Today (2.30)
Division One
Dungannon V Garryowen Stevenson Park
Injuries to key players have bit Dungannon hard and the latest to be sidelined is David Humphreys with tonsillitis. Post-promotion determination having worn off, they've the worst form in the top flight with four defeats on the spin, conceding 18 tries and 138 points in the process to leave them with the most porous defence in the division.
The return to arms of the talented and increasingly influential Paul Neville from Hong Kong duty partially offsets the loss again of Keith Wood and Connie Botha and constitutes Garryowen's only change from the side which won last time out at Lansdowne.
Last two seasons: ('97-98) Dungannon 10 Garryowen 37. ('98-99) Didn't meet.
Last five games: Dungannon - W L L L L. Garryowen - W W L W W.
Leading try scorers: Dungannon - Jonathan Bell, Jan Cunningham 3 each. Garryowen - Killian Keane, Jeremy Staunton 3 each.
Leading points scorers: Dungannon - David Humphreys 113. Garryowen - Killian Keane 56.
Forecast: Garryowen to win.
Young Munster V Buccaneers Tom Clifford Park (live on Network 2)
Young Munster have watched themselves slip from top to fifth during their enforced month-long inactivity. With the Clohessys sidelined, much of Young Munster's hard-yardage, ball-carrying is denied them and all the heavyweight contractual props are with the visitors. Buccaneers are also nervously looking over their shoulders and so perhaps this could be the day's surprise if the Buccaneers scrum gets on top.
Then again, if it doesn't, Young Munster look to have more firepower in their back five though remarkably they've scored the fewest number of tries (eight) in the division. They've also got their sights on the play-offs and have home advantage.
Last two seasons: Didn't meet; Buccaneers 21 Young Munster 13.
Last five games: Young Munster - L W W L W. Buccaneers - W W L L L.
Leading try scorers: Young Munster - Tom Cregan 3. Buccaneers - Rob Lee 4, Mike Devine, Martyun Steffert 3 each.
Leading points scorers: Young Munster - Tom Cregan 122. Buccaneers - Simon Allnutt 62.
Forecast: Young Munster to win.
Shannon V St Mary's College Thomond Park
A revealing barometer of club rugby's standing in Limerick. Should be the game of the day, as it usually is when these long-standing rivals, in Division One from day one and more often than not at the business-end of things, clash. With only John Hayes ruled out Shannon will field six of the Munster pack, including Marcus Horan, as well as the diminutive Peter Stringer. John Lacey (hamstring) is again sidelined, but Mossie Lawlor is an able replacement while Alan McGrath partners Rhys Ellison in midfield. As for mercurial Mary's, you wouldn't know, and they most probably don't either. Morale must be brittle after again hitting the self-destruct button. They've plenty of power and ball-winning ability to, but when it comes to using it they've been awful of late and thus have made less use of a potent outside three.
Last two seasons: Shannon 32 St Mary's 11; St Mary's 17 Shannon 12.
Last five games: Shannon - W L W L L. St Mary's - L L W W L.
Leading try scorers: Shannon - Mick Galwey, Marcus Horan 3 each. St Mary's - John McWeeney 7.
Leading points scorers: Shannon - Conor Burke 71. St Mary's - Mark McHugh 89.
Forecast: Shannon to win.
Cork Constitution V Clontarf Temple Hill
Similarly the holders still have a whiff of the top four and have most of their big guns today save for the influential Ultan O'Callaghan. Clontarf have proved their stickability of late though, and have been noticeably sticky in this fixture, so this mightn't be the fertile bonus territory the Constitution faithful anticipate.
Even so, this is Temple Hill, where Constitution have been unbeaten this season and Clontarf have lost all their away games so far. A stronger scrum and their classier backs should sway things Constitution's way.
Last two seasons: Clontarf 3 Cork Constitution 11; Clontarf 16 Cork Constitution 17.
Last five games: Cork Constitution - W L W L W. Clontarf - L W L L W.
Leading try scorers: Cork Constitution - Cian Mahony, Brian Walsh, Anthony Horgan, Tom Kiernan 2 each. Clontarf - Craig Brownlie 2.
