St Mary's give well earned rest to Brennan

St Mary's will be without four first-choice players for Saturday's All-Ireland League Division One clash with Dungannon. The queue for the treatment table at Templeville Road lengthened considerably after last Saturday's defeat by Terenure. Internationals Conor McGuinness (stress fracture) and John McWeeney (hamstring), will both be out of action until January, out-half Craig Fitzpatrick had a plate put in a broken thumb, while Leinster flanker Trevor Brennan receives a well deserved rest in a bid to cure a recurring back problem.

Eoin McCormack and Richard Ormond will form the half-back partnership as they did for most of the Terenure match. Fergal Campion, out of rugby for a year with cruciate knee ligament damage, is named among the replacements.

Former Irish Schools international Kelvin McNamee makes his league debut on the left wing, following a very impressive Leinster Championship campaign.

Brennan, an inspiring success with Leinster, returned to St Mary's with what was perceived to be a back injury. The club are now not sure and the player will undergo extensive medical assessment to ascertain the damage and find a permanent solution.

It is an entirely appropriate gesture to the whole hearted player. The club recognise that asking Brennan to play through the pain barrier with limited effectiveness is neither fair on the player nor his team-mates.

He is replaced by another talented youngster in Karl Jennings who has enjoyed several auspicious outings on the seconds and is preferred to former Oxford Blue Mark Reilly.

Prop Emmet Byrne did not train on Tuesday night but medical opinion suggests that the chest muscle injury should not prevent him from playing against Dungannon.

Ballymena have named an unchanged side for the visit of Blackrock, confident that number eight Keith Gallick will overcome an ankle problem. They are also buoyed by the presence of Irish Under-21 international Sheldon Coulter on the bench.

Coulter has missed virtually all of the season to date with thigh and groin injuries but is expected to play at some stage tomorrow.

Terenure have left two vacancy's in their team to play Lansdowne on Sunday. Right wing David Coleman will be out of action until next March after suffering a severe ankle injury. Management have yet to settle on a replacement.

A hamstring/knee problem threatens out-half Paul Hennebry's participation but the club are willing to give him every opportunity to recover. Shane Cullen will deputise if Hennebry fails the fitness test.

St Mary's: K Nowlan; D Hickie, R McIlreavy, G Gannon, K McNamee; R Ormond, E McCormack; E Byrne, B Browne, D Coen; S Jameson, F Fitzgerald; K Jennings, V Costello, M Cuddihy.

Terenure: C Clarke; A N Other, G Dempsey, M Smyth, P Walsh; A N Other, D Hegarty; D Hyland, J Blaney, P Bruce; R Sheriff, P Holden; J Kelly, G Sheahan, B Kavanagh.

Ballymena: J Cunningham; J Topping, S McDowell, M Rainey, A Park; D McAleese, A Matchett; N McKernan, S Ritchie, R Irwin; G Longwell, R West; A Graham, K Gallick, A Dougan.

Top official Cliff Brittle has warned that English rugby union faces financial ruin unless it adopts radical plans aimed at increasing the game's annual income by a staggering £250 million.