CLONTARF, breathing down the neck of Division Two leaders Dolphin, are forced into a number of changes for their league game against Sunday's Well on Saturday.
Colm Power returns to the pack after injury while Pat Ward has travelled to Hong Kong for a 10-a-side competition and will not be available. Philip Quinn comes in to the back row with Stephen Lusk moving to lock.
The Cork side have two main injury concerns. John Lacey, who broke his thumb against Wanderers on February 27th, was initially ruled out for six weeks, but will see a doctor on Friday, while Brian Roche pulled a hamstring against DLSP. Both wingers are more hopeful than optimistic about lining out.
Bective, too, have deferred their selection after their slump against DLSP last weekend. Vinny Cunningham has gone to Hong Kong for the World Sevens, while three forwards, Trevor Brennan, John Carvill and Phillip Kenny, are carrying injuries. Des Jackson and Shane Buckley in the back line are also receiving treatment.
DLSP will field an unchanged side for this weekend's clash with UCC. The students, however, have a number of injury worries and have two very doubtful starters in Donnacha Murphy and John O'Mahony.
Out-half O'Mahoney and flanker Murphy both came off in last week's match against Wanderers. Peter Stringer, the UCC scrum-half, also left the pitch and is a doubt, while they will be definitely be missing Mick O'Driscoll, who is on the Irish under-19 team which is travelling to Argentina.
In Division Three, the match between Trinity and UCD was actually played at the beginning of the season when Colours honours and Dudley Cup points were also at stake. UCD won the game 21-19, which may work out nicely for them if the proposed European Universities competition comes off.
As usual, finance is the stumbling block, but if the European student organisation can attract sponsorship for such a tournament, it, is possible that the Dudley Cup winners would go forward into Europe as Ireland's representatives.
Queen's meet Waterpark and have some doubts surrounding a number of players. Although a provisional team has been selected, it may change depending on fitness tests carried out later in the week.
The final placings in Division Four will certainly be decided on Saturday as the teams move into their last weekend of competitive games. Practically assured of promotion to Division Three are Suttonians and Ballynahinch.
