TO LEINSTER has fallen the honour of being the last Southern team left in this summer's Royal Liver Irish Senior Cup, the semifinals of which will be played this afternoon at Rathmines and Beechgrove. Whether or not Clive Colleran's team will still be in the race this time tomorrow is, of course, a moot point, because they are taking on rather a handful in Waringstown, twice outright winners of cricket's only All Ireland club competition.
The other semi-final sees Brigade at home to Lisburn, and the latter club will be seeking a first-ever appearance in the final. Brigade, by contrast, have been finalists three times, but have never won the cup.
Back to Leinster. Colleran is slightly doubtful, and J P O'Dwyer is on stand-by; otherwise, the team will field along regular lines. No matter about any possible last minute changes, this is going to be a tough challenge if Leinster are to reach their second final, having been defeated on their only previous appearance at the ultimate stage.
Garfield Harrison is the only current international player in the Waringstown line-up. But Davy Dennison, Alvin Spence, Noel Nelson and Alan Nelson have all played for Ireland in the past. Leinster, naturally, will give it their all, but the smart money simply has to be on the Northerners.
Tomorrow at Malahide, the relevant ICU officials plan to bring the AIB Senior Interprovincial Cup along with them - presumably, it will be kept discreetly out of sight. This is hardly an act of faith in the Leinster (provincial), side, as they face the young lions of the Ireland Development team who only need a win tomorrow to assure themselves of the title. The Development X1 have to play Cork in the competition's final match tomorrow week.
Justin Benson has cried off the Leinster team, and his place has gone to Pembroke's Brian O'Rourke. Johnny Byrne will play for the Development team, tomorrow, but has dropped out of next week's English tour because of exam commitments, and his place will be taken by Ronan O'Reilly of Clontarf. And the Bready wicket-keeper Stephen Ogilvie has been added to tomorrow's 12-man squad for the threematch visit.
Meantime, the River House League, with Clontarf looking unbeatable to the top of the Section A table, continues with five matches today and one tomorrow, while today's sixth scheduled match, between Leinster and YMCA, will now be played on next Wednesday, at Rathmines.
Clontarf will be short Deryck, Vincent, Johnny Daly and Keith Spell man, and may be given a run for it by Pembroke at Sydney Pagrade this afternoon.
Carlisle, placed second behind Clontarf, will be without Tom O'Neill, David Bell and Mark Cohen in their home match against Malahide, who will be themselves missing Alf Masood.
The Hills have Brendan Moore standing in for Mick Dwyer, and should consolidate their position at the head of Section B in today's home match against Fingal neighbours North County.
