Semi-Finals
Today
Shannon v St Mary's (Thomond Park, 3.30)
It's remarkable to think that St Mary's go to Thomond Park as outsiders, despite one-third of their team playing for Ireland this season whereas Shannon have only seen a few fleeting appearances for Eddie Halvey and Mick Galwey.
Certainly the odds of 3/1 or thereabouts on a St Mary's win seem a might generous. Even the Shannon coach Pat Murray draws a gasp of breath in admitting: "Those are crazy odds." At the very least, St Mary's must have a fighting chance, or in boxing parlance, a puncher's chance given their unmatched ability for scoring seven points from anywhere on the pitch.
Between them, the St Mary's outside three of Denis Hickie, John McWeeney and full-back Kevin Nowlan have accumulated 33 tries from 35 starts - the wingers averaging over a try per match. The team's tally of 57 tries is by far the best, but their leakage of 35 tries also pales by comparison to Shannon's miserly total of 12 tries conceded in 13 games.
And herein lies the rub, for Shannon are also the most disciplined side about in not conceding penalties, and in diligently sticking to a game-plan for 80 minutes. They know what they're about; and, as Mick Galwey says, they don't panic.
For despite the greater St Mary's pace and threat out wide, ultimately as the co-coach High Maguire admits, the outcome will hinge on the "miners in the coalface". And questions remain about the ability of the tight five to match Shannon for work-rate, and for the pack to meet Shannon head-on on the gain line. St Mary's admittedly have Trevor Brennan back now (Conor McGuinness also missed the sides' earlier meeting) but it's in the yardage count up front that you'd expect Foley, Halvey, Quinlan, Galwey and Co to come out on top.
Their litany of internationals will at last have been able to focus solely on club matters, and this big occasion ought to be to their liking. They should give it a good shot and in the surprising trend of their clashes, it could be another competitive and tight affair.
But there's also huge historical baggage weighing against St Mary's, given Shannon haven't lost at home in four years and St Mary's have never beaten them in Thomond Park, losing on 12 of their 14 visits to Limerick in the AIL.
It's hard not to think that this would have made an excellent final - although they are similarly well-balanced semi-finals - but it's also hard not to think that by not beating Garryowen (when they should have) St Mary's forfeited a home semi-final and a tilt at Shannon in Lansdowne - probably their best chance of reaching their holy grail. They'll have to do it the hardest way possible now.
Shannon: Jason Hayes; J Lacey, P McMahon, R Ellison, A Thompson; J Galvin, F McNamara; M Horan, J McDermott, John Hayes, K Keane, M Galwey, A Quinlan, A Foley (capt), E Halvey.
St Mary's: K Nowlan; J McWeeney, R McIlreavy, G Gannon, D Hickie; C Fitzpatrick, C McGuinness; E Byrne, B Browne, P Coyle, S Jameson, F Fitzpatrick, T Brennan, V Costello, M Reilly.
Referee: B Stirling (Ulster).
Formguide: Shannon - W W W W W; St Mary's - W L W W W.
Leading points scorers: Andrew Thompson (Shannon) 140; Fergal campion (St Mary's) 65.
Leading try scorers: Shannon - John Lacey 7, Mick Galwey 6; St Mary's - Denis Hickie 14, John McWeeney 11.
Previous meetings: Shannon 11 St Mary's 7, St Mary's 15 Shannon 16, Shannon 3 St Mary's 3, St Mary's 22 Shannon 18, Shannon 20 St Mary's 6, St Mary's 9 Shannon 6, St Mary's 13 Shannon 11, Shannon 32 St Mary's 11.
Odds (Paddy Powers): 2/7 Shannon, 11/4 St Mary's, 20/1 Draw.
Forecast: Shannon to win.
Tomorrow
Garryowen v Young Munster (Dooradoyle, 3.30)
Both teams, thankfully, have moved on from their moonballing 33 seasonal opener - which should have little relevance to this clash. Garryowen, particularly, have hit a rich vein of scoring form lately - scoring 131 points in their last three outings.
However, the end-of-season jaunt against a raise-the-white-flag Ballymena outfit was also misleading, as was Munsters' rudderless and one-dimensional effort against Crescent. Munsters need a challenge, and this will rouse them.
