Men's Hockey: There has been no hanging around with new Ireland coach Dave Passmore. Following Munster's triumph at Grange Road and Ulster's 4-0 pasting by Leinster, Passmore has rewarded 10 Cork players with places in his 29-man panel.
Leinster have seven players and last-placed Ulster 10 in the squad. Stephen Butler and Justin Sherriff play in Belgium for Dragons, but could have been part of the Leinster squad had they known what was going on with the interprovincial tournament.
The point can be made while Passmore has had the chance to see most of the top players in a tournament, the scorelines have little relevance to international selection. Perhaps Ulster will remember that next time they win the interprovincials, it does not follow that they deserve more players on the national squad.
The extended squad will meet up on December 19th in Dublin and also will travel to Spain in late January for a training camp, with a view to peaking next September for the European B Championships in Rome.
"I have deliberately gone for a young squad that has the potential to develop in both the shorter and longer term. With competition for places high, there can be no expectation from anyone to progress further in the squad if they do not commit to the program in place," said Passmore.
Passmore has included four uncapped players in Trinity's Phelie Maguire and Peter Blakeney, Banbridge's Eugene Magee and Richard Arnopp from Cork C of I. Four who made their international debuts during the summer, Iain Lewers (Annadale), Timmy Cockram (Lisnagarvey), Sean Nicholson (Cork Harlequins) and Pembroke's Ronan Gormley, are back in. Mark Irwin has been named but remains in Australia until next year and David Smyth has agreed with the coach to take an extended break until after the Europeans.
IRISH SQUAD: R Arnopp (C of I), A Barbour (Cookstown), W Bateman (C of I), J Black, M Black (Cork Harlequins), P Blakeney (DU), P Brown (Instonians), K Burns (C of I), S Butler (Dragons), N Buttimer (Cork C of I), T Cockram (Lisnagarvey), D Eakins (Cork Harlequins), G Elliott (Pembroke), M Gleghorn (Instonians), R Gormley (Pembroke), C Henderson (Corinthians), N Henderson (Pembroke), D Hobbs (Cork C of I), M Irwin (Instonians), C Jackson (Annadale), J Jermyn (Pembroke), I Ilewers (Annadale), E Magee (Banbridge), P Maguire (Trinity), S Nicholson (Cork Harlequins), M Raphael (Lisnagarvey), G Shaw (Annadale), J Sherriff (Dragons), B Waring (Lisnagarvey).
DEVELOPMENT PLAYERS: J Brennan (Glenanne), E Bane (Aer Lingus) G Watkins (Monkstown), D Harte (Cork Harlequins), P Smith (Cork C of I), M Ruddle (Cork C of I), J Quigley (Annadale), D Robb (Annadale), M Robinson (Lisnagarvey).
WEEKEND FIXTURES: SATURDAY - Leinster Senior League: Division One - YMCA v Aer Lingus 2.0, Claremont Road; Railway v Corinthians 12.0, Park Avenue; Monkstown v Glenanne 1.30, St Andrew's; Dublin University v Pembroke Wanderers 11.30, Serpentine Ave; Clontarf v TRR 1.0, Mount Temple. Division Two - UCD v Skerries 2.45, Belfield; St Brendans v Avoca 1.0, DCU; Naas v Suttonians 3.0, Naas; Bray v St James Gate 1.30, Loreto Bray; Weston v Portrane 3.0, King's Hospital. Munster Senior League - Church of Ireland A v UCC A Garryduff, 12.30. SUNDAY - Leinster Senior Cup - Weston v Railway Union 1.0, Kings Hospital; Clontarf v Aer Lingus 2.30, Mount Temple; Glenanne v Pembroke Wanderers 2.30, St Mark's; Under 21 Cup: YMCA v Dublin University 1:30, Claremont Road. Munster Senior League: Harlequins 1st v Church of Ireland B, Garryduff, 3.0.
