The spotlight this weekend was to have been on the deciding match in the Munster Premier Division between Harlequins and Cork C of I, but the Munster-men have decided not to put themselves under pressure, which will allow C of I bruises to heal for the Irish Senior Cup semi-final against Annadale in eight days and Harlequins II to concentrate tomorrow on ending Ballynahinch's odyssey in the Irish Junior Cup.
In the other junior semi-final, Railway Union II can have little hope of keeping the Leinster flag fluttering on their trip to Lisburn to face Lisnagarvey II, the only club who can bring off a cup double. It's a demanding day for Railway, as the first XI face Avoca at Park Avenue in the continuing struggle to join Pembroke Wanderers in the all-Ireland play-offs. Avoca, who hold second place in the league, have one casualty, Stephen Mitchell (damaged shoulder), from last week's cup defeat in Cork, but Aidan Kidney includes 1996 medallist Robbie Ryan in his squad for the first time. Railway welcome back Owen Butler, and although Graham Berry has gone back to South Africa, a fellow countryman, Shaun Hopkins, is making an impression in midfield.
The outcome may well be close to the 2-2 draw earlier in the season, which was also the result between Pembroke and Three Rock Rovers. Pride will be a factor in the return match tomorrow at Serpentine Avenue as Pembroke aim to stay unbeaten.
Glenanne and Corinthians will be banking on remaining in the running for a top-three finish, but their earlier defeats of YMCA and Aer Lingus, 3-0 and 4-1, respectfully, may not be easily repeated.
The Leinster schools finals on Wednesday yielded the usual touches of nostalgia, if it was sobering for several prominent fathers that their sides' successes had been wiped off the screens, so to speak, with programme records dating back only 25 years. The precocious elan shown by the boys at minor level, though, exemplified by Peter Blakeney (Wesley) and Philip Balbirnie (St Andrew's) came as a bright consolation.
On this occasion, too, age knows no boundaries. The senior umpire, Jimmy O'Connor, with the Barnsley scarf, is as fit as ever at 70, while the gate-man, Paul O'Reilly, who has been on unstinting duty since the 1940s, is 88.
Midleton College's "sporting vision for the new millennium" includes an astro-turf pitch, so Ashton's invincibility in Munster hockey may well be challenged.
Tomorrow: Irish Junior Cup semi-finals - Cork Harlequins II v Ballynahinch, Farmers Cross, 2.0; Lisnagarvey II v Railway Union II, Blaris, 2.30; Leinster Senior League Division One - Aer Lingus v Corinthians, ALSAA, 1.0; Glenanne v YMCA, St Mark's, 2.0; Monkstown v Kilkenny, Rathdown, 1.30; Pembroke Wanderers v Three Rock Rovers, Serpentine Avenue, 12.30; Railway Union v Avoca, Park Avenue, 2.30; Division Two - Eastern Health v Dublin City University, High School, 2.0; Portrane v Naas, Dardistown, 1.0; Suttonians v Clontarf, Sutton Park, 11.0; St Brendans/Phoenix Park v Skerries, Grangegorman, 2.0; Dublin University v UCD, Santry, 1.15.
