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The balls are ready for yesterday's Heineken Cup 2012/2013 draw in Dublin. ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Early Doors

The Morning Score: Wednesday

Pour that first cup of coffee and settle down to the morning’s sports news. Here’s what you need to know.

1. #EURO 2012 Polish captain Jakob Blaszczykowski scored a stunning equaliser to keep Poland’s hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals alive with a 1-1 draw against Russia in Warsaw.

The tournament co-hosts now need a win in their final Group A game against the Czech Republic, who strengthened their own hand with a 2-1 win against Greece in yesterday’s earlier game.

Tonight, Group B resumes with two mouth-watering clashes as Portugal meet Denmark (5pm) and old rivals Holland and Germany square off (7.45pm).

2. #EURO 2012 But football’s ugly side also reared its head in Warsaw last night as clashes between rival Russian and Polish “fans” marred the build-up and aftermath to the game. BBC report that 184 people were arrested and 11 wounded in the troubling scenes.

3. #NBA FINALS Oh, Oklahoma! Kevin Durant scored 36 points as the Thunder launched a brilliant second-half comeback in Game 1 of their NBA Final against the Miami Heat.

Oklahoma trailed by 11 points with a minute remaining in the first half before Durant landed 17 points in the final quarter to rally his side to a 105-94 win.

4. #CHAMPO 2012 Offaly hurling manger Ollie Baker has named an unchanged XV for Sunday’s Leinster SHC semi-final against Galway in Portlaoise.

Baker’s panel came through their quarter-final win against Wexford without any injury worries and the Clareman has found no reason to mix it up for this weekend’s game.

5. #IRELAND U20S There was disappointment for Mike Ruddock and the Ireland U20s last night as they failed to make the semi-finals of the IRB Junior World Championships.

The “Wolfpuppies” ran in six tries to beat Italy 41-12 in Cape Town but were pipped to a place in the final four when South Africa scored a bonus-point win against England.

6. TOUR DE SUISSE Ireland’s Nicolas Roche remains in fifth place overall after yesterday’s fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse.

Slovakia’s Peter Sagan claimed his third stage win ahead of Australia’s Baden Cooke.

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