IRELAND A second-row forward Shane Leahy will create his own unique record next Saturday when he lines out for Garryowen against Lansdowne in the Insurance-Corporation All-Ireland League at Dooradoyle.
Leahy will become the first player from the first division of the league to play for and against the same club in the same season. This weekend he will take his place in the Garryowen pack facing the team he played for in the initial stages of the competition.
Leahy He started the campaign with Lansdowne, but then moved jobs, which entailed entailing a move from Dublin to Limerick, a circumstance that enabled the transfer to go ahead. Under league rules, a player cannot change clubs during the competition unless it is because he is moving location to take up a business appointment.
Indeed, Leahy's move caused some controversy between the two clubs at the time. Lansdowne insisted that he played with the club while he worked his month's notice with his employer in Dublin before moving officially to Limerick. Garryowen had wanted Leahy to play for them pending the move, but the AIL sub-committee ruled in favour of Lansdowne.
Garryowen will be without their Ireland number eight, Ben Cronin, as he is travelling to Hong Kong with the Ireland seven-a-side squad. In those circumstances, Leahy is likely to move from the second row to blind-side flank, Paul Hogan will switch from blind side to number eight and Paddy O'Grady is the likely choice in the" second row.
Lansdowne hope that their international out-half, Eric Elwood, will be fit to return after four weeks' absence due to a knee injury. They are also optimistic that their Ireland A prop, Angus McKeen will be fit to play.
There is some doubt about Richard Governey, who moved from full back to out-half in Elwdod's absence. Governey sustained rib injuries last Saturday.
Lansdowne will again be without their Ireland centre, Kurt McQuilkin. He has not recovered from the chest injury he sustained playing for Ireland against Scotland.
Blackrock College's international out-half, Alan McGowan has been named at full back on the team to meet the defending champions and current first-division leaders Shannon.
McGowan has been unable to command a place on the team in recent weeks with Ireland Under-21 international Emmett Farrell holding down the out-half berth. He takes over the full-back berth on Saturday from Ireland A international Brian Carey, who is injured.
It is very likely that Shannon will have their international second row Mick Galwey back after five weeks' absence due to a troublesome back injury. If he returns to the side, then it will show just one change in personnel and a position alteration from the team that overwhelmed Old Belvedere last Saturday and scored a first-division record 51 points.
If he plays, Galwey will come into the second row to partner Rory Sherrif and John Hayes will move from the second row to loose-head prop for James Hickey.
Ireland coach Brian Ashton was an interested spectator at the Shannon training session last night in Limerick and saw how coach Niall O'Donovan operates with the most successful team in the country.
Ballymena will have international James Topping, who has completed his mandatory three-week lay-off after sustaining concussion, back in contention for a place in their back line in the team to travel to Young Munster.
The Young Munster back line will be unaltered from that which played against Dungannon last Saturday. The team hope their captain Declan Edwards, will be, fit again after being out for a month.
Instonians have made two changes to the side that lost narrowly to Blackrock for their fixture against Terenure. Gary Collins comes into the back division for Jonathan Peake and Ireland Under-21 international John Gardiner displaces Steven McNevison in the back row. Terenure delay selection, but they may well have former Oxford University captain Mark Egan in their side.
Despite the heavy defeat inflicted last week by Shannon, the Old Belvedere back division will be unchanged for the home match against Cork Constitution. But the pack has undergone revision.
Cork Constitution will have their Ireland Under-21 wing, Anthony Horgan, back. Conor Twomey displaces David Lee at hooker and in the pack, Roy Healy comes in on the flank for Garvin Lynch.
Dungannon have had to defer selection of their team to meet Old Crescent as their long injury list grew still further last Saturday when flanker John Hastings was injured. Old Crescent have a slight doubt about back row David Bowles.
Old Wesley field an unchanged team from the side that defeated Cork Constitution last Saturday for the visit of St Mary's College. But St Mary's will be without Denis Hickie, who is travelling to Hong Kong with the sevens squad.
