Carlow chase record 12th title

CARLOW'S ascension into the All Ireland League seems to be just a matter of time. Their dominance of the junior rugby scene this season will also make them card carrying favourites for the Provincial Towns Cup Final at Naas on Sunday where they meet Navan in the final.

Expected to draw the biggest crowd of the weekend, the two sides last met in a Towns Cup final in 1990 when Navan won 14-13. They then went on to heat Athy the following year, before Carlow's dominance in the competition took them to four wins in the following five years.

Having won two of their matches in the round robin provincial play offs for a place in the All Ireland League division four. Carlow are expected to follow Suttonians' blazing trail and establish themselves at the higher end of the league.

"I'd expect them to progress from division four to division three in the All," said Navan captain Michael Gavigan. "I think they are as good as Suttonians. In fact, I think junior rugby in the province is stronger than All division four.

"We'll have to play on top of our game to beat them up front. They've also two outstanding half backs in Leonard Peavoy and Harry Sothern. Sothern is the Jocky Wilson of Irish rugby. His kicking has pinpoint accuracy."

The Navan pack has a mix of very young players with some well seasoned performers. In the second row, Nick Crawford (22) lines out with wing forward Dan Healy (20) and prop Ciaran Brassil (23). The rest of the pack, with the exception of Brian Sherlock (26), are in their 30s.

This area could well be where the game is won, and certainly if Navan give away penalties under pressure, there is little doubt that the 37 year old Sothern will punish them severely.

When the two sides met in the league. Sothern kicked five out of six penalties and a drop goal while Navan ran in two tries and kicked two penalties to narrowly lose the game.

"We've a very good, young team, fit, good rucking and strong overall," says Gavigan.

Carlow, however will he looking for their record 12th title to take them one beyond Skerries. And they, too have a youthful look to their side with, wing forward JJ Waddock just 19 and the two locks, Mark Halpin and Liam O'Byrne, 20 and 21 respectively. In addition, Carlow have lost only one game since 1992 in the cup, a run they are likely to want to maintain.