Avan Lee returns to Ireland with a vision for Munster

Avan Lee had two spells living in Ireland before, the New Zealander playing rugby and cricket for Clontarf in the 1990s before returning to Dublin in 2012 when he worked with World Rugby. His third shift here, which begins in a fortnight, is likely to prove the most challenging of all after his appointment as interim chief executive at Munster Rugby. John O’Sullivan heard from him on Wednesday, Lee acknowledging that “there have been issues” with how the province has been run, ones that need to be addressed - and fixed. And he’s more than willing to sit down with former players like Peter O’Mahony who has been vocal with his criticism of late.

Ahead of Leinster’s URC meeting with Cardiff at the RDS on Saturday, Michael Scully talks to Dan Sheehan who is chuffed to be back at the venue. “It’s a proper club ground, edgy and not perfect, which is what a home ground should feel like.”

In football, we hear from Republic of Ireland defender Jessie Stapleton in the build-up to tomorrow’s World Cup qualifying playoff against Kazakhstan in Astana, tomorrow also a big day for Ireland’s under-21 side - they’ll find out who they will play in the European Championship playoffs. Stephen Barry talks to left-back Conor McManus about that superb 3-1 win over England at Turners Cross. “Honestly, I can’t describe it,” he said. “It’s the closest thing to what I imagine drugs would be like.”

In Gaelic games, Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor announced his retirement from intercounty football on Wednesday. Some career it was too - he is the leading scorer in the history of the senior championship with just the 32-364.

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Gordon Manning, meanwhile, listened in on the Dáil committee exchanges when the leadership of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association fielded questions on the rocky road to integration. After two hours and 14 minutes, all concerned were none the wiser about a timeline for when it might happen. Bon Jovi, incidentally, featured quite heavily in the proceedings.

Paul Keane brings us the latest on the new format for the Leinster hurling championship. “There is still the hurdle of Congress to be navigated, but a green light there would see the existing six-team round-robin format binned in favour of two new groups of four.”

And Ciarán Murphy ponders the woes of clubs making early exits from their county championships, among them Kilcoo who, after 14 titles in the last 15 years, didn’t even make it to October in Down. An early bath.

TV Watch: Shane Lowry and Tom McKibbin are in the field for the Spanish Open which gets under way today (Sky Sports Golf, 1pm), and at 8pm, Virgin Media Two has live coverage of the league game between Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United - even a draw would see Rovers go top of the table.