Enterprising changes at the top level of Irish hockey give the new season a considerable lift-off. The Viagratype boosts are aimed primarily at leading to a sharpening of Ireland's performances abroad, notably in the European senior championship in Padua in a year's time.
On the league front, the eight best-placed teams - three each from Leinster and Ulster and the leading two from Munster - will have the incentive of engaging in quarter-finals (home and away), leading to the semi-finals and final at Belfield to decide the club champions. This much more embracing format replaces the three-team play-offs.
In the Irish Senior Cup, only second-division sides will play in the first two rounds, leaving six survivors. These will then go into the third round in which they will be joined by the first-division teams from Leinster and Ulster (10 each) and six from Munster's premier grade, making a total of 32.
There will be no replays, with all ties being decided where necessary by an extra-time `golden goal' or ultimately by penalty strokes. This will also apply, for the first time, to all cup competitions in Leinster.
The Leinster Senior League, again fuelled by Statoil, starts tomorrow when it may be too much to expect teams to fire on all cylinders. The champions, Pembroke Wanderers, though, have probably been stirred into shape by Simon Filgas and field two newcomers in the attack against YMCA at Serpentine Avenue. Max Lanos from France who, like Ireland's Simon Kershaw, narrowly missed being selected for the European under-21 championship in Italy, is joined by an Englishman, Douglas Good.
The YM captain, Stewart Taylor, may have difficulty marshalling his defenders sufficiently to contain the Good-LanosKershaw strike force, backed by Devin Donnelly. By the end of the month, however, YM expect their resources to be spearheaded by Olivier Keithe, a Bundesliga player from Cologne.
Monkstown, also with an overseas infusion in Greg Heger from South Africa, remain the youngest premier division side. Whether David Jenkins can lead them to victory at Rathdown tomorrow, though, is doubtful against Peter Darley's top four team Corinthians, especially with Colin Stewart and Paul Armitage continuing to epitomise Australian vigour. Three Rock Rovers, having confirmed their capabilities (galvanised by the reappearance of Angus Dunlop) in holding Instonians to a 1-1 draw last weekend, will probably be livelier than Avoca at Grange Road. While Avoca will miss the Leinster captain, JP Murphy, they retain a loyal band of first-class players but injuries to Anton Scott and Galahad Goulet, and perhaps a lack of overall fitness, may leave them with too much to do.
Kilkenny, proudly back in the first division, can possibly save a point against Railway Union at Scanlan Park if their captain Ross Harding copes with the sharp finishing of the visitors' skipper, Stephen Moulton. The return of Owen Butler will add to Railway's momentum.
Like Kilkenny, freshly promoted Aer Lingus will depend greatly on their goalkeeper Ben McCabe in their opening game against Glenanne at St Mark's. The former international (and now national coach of this position) will need all his expertise to foil Glenanne's top marksman Stephen Butler, especially with Graham Shaw likely to undermine the cover.