Leading points scorers: Cork Constitution - Ronan O'Gara 78. Clontarf - Richie Murphy - 85.
Forecast: Cork Constitution to win.
Ballymena V Lansdowne Eaton Park
With the free-running Dion O'Cuinneagain and the dancing Simon Broughton leading the way, it says everything about Ballymena's metamorphosis that they've become a dry weather team as opposed to the deep-winter specialists of recent vintage. Hence they come into this fixture as the division's form team, with three wins on the spin. That would constitute almost a dream for unpredictable Lansdowne, who've only put together one sequence of even two wins (or two losses) since February '99 - inconsistency remaining their stock-in-trade. They did break free in the last half-hour against Buccaneers and Barry Everitt's renewed confidence is a major boost but the Eaton Park factor, where Ballymena have won all five games, makes Andre Bester's in-form team favourites for this crucial fixture.
Last two seasons: Ballymena 31 Lansdowne 20; Lansdowne 25 Ballymena 24.
Last five games: Ballymena - W L W W W. Lansdowne - W L W L W.
Leading try scorers: Ballymena - Dion O'Cuinneagain, Simon Broughton 5 each. Lansdowne - Ray Niland 3.
Leading points scorers: Ballymena - Simon Mason - 85. Lansdowne - Barry Everitt 115.
Forecast: Ballymena to win.
Division Two
Wanderers V City of Derry Lansdowne Road.
There possibly isn't as much between the teams as the table indicates but even though Wanderers have been swinging from the hip lately, and even allowing for Kevin Nowlan's rich run of form - 66 points in his last five outings - City of Derry have far more to play for, with a fourth successive away win keeping their promotion drive alive until next week's home finale against Belfast Harlequins.
Last five games: Wanderers - L L L W L. City of Derry - W W L W L.
Forecast: City of Derry to win.
Belfast Harlequins V Galwegians Deramore Park
A huge promotion encounter between two contract-laden outfits making the most of their games-in-hand, and possibly the biggest of the Division Two run-in. The loser might still just make it, possibly via the play-off, whereas the winner almost certainly will. Harlequins have only lost to the top two whereas Galwegians won away to Crescent but lost at City of Derry and UCD, and most of their best form has been reserved for home, where they are unbeaten. Against that, the likeliest match-winner has to be Matt Mostyn.
Last five games - Bel H'quins - W W L W W. Galwegians - L W W W W.
Forecast: Galwegians to win.
Old Crescent V Malone Rosbrien
Save for Blackrock, Old Crescent are the form side in the division. Finally hit four tries (for the first time in the campaign) in their last outing at UCC and should be eyeing up another maximum haul here. Malone, though breathing a little easier after their big win over Greystones, still look ripe for the plucking.
Last five games: Old Crescent - W W W W W. Malone - L L L L W.
Forecast: Crescent to win.
Greystones V Portadown Dr Hickey Park
Although Portadown have shown signs of life - picking up bonus points against UCD and Harlequins - they need to win their last two against Greystones and Malone to survive. Greystones are scoring tries more freely and have Morne Loxton's boot (worth 99 points thus far) to steer them to safety.
Last five games: Greystones - L W L W L. Portadown - L L L L L.
Forecast: Greystones to win.
UCD V Sunday's Well Belfield Bowl
UCD's brilliant win in Derry, where they became the only visiting side to extract maximum points, has set them up nicely and wins here and away to Bective should just about do it for them without recourse to a play-off. Paddy Wallace, the division's second highest points scorer, can dip his beak again as much like last season, the Well's campaign has gone into a tailspin.
Last five games - UCD - L W W W W. Sunday's Well - L L L L L.
Forecast: UCD to win.
Blackrock College V UC Stradbrook
The tries have dried up a bit as the talented Blackrock youngsters begin to look a bit careworn due to their heavy end-of-season load. Brian O'Driscoll is gone for the remaining four games in the next fortnight but victory here will ensure a return to their "rightful" station and UCC have been a tad dilettante in conceding nine tries in their last two outings.
Last five games: Blackrock - W W W W W. UCC - W W L L L.
Forecast: Blackrock to win.
