Smyth keen for St Mary's to push on against Old Belvedere

THE director of rugby at St Mary’s College, Peter Smyth, was 22 years old when the club last won the All-Ireland League title.

“Yeah, I was 22 then and now I’m 32,” he says. “I suppose that makes it 10 years since we last won it. Trevor Brennan was the captain. Victor (Costello) and Mal (O’Kelly) were playing.”

A decade on and the Dublin club, who finished second in Division One A, are a match away from the final as they face Division One B winners Old Belvedere tomorrow in one semi-final. Dolphin and Cork Constitution in the other ensures a spicy Leinster v Munster final on May 8th.

The Dublin match, to be screened live on RTÉ television, pits two clubs that have not played each other in the league all season as they’re in different divisions (the top three teams from Division One A and the winners of Division One B make up the four semi-finalists) and Smyth sees the challenge from the Donnybrook side as an unknown but dangerous package.

“Usually you know the team but we haven’t played and don’t really know them that way. If we were in Belvo’s situation I say we’d be thinking we have a great chance of winning and getting to the final.”

Ireland and Leinster outhalf Jonathan Sexton was also a linchpin in the St Mary’s side before he signed for Leinster. But there was no club glory there, although a Heineken Cup in his coming-out season for the province may have offered some comfort.

“There was a lull when the provinces went professional and it took us time to build it back up again,” says Smyth. “Johnny Sexton held the team together for three years after he left school and he also played for us twice last year.”

Shaun McCarthy, the Australian player-coach (alongside former Leinster flanker Ciarán Potts) is in place at outhalf and should have his hands full with Andy Dunne, who is marshalling the troops for Old Belvedere. The last time the two sides met was in this season’s Leinster Senior Cup final, which St Mary’s won 9-3.

In the other semi-final Cork Constitution and Dolphin will wait anxiously to hear today what Munster match squad is selected from the current extended group of 29 players.

Because Munster have dipped in to their British and Irish Cup, Academy and Under-20 squads both club teams have half a dozen players or more currently involved with the province.

The province will reduce to the match 22 today for their Magners League game against Connacht on Sunday.