Injury threatens to curtail any lofty aspirations for St Mary's College as they prepare for the opening AIB League clash, a particularly difficult assignment against Young Munster at Tom Clifford Park.
International wing Denis Hickie is definitely out with damage to his back and may miss all three games prior to Christmas. News concerning promising centre Gareth Gannon is even worse as he is likely to be unavailable until February at the earliest.
Gannon damaged a shoulder while on tour with Leinster in the pre-season. Due to exams an operation has had to be postponed, but the club are hoping that he will undergo surgery later this week. Out-half Fergal Campion is also sidelined with ankle ligament damage while Trevor Brennan is extremely doubtful.
Young Munster await fitness reports on three players; scrum-half Derek Tobin (calf), number eight Declan Edwards (flu) and second row Denis O'Meara (back). No decision will be taken before tomorrow morning.
Galwegians are at full strength for their all-Connacht tussle with Buccaneers with the exception of New Zealand flanker Junior Charlie who will be out for up to 10 weeks with a broken jaw. Their opponents will be without coach Eddie O'Sullivan who must return to the US later this week for an important meeting relating to his position as assistant coach to the US Eagles.
It will not be lost on historians that the last time O'Sullivan went to the US, Buccaneers won the second leg of their play-off with Dungannon in Stevenson Park at the end of last season thereby qualifying for Division One.
Clontarf must make a decision on who will occupy the loose-head berth for their trip to Dooradoyle. Injury will dictate whether it is Henry Hurley or Warren O'Kelly.
Terenure College have left a vacancy at tight-head for their visit to Stradbrook. John Campbell and Karl Coleman are vying for selection. The selectors have decided to play Girvan Dempsey on the left wing - he played there for Leinster and Ireland - with Ciaran Clarke at full-back. Eric Miller was not available for selection because of the three-week concussion ruling.
Blackrock have delayed selection but definitely absent will be young open-side Barry Gibney, who requires a shoulder operation and centre Michael Jackson, also hampered by injury.
Lansdowne will be without prop Angus McKeen until the end of December because of a suspension incurred while playing for Leinster. Gordon D'Arcy (hamstring), Stephen Rooney (knee) and David O'Mahony are all expected to miss Saturday's game against Cork Constitution.
In Division Two, Dungannon have deferred selection until later in the week, but coach Willie Anderson does expect to be in a position to name Australian under-21 international Gerard Heaney in the second row. The 6 ft 6 in lock arrived in Dungannon on Saturday as a result of a friendship between Anderson and New South Wales official Matt Williams.
Stephen Bell is out with a shoulder injury and promising former schools' international flanker Andrew Hughes is also sidelined. Bective Rangers are without scrum-half Mark Edwards so Des Jackson deputises.
DLSP have named a strong team for tonight's Division Two clash with Wanderers under the lights at Lansdowne Road.
