Debutants set for contracts

Irish team manager Pat Whelan has recommended that an unspecified number of new national squad contracts be issued. Whelan has put forward several names to the contracts sub-committee of the IRFU and they will decide whether to ratify the recommendations. Whelan confirmed: "I have recommended that new contracts be issued but until such time that they are ratified, I am not at liberty to discuss either the number or the players concerned.

"We (Whelan and Irish coach Brian Ashton) have discussed the matter at length and have now passed on our recommendations. I would like to add that never at any stage in the past have the contracts sub-committee refused any players that we have proposed. They are due to meet within the next week to 10 days."

John McWeeney, Kevin Nowlan and Conor McGuinness, who will make their debuts against New Zealand at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week, head the queue for national contracts while their St Mary's College team-mate Trevor Brennan, Greystones' Reggie Corrigan and Alan Quinlan of Shannon will also hope to be favoured.

The Irish squad will not undertake the familiar weekly Wednesday journey to the ALSAA complex, instead convening in Limerick early next week to prepare for the All Blacks game.

The Irish team management will take time out to attend the match between a Development XV and an Exiles XV. The Exiles have not yet named a team, although that should be forthcoming within the next 24 hours.

London Irish full-back Conor O'Shea, who was ruled out of the international with a broken bone in his arm sustained in the club's league clash with Newcastle on Saturday, has undergone an operation.

He had a plate inserted in the arm and will be sidelined for four to six weeks. This will also rule him out of Ireland's clash with Canada on November 29th, again at Lansdowne Road.

On the domestic front, the AIB All-Ireland League starts this weekend with one fixture, the Division Two clash between Old Wesley and Instonians at Donnybrook.

The reason for the premature solitary opening match - the leagues proper begin on November 22nd - is that Wesley and Bective Rangers, who share the Donnybrook ground, were both drawn at home on the scheduled opening day of the campaign. Old Wesley are without injured captain Rory Moloney and Dave Bursey but give an AIL debut to Australian second-row Justin Nowlan.

The Kitty O'Shea Leinster Championship semi-finals take place at the weekend. Carlow and Lansdowne, who meet at Oak Park, have delayed selection, as have Terenure, who host Clontarf at Lakelands.

The North Dublin club have been able to announce a strong team, despite the absence of injured wingers Peter Noble and John Massey. Garett Aherne moves to the wing with young New Zealander Hamish Stalworthy coming into the centre.

Stalworthy is not eligible for the All-Ireland League, unlike compatriot Craig Brownlee who is the club's registered foreign player. The 26-year-old Poverty Bay number eight makes his club debut on Saturday.

Six Lions captains are among the 50 Lions players who will attend a special `Celebration of Irish Lions banquet,' in the Burlington Hotel tonight to raise funds for the IRFU's Charitable Trust. The event is being staged in association with Scottish Provident.

Old Wesley: C Hoey; T McDonald, R McNaughton, A Leeson, R Casey; P Allen, J Kenefick; R Jackson, R Duggan, S Kinlan; M Wilson, J Nowlan; R Gavin, N Johnson, C Pratt.

Clontarf: M Woods; G Aherne, H Stalworthy, M Smith (capt), M Fitzsimons; R Murphy, R O'Reilly; T Hannigan, S Horan, P McQuillan; M Coughlan, M Meredith; A Dignam, C Brownlee, I Stewart.

St Mary's College: A N Other; D Hickie, D Lyons, G Gannon, K McNamee; R Ormond, E McCormack; E Byrne, B Browne, P Coyle; S Jameson, D Bourke; F Fitzgerald, M Cuddihy, V Costello.