Provincial finals dominate

The provincial cup finals dominate the rugby calendar this weekend, although the dates of the respective deciders has not met with unanimous approval throughout the provinces. Shannon - the squad is currently enjoying a holiday in Spain - were hoping to have Sunday's Munster Cup Final against Young Munster at Thomond Park put back until Monday.

It is not so much the absence of the senior squad who are due back on Saturday but the fact that the club are contributing eight players to the Munster Under-21 team that take on the New Zealand Nike Youths at Thomond Park on Saturday. Many of the young players have made a significant contribution to Shannon's passage to the final.

The Munster Branch though have insisted that the final go ahead on the Sunday. Shannon will definitely be without internationals Mick Galwey, Peter Stringer, John Hayes and Anthony Foley. Young Munster confirmed that international centre Mike Mullins is available for selection.

In Connacht, Galwegians are looking for a rescheduling of their Cup final, due to take place on Sunday against Buccaneers at the Sports-ground. They wish to play the match 24 hours earlier but as of now the game goes ahead on the Sunday.

Buccaneers may be without Connacht wing Darren Yapp who suffered a hamstring injury at the weekend but will be heartened that prop, Martin Cahill's back scan last weekend showed no serious damage: he played in the cup semi-final against the Connemara All Blacks the following day.

Coach Brian Rigney will confirm his team today, adding that he was delighted to have another tough game ahead of the start of the AIB All-Ireland League. "We have managed a lot of good work in the last fortnight but with five games in December you need to hit the ground running. Sunday is pretty much ideal preparation for the weeks to come."

The Leinster Senior Cup final between Terenure College and Clontarf takes place at Donnybrook on Friday, this time without the communal footwear. Clontarf were forced to turn up for their semi-final last weekend without boots, because their playing gear was stranded in Heathrow, having missed the London-Dublin leg of a return journey from Bahrain: they had been there for the previous week.

Terenure players kindly lent them their boots, having played in the first semi-final but will be looking to put the boot into the North Dublin club this week, figuratively speaking. Terenure will be without, scrum-half Derek Hegarty (playing with Ireland in the Dubai Sevens) and Girvan Dempsey (injured) while Eric Miller may be given the weekend off.

New coach Kevin Putt must decide whether to play himself or introduce young Donal O'Mahony, who came on as a replacement the last day. In Ulster Dungannon are likely to be without Ireland wing Tyrone Howe (back strain) for Friday's Ulster Senior Cup final against Belfast Harlequins at Ravenhill.

Meanwhile, the IRFU have found that Old Wesley had no case to answer after being brought to a tribunal by Terenure College over an alleged payment to a player, which would have been in contravention to an agreement between League clubs with regard to player payments.