Hermes, Harlequins, Galway and Pegasus, the four provincial league champions, meet at Belfield over the next three days in the All-Ireland Senior League finals, the climax of the club season.
While both Hermes and Pegasus will be wary of a talented Harlequins side, featuring four senior Irish panellists, it is their meeting on Sunday afternoon, in the final game of the weekend, that is likely to determine which of the two clinches the All-Ireland title and a place in next season's European Club Championship (A Division).
And, of course, that game will be a repeat of last month's thrilling but controversial Irish Senior Cup final when Hermes inflicted the Ulster champions' only defeat of the season. Upset by two umpiring decisions that day Pegasus left Belfield insisting they were the better team - on Sunday they have a chance to prove it.
When the teams met in last year's league finals in Belfast a 0-0 draw was enough to secure Pegasus the title on goal difference and if they can both overcome Harlequins before they meet on Sunday the margin of their expected victories over the Connacht champions could, like last year, have a major bearing on the outcome of the tournament.
Both sides go into the finals in good spirits after recent successes - Hermes beat Old Alexandra to the Leinster league title while Pegasus won the European Club Championships (B Division) at Easter. Hermes are already guaranteed European hockey next season after their Irish Senior Cup victory qualified them for the Cup Winners' Cup, but if they were to come out on top this weekend they would instead play in the Club Championships, with Pegasus playing in the Cup Winners' Cup.
Only a Harlequins or Galway success would deny Pegasus European hockey next season.
Munster's Harlequins, who have Sharon Hutchinson back in goal - she was away last year - will hope to mount a serious challenge. In last year's finals they only lost 1-0 to both Hermes and Pegasus. The Cork side opens the tournament today (at 5.30) when they play Hermes, with Galway facing Pegasus at 7.30.
Meanwhile at Grange Road tomorrow UCD, Senior B runnersup this season, will attempt to clinch promotion to Senior A by beating the top division's bottom side Clontarf in a play-off.
HERMES: T Browne, S Hilliard, H Kilroy, R Burke, C Carey, S McDonnell, M Logue, C Devine, F Manning (capt), J Burke, A Keane, D Sixsmith, A Byrne, R Walsh, S McCarthy, D McDermot. Coach: O Kiethe.
HARLEQUINS: S Hutchinson, J Kehilly, A Falvey (capt), K Murphy, V Fenton, K O'Brien, R Kohler, J Barry, K O'Sullivan, C Welch, J Chapple, S Hackett, H Costello, J Kingston, K Barry, C Mahony. Coach: A O'Driscoll.
GALWAY: ML Daly, A Barry, A Bourke, N Folan, S Kennedy, A Moylan, N Mulholland, K O'Toole, G Russell (capt), P Ryan, B Sheehan, C Tierney, C Walsh, S Walsh, R Wyer, E Quinn. Coach: Donal Dempsey.
PEGASUS: D Hawthorne, J Perry, H Beamish, J Campbell, F Ferguson, T Stronge, C Redpath, S Lyons, P Magill, R Jameison, K Mills, C McMahon, C McGookin, A Thompson (capt), J Turner, A N Other. Coach: David Scott.
