Sport

McCall makes timely return

Irish International Mark McCall is set to return to action after four months on the sidelines through injury

By JOHN O'SULLIVAN and GERRY THORNLEY
Thu Dec 31 1998 - 00:00

Irish International Mark McCall is set to return to action after four months on the sidelines through injury. The Ulster centre may return for Dungannon in Saturday's All-Ireland League Division Two clash with DLSP at Kilternan, thereby paving the way for a possible recall to Ulster colours the following weekend.

Ulster coach Harry Williams has yet to decide whether he himself or a representative will be present at Kilternan to evaluate McCall's fitness for Saturday week's European Cup semi-final against Stade Francais at Ravenhill.

McCall's last competitive match was on August 28th, a game during which he damaged discs in his neck, leading to a loss of power in his left arm. Happily he is back in full training, having received the all clear from a specialist.

"Playing on Saturday is a possibility, I'll have to see how the next few days go. Obviously I would love to play, but as to whether that would put me in contention for a place in the Ulster team would be down to Harry Williams. I am very rusty having not played."

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Fellow international Jonathan Bell may not play for Dungannon against DLSP because of a hand injury, but he will definitely be available for the Stade Francais match. The portents also appear good for out-half and Ulster captain David Humphreys making a good recovery from his shoulder injury.

The rescheduling of Ulster's European Cup semi-final to Saturday, January 9th, at the behest of French television and the French champions, will have a predictably disruptive effect on the AIL fixture list in the province.

A blanket postponement of all club fixtures in Ulster on that day means that not only will the Division One Ballymena-Terenure and the Division Two Dungannon-City of Derry and Ballynahinch-Malone ties have to be re-arranged, but so too will the Division Three and Division Four fixtures.

This will be the second Ballymena tie to suffer from Ulster's involvement in the European Cup. Likewise Dungannon and Ballynahinch are suffering second postponements. The possibility of Mark Edwards and Bryn Cunningham being included again in the Ulster squad must also raise a doubt about Bective's Division Two tie at home to Old Crescent.

In any event, this creates a nightmare log-jam for the AIL fixtures committee in an already overcrowded Division Two, where the infamous Wanderers-IRFU wrangle resulted in 16 teams having to be accommodated in the second tier and in no free weekends being set aside.

Despite the change of date for the Ulster-Stade Francais game, 13,000 tickets were sold in three days and the Ulster Branch has said that the tie will definitely be all-ticket, with supporters advised to purchase as soon as possible.

The Ulster Branch has also cancelled tomorrow's Junior Cup final between Armagh and Dungannon IIs in a desire to preserve the Ravenhill surface.

Meanwhile, the disciplinary committee of the IRFU has handed out suspensions to three players - Alan Quinlan (Shannon), Mick Finlay (Galwegians) and Roger Irwin (Ballynahinch) - following sendings-off in the last round of AIL matches.

Quinlan has received a two-week ban for two yellow cards - for fighting and then punching; Finlay gets four weeks for careless use of the head, while scrum-half Irwin also received four weeks for reckless use of the boot.

Garryowen (v St Mary's): D Crotty; M McNamara, K Keane (capt), R Durno, K O'Riordan; J Staunton, T Tierney; N Hartigan, P Cunningham, K Ronan, S Leahy, P Hogan, C Varley, B Cronin, D Wallace. Replacements: S Whelan, M Roberts, A Bermingham, P Humphreys, R Laffan, F Costello.