SCRUM HALF Alain Rolland, who is due to captain the Ireland A team against Wales at Donnybrook next Friday, is under treatment for a hamstring strain and is unlikely to be able to take any part in the team's training sessions this weekend.

Rolland led the A team to victory over Scotland five weeks ago. Now, with a doubt surrounding his fitness, Andrew Matchett, the Ballymena and Ulster scrum half, has been called into the A squad.

There is also a doubt about the fitness of A team hooker Shane Byrne. He injured an ankle playing for the Ireland Students in France last weekend. As a consequence, the selectors have brought in the Connacht and Skerries hooker Bill Mulcahy. Mulcahy played for Ireland at A level in all three matches last season and also won two A caps in 1993. With Conor O'Shea, the A team full back, playing with his club London Irish in a Pilkington Cup tie today, the former Ireland schools and under 21 full back, Brian Begley, has also been called into the A squad for the weekend training sessions.

The competitive activity on the club front this weekend is confined to the semi final of the Connacht Senior League, between Galwegians and Ballina at Crowley Park tomorrow, and matches this afternoon in the Ulster League.

It will, however, be a demanding two days for the members of the three Ireland squads senior, A and under 21 as they prepare for their matches against Wales at the different levels next weekend.

It is anticipated that all those chosen for the senior side will be present at Lansdowne Road this morning and will be able to participate in the three sessions scheduled for the weekend. There is one this morning, one this afternoon, and a third tomorrow morning.

Simon Geoghegan, who missed the match against France because of a hamstring injury, should be able to train and Ireland manager Pat Whelan said yesterday that he fully expects Geoghegan to be fit for the match against Wales.

The A team training will be run in conjunction with the senior side and there will be, according to the manager, a lot of interaction between the sides.

The Ireland under 21 side, which has already defeated England and Scotland, will be meeting Wales in Wicklow next Friday with the Triple Crown at stake. Unfortunately, that match clashes with the A international at Donnybrook.

However, the match in Wicklow represents a most attractive proposition for spectators and should be a major boost for the game in that area. The IRFU policy has been to play at least one of the under 21 internationals at a provincial venue each season. It is Wicklow's good fortune to have the match this season.

The under 21 team's selectors waited until last night to finalise the side as they wanted to see how many of their players would be chosen in the Ireland A team. Two, second row Malcolm O'Kelly and wing James Topping, will be playing at A level.

O'Kelly and Topping both played in the under 21 match against England, but both missed the win over Scotland. O'Kelly was playing with the A team and Topping was ruled out because of examination commitments. Eric Miller, who did not play in the under 21 match against the Scots as he was in the A side, is available this time. So, too, are wing Denis Hickie and scrum half Conor McGuinness.

The under 21 team, coached by Eddie O'Sullivan and managed by David Irwin, will have four training sessions over the weekend. They train twice today in Belfield and will be there again tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon, they move to Lansdowne Road, after the senior and A sides have completed their work at the venue.

Wales defeated Scotland's under 21s, but have not yet played England. The Welsh side will be chosen on Monday. The Welsh A team will not be selected until Tuesday.

The London Irish club yesterday issued a statement congratulating its players chosen on the Ireland teams for next weekend. However, there was criticism of the fact that out half David Humphreys has not been released by the Ireland management today and is therefore not available to play for the club this afternoon in the Pilkington Cup match against West Hartlepool.

In fact, Humphreys had never played a competitive League match for London Irish. He joined the club after his commitments with Oxford University were completed in December.

The club also expressed the hope that their players will be released to play in a vital league match against Moseley on March 9th - the week before Ireland play England at Twickenham. The three London Irish players chosen on the A side against Wales - Conor O'Shea, Robert Henderson and Barry Walsh - have been released from the A team sessions today.

Meanwhile, when new Ireland captain Niall Hogan plays against Welsh scrum half Robert Howley next Saturday, he will be renewing a rivalry first fashioned in a schools' international in Aberystwyth in 1989. Ireland won that match 9-6. Two other members of that Ireland schools' side, Paul Wallace and Victor Costello, will also be playing against Wales next Saturday.

A remarkable aspect of that schools' championship campaign of 1989 is that the four scrum halves who played for the four countries went on to win full caps. Andy Nichol was Scotland's number nine, while Kyran Bracken played for England.

Hogan and Howley also faced each other at under-21 level, in October 1991. That match was played in Newport and Wales won it 22-15. Round three in the rivalry takes place at Lansdowne Road next Saturday.