LEAGUE points and, in the cases of some individuals, places on the Ireland senior and A side to meet Scotland next weekend will be the issues at stake in the Insurance Corporation All-Ireland League this afternoon.
The national selectors and team coach Brian Ashton will be assessing the form of players before they gather in Dublin tomorrow to name the senior and A sides to play Scotland next weekend.
Ireland manager Pat Whelan will be in Stradbrook today to watch Blackrock College and Old Crescent. The form of Blackrock full back Brian Carey and loose head prop Paul Flavin will be of special interest to Whelan as well as that of hooker Shane Byrne. Selectors Joe Miles and Frank Soman will be at Dooradoyle to see Garryowen play Cork Constitution. Nothing will be of greater interest in that encounter than the form of Constitution scrum half Brian O'Meara, who will be in direct opposition to another man who played for Ireland this season Stephen McIvor.
Ashton will be at the Bristol-Bath match and the man under focus here will be Bristol outside half Paul Burke, the leading contender to come into the Ireland side if Eric Elwood is ruled out.
As circumstances should have it, the top three clubs in the first division all play away from home this afternoon. League leaders Lansdowne travel to meet Young Munster, Shannon are away at Old Wesley and St Mary's College play Ballymena at Eaton Park.
The three clubs on eight points and in pursuit of the leading trio are all at home today: Garryowen to Cork Constitution, Blackrock to Old Crescent and Terenure College to Dungannon. Old Belvedere and Instonians meet at Anglesea Road and points to move away from the relegation zone are at stake for both clubs.
Second division leaders Bective Rangers visit Malone today and the side just one point adrift of the top, Dolphin have home advantage against Highfield, who are third from bottom with just one to date. Wanderers, also just one point off the top, will have home advantage against Sunday's Well, another club with promotion ambitions and only one point behind their opponents today. The meeting of north Dublin rivals, Clontarf and Skerries at Castle Avenue brings together two ether clubs just two points behind the leaders. The match between DLSP and City of Derry, scheduled for Kilternan, has been postponed because the ground is unplayable. Greystones on six points, will be at home to UCC, who have four at Dr Hickey Park and Monkstown and NIFC meet at Sydney Parade with a win for Monkstown imperative.
No doubt about the match of the day in division three, the clash - at Dr Keane Park of Buccaneers and Galwegians, two clubs with 100 per cent records. Galwegians have 12 points from six outings and Buccaneers 10 from five matches.
Third placed Portadown, who have lost just one match from the five played, visit Collegians, who have attained two wins, and Bohemians, six points from five matches, must win against Trinity, who have just two points, to retain any realistic hope of a promotion challenge. Waterpark, still seeking their first points, will be at home to UCD, who are five points behind the leaders having played seven matches, while Corinthians meet Queen's University, who on six points are one better off than the Galway side.
In the fourth division the top two positions are occupied by Suttonians and Ballynahinch, who are both on full points. Suttonians put their record on the on the line with a visit to Creggs who have four points, while Ballynahinch will be at home to Ballina who have six points to date.
