Weekly Rugby Preview

The AIL continues this weekend with only one Munster side in action in the First Division and a full program in Divisions Two and Three.

By John Leonard

The AIL continues this weekend with only one Munster side in action in the First Division and a full program in Divisions Two and Three.

It is a quite weekend on the Junior scene with five games going ahead in the Heineken Munster Junior Clubs Challenge Cup.

Garryowen will hope to keep their unbeaten start to the season going when they entertain Galwegians on Sunday afternoon in the AIL First Division at Dooradoyle.

In the Second Division, U.C.C. play their first game with a trip to D.L.S.P. and the Kilternan side will be in a confident mood of picking up more points after their win in Midleton last week. Dolphin play Barnhall at Musgrave Park and having got off to a winning start last week against Young Munster will be seeking their 70th win in the AIL. Highfield, who won an epic encounter last week face a stiff test away to Ballynahinch and if they show the same commitment as last week, they should be returning home with the points.

Two Limerick sides that lost at home last week are away this week, with Old Crescent facing a difficult tie against Terenure, and Young Munster’s will hope to get the better of Waterpark at Ballinakill. There are two games in Limerick on Sunday. U.L. Bohemian face one of their main promotion challenger’s Bective Rangers at Thomond Park. Thomond after their disappointing defeat by Highfield last week, will hope to bounce back to winning ways with a home victory over Midleton, who have yet to win this season.

Clonakilty after their great performance last week against Bruff, will hope to reproduce the same form at home to Banbridge. Bruff face a difficult task away to Portadown and Sunday’s Well will have their work cut out at Holmpatrick against Skerries.

The local derby tie between Ennis and St. Senan’s looks the highlight of the Challenge Cup ties. St. Senan’s have held the upper hand in recent meetings, but current form would indicate that it is Ennis who could book their quarter-final place. Three Third Division sides face difficult ties against sides that look like they will be battling it out for the Junior League title later in the season.

Mallow are at home to Nenagh Ormond, Presentation play Thurles and Newcastle West travel to Cobh and it is hard to see any of these sides causing an upset. Muskerry take on Cashel in the other tie and the Tipperary side will be expected to continue their unbeaten run this season and book their place in the last eight.

Elsewhere Kerry rivals Castleisland and Tralee meet in the final of the McElligott Cup at Castleisland. Galbally will be hoping to reach the Mansergh Cup final with a home win over Clanwilliam and Old Christians should advance to the next round of the of the O’Neill Cup with a victory away to Dunmanway.

There are two finals in Cork on Monday. At Woodleigh Park a new name will be added to the Dennehy Cup, when Muskerry and Youghal contest the final. Muskerry will start as favourites against an East Cork side that surprised holder’s Cobh Pirates in the semi-final.

Muskerry host the O’Sullivan Cup Final, with Cork Constitution taking on Midleton.

With the Conroy Cup going ahead in Limerick this weekend at U.L., there are only four ties in Division One of the South Western Conference. Young Munster entertain Shannon in the top game of the day. Garryowen should prove too strong for Old Crescent at Dooradoyle, while Bruff face a difficult task away to Buccaneers. Sunday’s Well and Highfield meet at Musgrave Park and the newly crowned South Munster champions should pick up the spoils.

FIXTURES:

SATURDAY 23rd OCTOBER

AIB League Division 1: Blackrock College v Belfast Harlequins,Stradbrook,2.30 Co. Carlow v Clontarf,Oak Park,2.30 Dublin University v Buccaneers,College Park,2.30 Dungannon v U.C.D.,Stevenson Park,2.30

Division 2: Ballynahinch v Highfield,Ballymacarn Park,2.30 Dolphin v Barnhall,Musgrave Park,2.30 D.L.S.P. v U.C.C.,Kilternan,2.30 St. Mary’s College v Malone,Templeville Road,2.30 Terenure College v Old Crescent Lakelands,2.30 Waterpark v Young Munster,Ballinakill,2.30

Division 3: City of Derry v Corinthians,Judge’s Road,2.30 Clonakilty v Banbridge,Shannon Vale,2.30 Old Wesley v Connemara,Donnybrook,2.30 Portadown v Bruff,Chambers Park,2.30 Queens University v Greystones,Dub Lane,2.30 Skerries v Sunday’s Well,Holmpatrick,2.30 Suttonians v Ards,Station Road,2.30 Wanderers v Ballina,Lansdowne Road,2.30

Gleeson League: Old Crescent v St. Senan’s,Rosbrien,1.00 Richmond v Garryowen,Richmond Park,2.00 Shannon v U.L. Bohemian,Coonagh,1.00 Thomond v Young Munster,Fitzgerald Park,2.00

Under 20 South Western Conference Division 1: Buccaneers v Bruff,Dubarry Park,2.30 Garryowen v Old Crescent,Dooradoyle,12.00 Sunday’s Well v Highfield,Musgrave Park,12.30 Young Munster v Shannon,Clifford Park,2.00

