Rolland gets Leinster call ahead of Hogan

INTERNATIONAL wing Darragh O'Mahony, whose allegiance had previously been with Munster, will make his debut for Leinster against…

INTERNATIONAL wing Darragh O'Mahony, whose allegiance had previously been with Munster, will make his debut for Leinster against Sale at Brooklands tomorrow.

The Leinster selectors have chosen Alain Rolland at scrumhalf on the senior side, with the Ireland captain, Niall Hogan, named in the A team to meet the Sale second XV.

Neil Francis has also been chosen in the second team. Francis will be partnered by another international in the A second row, Brian Rigney, now with Buccaneers. Greg Duffy will form the second row combination with Steve Jameson on the senior side.

The Leinster manager, Jim Glennon, explaining the choice of Rolland, said: "Alain Rolland was our first choice last season, and while he did not play in our last match against New South Wales, that was because Niall Hogan was chosen at the request of the national selectors.

READ MORE

Both players will get a match on Saturday, both will get a match on our two match Italian tour, and then they are likely to have a head to head confrontation when Leinster play Ireland next month. That affords both the opportunity to win the place for the interprovincials.

Hogan's partner in the A team is former schools international Richard Governey, who is now with Lansdowne.

Ireland A international centre Martin Ridge forms the centre combination with international Kurt McQuilkin on the senior team, and another New Zealander, Dean Oswald, who played for the province last season but was subsequently ruled out of the closing stages of the European Cup because of injury, is named at number eight on the senior side. Oswald is now eligible for Ireland having completed the necessary residential qualification period.

Ireland and Lions centre Vincent Cunningham in on the second team and will be partnered by former schools international Mick Smyth (Terenure College).

Fergal O'Beirne, who has joined Old Belvedere from Blackrock College and who was previously with Connacht, is in the second team which will be led by Kevin Spicer, who captained the Ireland Students in the recent World Cup and who has joined Oxford University.

Following the meting between the presidents of the Leinster senior clubs and the officers of the Leinster branch on Wednesday night, the honorary secretary of the branch, Sandy Heffernan, issued the following statement yesterday: "A very constructive meeting was held on August 21st between the Leinster AIL presidents and the officers of the Leinster branch.

"Issues arising, and more particularly the financial problems resulting from the introduction of the `open' game were frankly discussed. It was agreed that a further meeting would be held when clarification is available on the outline of the 1997-98 season, and in the light of developments within the Leinster branch and the IRFU."