best's sixth-minute try set Ulster on their way to a 14-6 half-time lead, with Adam D'Arcy crossing the whitewash on the half hour mark.A drop goal and penalty from Ian Keatley kept Connacht in touch after a high tempo first half, and Eric Elwood's men should really have been closer.
Sean Cronin's superbly-taken try, adding to five more points from Keatley's boot, closed the gap to 17-16 with Humphreys kicking his first penalty.
The Ulster out-half added another in the 66th minute and the win was secured when Darren Cave broke through for a seven-pointer.

O'Donohoe makes move to Connacht

Connacht have signed former Ireland Under-20 scrum-half Paul O'Donohoe from Leinster.
O'Donohoe is the latest member of Ireland's famous 2007 U-20 Grand Slam winning team to join the province, and will join up with Andrew Browne, TJ Anderson, Eoghan Grace and Niall O'Connor in the green of Connacht next season.
The scrum-half has made 16 appearances to date for Leinster including two run-outs in the Heineken cup against Glasgow and the Scarlets.

He also started for Leinster in Connacht's New Year's Day defeat in the RDS this season.
The former Belvedere College man has captained Leinster A this season and has played 19 times for A's including eight times in the British and Irish Cup.
Speaking on the new deal, the Dubliner said: 'I am delighted to be signing for Connacht next season.

McAlister and Burgess to join Toulouse

New Zealand centre Luke McAlister and Australia scrum-half Luke Burgess will join Toulouse after the World Cup, the European champions have announced.
The pair will move to the big-spending Top 14 club from the Auckland Blues and the Waratahs, respectively.
South Africa loosehead prop Gurthro Steenkamp has also been signed from the Bulls while French fly-half Lionel Beauxis has been recruited from Stade Francais.

A statement on www.stadetoulousain.fr read: 'After the signatures of Nicolas Bez, Jean-Marc Doussain and Russlan Boukerou, who signed their first professional contracts with the club, Stade Toulousain has formalised its recruitment for the 2011-2012 season.

'Lionel Beauxis, Luke McAlister, Luke Burgess and Gurthro Steenkamp are committed to the club for three years, until the end of the 2013-2014 season. Timoci Matanavou has signed for two years until June 2013.'

Trimble and Wallace out for Ulster

Irish internationals Andrew Trimble and Paddy Wallace have been ruled out of the remainder of Ulster's Magners League campaign.

Wing Trimble and centre Wallace have both suffered fractured a thumb and will be forced to undergo surgery. As a result they will be sidelined for approximately six weeks, ruling them out of the remainder of the domestic season.

South African BJ Botha is rated as doubtful heading into Friday's clash with Connacht, with the prop awaiting the results of an MRI scan on a knee injury sustained against Leinster over the weekend.

There is some good news for the Ulstermen though, with Ian Humphreys and Tom Court passed fit for the encounter. Humphreys was forced off during the Leinster clash, while Court missed the game altogether having suffered a concussion the previous week.

Quinlan confirms retirement from rugby

Munster and Ireland back rower Alan Quinlan has confirmed that he will retire from professional rugby at the end of the current season.

 

Alan Quinlan, who will shortly celebrate his 37th birthday, confirmed the news today at Munster's weekly media briefing at the University of Limerick ahead of their Magners League match against the Scarlets.

The Clanwilliam clubman, who has been named in the province's squad to face the Scarlets, has played 210 competitive games for Munster since making his debut in November 1996.

He was capped 27 times for Ireland at Test level, with his six-try haul including touchdowns against Namibia and Argentina at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Quinlan has been part of all of Munster's successes in the modern era - their Celtic League, Celtic Cup and Magners League triumphs and both of their Heineken Cup wins.