TERENURE COLLEGE, the Leinster Senior League champions, have been drawn against Clontarf in the semi-final of the Leinster Senior Cup, a competition sponsored by Aluset. The other semi-final will be between Old Belvedere and Lansdowne.
The matches will be played at Lansdowne Road on Sunday as a double bill to avoid a clash with the telecast of the FA Cup final between Liverpool and Manchester United on Saturday.
The Leinster final could be a repetition of the league decider in which Terenure defeated Lansdowne. Having won the Leinster league and gained promotion to the first division of the All-Ireland League, Terenure are in pursuit of a treble.
Lansdowne confirmed yesterday that international number eight Ben Cronin will be playing with the club next season. Cronin is the second international to join Lansdowne for the coming season. Centre Kurt McQuilkin joined the club a few weeks ago from Bective Rangers.
Cronin helped Garryowen to All-Ireland League and Munster Senior Cup success before he returned to his first senior club Waterpark this season. His decision to join Lansdowne is not unexpected, His name had been linked with Lansdowne for quite some time. With Waterpark having failed to gain promotion to the second division of the AIL Cronin would again have been playing in the third division next season, a factor that would not have helped his representative career and that, no doubt, influenced his decision.
Another international whose name has been coupled with Lansdowne is second row Gabriel Fulcher. Fulcher joined London Irish from Cork Constitution for the closing weeks of the season and it was thought he would return to Ireland and join Lansdowne. However the indications are that Fulcher may play for London Irish in the English first division next season.
Full back Karl Hoffman returns to the Clontarf team to meet Terenure in the cup. Lansdowne have delayed selection of their side to meet Old Belvedere, pending fitness reports on Ray Hennessy, Johnny Woods and Angus McKeen, all of whom missed the quarter-final.
Young Munster expect to field the team that defeated the holders Garryowen last Sunday in next Sunday's Munster Senior Cup semi-final against All-Ireland League champions Shannon at Thomond Park. Hooker Mark Fitzgerald and second row Mick O'Halloran got knocks in the win over Garryowen but both are expected to be fit. The Shannon team will be announced today and is unlikely to be altered from the side that defeated UCC in the quarter-final.
Cork Constitution delay finalising their team to meet Sunday's Well in the second semi-final on Sunday pending fitness reports on second row Ultan O'Callaghan and international prop Paul McCarthy. McCarthy has a slight back strain. O'Callaghan had to leave the field before the end of the match against Old Crescent last Saturday
