Interprovincial go ahead as scheduled

The final round of the Interprovincial Championship will go ahead as scheduled on Friday night. Leinster face Munster at Donnybrook while Ulster entertain Connacht at Ravenhill.

The IRFU issued a statement to confirm the fixtures, quashing speculation that the games would be deferred until January. "Following speculation regarding the possible rearranging of Guinness interprovincial matches next Friday, the IRFU can categorically confirm that the existing fixture list remains in place and the matches will take place on Friday, November 3rd."

Leinster coach Matt Williams had called for the games to be moved to the weekend preceding the resumption of the European Cup in January, thereby offering an ideal build-up to the final two fixtures in the European competition.

He contended that the remaining fixtures in the interprovincials were largely meaningless given that Munster have already won the championship and that it seems highly likely that Ireland will have three representatives in the European Cup next year.

He intimated that the three other provincial coaching directors would support a decision to rearrange Friday's fixtures. That appears to be at variance with what the other provinces stated yesterday.

Munster team manager Jerry Holland said: "We were never looking for the match to be called off. What we wanted was a game the week before the European Cup was revived." Connacht's Gerry Kelly confirmed that he knew nothing about any possible rescheduling while Ulster team manager Joe Miles pointed out that there was never any question of Ulster agreeing to the January date.

IRFU chief executive Philip Browne pointed out: "There was a discussion last September at which the provincial coaching directors were present and their views were sought on the final round of the interprovincials. It was decided that the games would take place this weekend.

"It's a bit late to have this alternative lobbed in. It's simply not feasible what with sponsors, television and the public already committed." Browne did confirm that the IRFU were looking into the possibility of providing the provinces with a warm-up match before the European Cup resumes.

Leinster team manager Ken Ging conceded that he was disappointed by the IRFU's decision not to postpone the fixtures. "We'd have preferred not to play. It would offer ideal preparation the week before the European Cup takes off again, to play Munster in a hard, competitive game. I am disappointed. The players could also do with a rest having played 10 straight weekends of pretty tough rugby."