As befits a side that has only scored 21 tries in 13 games, Munsters don't have too many strings to their bow, but whatever about the preference for Stephen Tuohy over Aidan O'Halloran, the anticipated return of Mick Lynch from injury (95 per cent likely) adds another. Des Clohessy's return also buttresses their scrum and adds another potent target runner around the fringes.
And as also befits a team that has only conceded 13 tries, Munsters are well capable of grinding Garryowen down in a physical, forward orientated confrontation. To counter-act this no doubt, Philip Danaher has opted for experience and greater physical preference in Stephen McIvor at scrum-half and Paul Cunningham at hooker over Tom Tierney and Pat Humphreys.
Their pack has improved as the season has worn on, Gavin Walsh looking fresher and fitter than ever, while David Wallace is the league's most potent back-rower in a well-balanced unit.
You also look at their back-line and presuming the tricky Barry Everitt (strained shoulder) is passed fit, then with the likes of him, Keane and Crotty they have a few more arrows in their quiver. So they should just get there, although it's not one you'd be putting the mortgage on.
Garryowen (probable): D Crotty; J Clarke, K Keane (capt), J Brooks, K O'Riordan; B Everitt, S McIvor; P Spain, P Cunningham, G Walsh, S Leahy, V Humphreys, P Hogan, D Wallace, A Bermingham.
Young Munster (probable): P Boland; J Carey, N O'Meara, M Lynch, N McNamara; S Tuohy, D Tobin; D Clohessy, M Hayes, P Clohessy, M O'Halloran, D O'Meara, B Buckley, D Edwards, G Earls (capt).
Referee: B Smith (Munster).
Formguide: Garryowen - W W W L W; Young Munster - W W L W W.
Leading points scorers: Killian Keane (Garryowen) 144; Aidan O'Halloran (Young Munster) 85.
Leading try scorers: Garryowen - David Wallace 10, Killian Keane, Dominic Crotty, Conor Kilroy 5 each; Young Munster - Peter Boland 4, Mick Lynch 3.
Previous meetings: Garryowen 20 Young Munster 16, Young Munster 13 Garryowen 6, Garryowen 23 Young Munster 9, Young Munster 3 Garryowen 24, Garryowen 12 Young Munster 37, Young Munster 9 Garryowen 11, Garryowen 3 Young Munster 3.
Odds: 4/9 Garryowen, 7/4 Young Munster, 20/1 Draw.
Forecast: Garryowen to win.
Today
Division One Play-Off (First Leg)
Buccaneers v Dungannon (Keane Park Athlone, 2.30)
Buccaneers field at full-strength, with Tom Stuart-Trainor returning at full-back and, crucially, Philip Lynch at scrum-half. But it is through their pack, and the old warheads of Noel Mannion and Brian Rigney, supplemented by Kiwi Mark McConnell and the gargantuan Jimmy Screene, that they will as ever seek to do the real damage.
Nor will the week's rest have done them any harm, whereas Dungannon will have to raise it one more time after the pressure win over Clontarf. Admittedly, that showed the immediate improvement wrought by Willie Anderson and they are expected to field the same side.
However, Dungannon's away form is dreadful - they have lost all seven first division ties on the road this season. By comparison, Buccaneers haven't lost an AIL game in over two years at home.
Furthermore, they're expecting a bumper 2,000-plus crowd for the biggest game in their history - and that goes back to before the amalgamation of Athlone and Ballinasloe four years ago.
Grabbing a useful lead for the return leg in Stevenson Park certainly seems their likeliest bet for an unexpected tilt at the First Division boys next season.
Division Three Play-Off (second leg)
Collegians v Richmond (Deramore Park, 2.30)
Richmond take a precarious 15-8 lead into the second leg, scant reward for their territorial supremacy of a week ago at home when they also leaked the tie's only try thus far. This could be critical in the event of the aggregate score being tied.
Nonetheless, they've lost only once this season, hugely influential New Zealander Matt Te Pou (reputedly man of the match last week) could be even more effective this time round and then there's the traditional Limerick fire and brimstone for an occasion such as this. Richmond to progress.