Division 2: Newcastle West v Kilfeacle,Newcastle West,2.30

Conroy Cup: Universities U20 Tournament,University Limerick

Schools Senior Friendly: Rockwell v Methody College,Rockwell,11.00

Schools Junior Friendly: P.B.C. v Terenure,Wilton,11.15 P.B.C. “B” v Terenure “B”,Wilton,11.15

Under 16 League Section “A”: Kanturk v Midleton,Kanturk,11.00 Mitchelstown v Cobh Pirates,Mitchelstown Muskerry v Highfield,Muskerry,12.00 P.B.C. v Fermoy,Wilton Youghal v Sunday’s Well,Youghal,12.00

Section “B”: Bandon v Old Christians,Bandon,11.00 C.B.C. v Ballincollig,Lansdowne Cork Constitution v Skibbereen,Temple Hill Crosshaven v Dolphin,Crosshaven,12.00 Douglas v Kinsale,Moneygourney Mallow v Clonakilty,Mallow

Under 14 League Section “A”: Cork Constitution v Cobh Pirates,Temple Hill Fermoy v Mallow,Fermoy Highfield v Kanturk,Woodleigh Park,11.30 Midleton v Muskerry,Midleton Mitchelstown v Youghal,Mitchelstown

Section “B”: Old Christians v Ballincollig,Rathcooney Bandon v Crosshaven,Bandon Dolphin v Dunmanway,Musgrave Park Skibbereen v Sunday’s Well,Skibbereen P.B.C. v Clonakilty,Wilton

SUNDAY 24th OCTOBER

AIB League Division 1: Garryowen v Galwegians,Dooradoyle,2.30

Division 2: Thomond v Midleton,Fitzgerald Park,2.30 U.L. Bohemian v Bective Rangers,Thomond Park,2.30

Heineken Munster Junior Clubs Challenge Cup: Cobh Pirates v Newcastle West,Cobh,2.30 Ennis v St. Senan’s,Ennis,2.30 Mallow v Nenagh Ormond,Mallow,2.30 Muskerry v Cashel,Muskerry,2.30 Presentation v Thurles,Rathuard,2.30

Munster Seconds League Division 1: Dolphin v Shannon,Musgrave Park,3.00

Division 2: Bruff v Old Crescent,Bruff,3.00 Young Munster v Waterpark,Clifford Park,3.00

Junior League South: Sunday’s Well v Cork Constitution,Musgrave Park,3.00

McElligott Cup Final: Castleisland v Tralee,Castleisland,3.00

Mansergh Cup Semi-Final: Galbally v Clanwilliam,Galbally,2.30

O’Neill Cup: Dunmanway v Old Christians,Dunmanway,2.30

Gleeson League: Clanwilliam v Scariff,Clanwilliam Park,1.00 Clonmel v Cashel,Clonmel,1.30 Nenagh Ormond v Kilfeacle,Nenagh,2.30 Thurles v Bruff Thurles,12.00

Junior 2 League South: Ballincollig v U.C.C.,Ballincollig,12.00 Douglas v Shandon,Moneygourney, 11.45 Old Christians v Bantry Bay,Rathcooney,3.00

Junior 3 League South: Skibbereen v U.C.C.,Skibbereen,3.00

Junior 4 League South: Fermoy v Kinsale,Fermoy,3.00 Glenbeigh v Bandon,Glenbeigh,3.00 Kanturk v Corca Dhuibhne,Kanturk,3.00 Sunday’s Well v Muskerry,Musgrave Park,12.00

Tybroughney League: Waterford City v Carrick-on-Suir,Waterford,2.00

West Munster League: Listowel v Killorglin,Listowel,3.00

Junior 1 Friendly: Ballincollig v Crosshaven,Ballincollig,3.00

Junior 3 Friendly: Carrigaline v Pfizer,Carrigaline,1.00

Under 18 Friendly: Muskerry v Thomond, Muskerry,3.00

Under 17 League: Bruff v Clanwilliam,Bruff,12.00 Kilfeacle v Shannon,Kilfeacle,12.00

Under 15 League Final: Young Munster v Shannon,Derryknockane,11.30

Under 14 Festival: Skibbereen,2.00

Under 13 League: Ennis v Shannon,Ennis,12.00 Newcastle West v UL Bohemain,Newcastle West,11.30 Old Crescent v Garryowen,Rosbrien,11.30 St. Mary’s v Thomond,Corbally,11.30 St. Senan’s v Richmond,Shannon,11.30 Waterpark v Killfeacle,Ballinakill,11.00 Young Munster v Bruff,Derryknockane,11.30

MONDAY 25th OCTOBER

Dennehy Cup Final: Muskerry v Youghal,Woodleigh Park,2.30

O’Sullivan Cup Final: Cork Constitution v Midleton,Muskerry,12.30

WEDNESDAY 27th OCTOBER

Youth Represenative: Munster v Languedoc,Musgrave Park,7.00