Probably it would be of most benefit to Irish hockey if Cork C of I were to emerge best in the club championship play-offs at Belfield this weekend and earn a place in European fare next year.
Both Instonians and Pembroke Wanderers have enjoyed their experiences abroad in the past few seasons. Instonians, of course, are guaranteed further exposure as a result of beating Three Rock Rovers in the Irish Senior Cup final last Saturday but they will want to complete the domestic double, while Pembroke would like to crown their 75th anniversary celebrations by becoming all-Ireland champions for a second time.
Furthermore, after their travels to Prague and Rome, Pembroke might consider staging a European tournament themsleves. Equally, there would be no more hospitable a venue than Garryduff to welcome Continental visitors, though the Cork players would first prefer a taste of Europe - say, a last tango for Ger Burns.
Munster champions for the seventh successive season and eliminated only in the last two years by Belvedere and Harlequins in the Irish Senior Cup when Alastair Dunne was missing through injury, C of I are capable of at last making the national breakthrough. They will be finely matched with Pembroke tomorrow in a fraternal (Hanna/Dunne/ Cooke/Watchorn) encounter before taking on Instonians in what may well be the key match on Sunday.
However, if Pembroke can get their fire going again in midfield, the way will be open for the overall outcome to be decided in a crunch match on Monday against Instonians, who edged out the Leinster champions in the semi-final stage of the all-Ireland Cup.
Instonians, a trifle tarnished by a £250 fine imposed by the Ulster Branch for incidents involving umpires in March, will be expected to be on their best behaviour - as they were in the cup final with Ray O'Connor present.
Incidentally, the remarkable spirit of the game was in evidence among Dixon Rose's helpers last Saturday. Crawford Tipping, the IHU centenary president, and Jimmy O'Connor, widely known as a tournament director in every outpost of Europe from Israel to Sweden, were on humble pitchwatering duties while Marius Gallagher, the immediate past president, was on the gate. What about volunteers for the future, though? "Don't worry, we can count on younger men like Tony Barry and Jimmy Dunne," said Tipping.
Wales, who will be hosts to Ireland in Cardiff at the end of June, have also agreed to play in Dublin on May 16th to mark the opening of the new astroturf pitch at Sutton Park School.
The Welsh, who recently beat Scotland 5-1 at Milton Keynes, will meet a Suttonians President's (Colm O'Hare) selection. This is expected to include the Australian pair Colin Stewart and Paul Armitage of Corinthians, Nigel Henderson of Pembroke and other international figures from the host province as well as Ulster, and perhaps an emerging player like Stephen Butler of Glenanne.
Instonians - T Hogg, N Skillen; K Rutherford, N Cooke (capt), P Brown, C Kennedy, M Wainright, J Lewis, P Hollway, G Currie, M Cooke, J Atkins, M Irwin, S Reid, T Taylor, D McCloy; coach: P Anderson; manager: I Latham.
Pembroke Wanderers - N Henderson, N Grothier; F de Rosa, D McKeen, T O Siochain (capt), C Kelly, A Kershaw, I Battle, P Young, A Cooke, P Carley, D Donnelly, D Hanna, S Kershaw, S Stewart, T Dunne; coach: J Cole; manager: C Stewart.
Cork C of I - M O'Sullivan, N Bryan; S Watchorn, G Burns, K Burns, L Ruddock, R Dorman, D Hales (capt), N Buttimer, A Dunne, N Welch, M Black, C Hanna, C Seale, N Foott, S Teap; coach: D Pritchard; manager: R Gunn.
Programme: Tomorrow: Pembroke Wanderers v Cork C of I, 2.30; Sunday: Cork C of I v Instonians, 2.30; Monday: Pembroke v Instonians, 2.30. Umpires: R O'Connor, C Hutchinson, S Clarke; technical officer: C Tipping.
