Malcolm O'Kelly will take his place in the St Mary's College second row tomorrow to confirm his rehabilitation from a cheekbone and eye-socket injury sustained while playing for Leinster against Newcastle in a European Cup match at the start of January.
Should he successfully negotiate his return to competitive action away to Garryowen then he is likely to be named in the Ireland team to face England in the Six Nations Championship match at Twickenham tomorrow week.
St Mary's have left a vacancy at openside flanker but that should be filled by Keith Gleeson once his registration has been confirmed by the IRFU. The club also welcome back big-name players Victor Costello, Peter McKenna, Peter Coyle and Gavin Hickie for the match. However, Denis Hickie is rested; Emmet Byrne is out for the rest of the season while promising young flanker Shane Jennings is still dogged by an injury that has sidelined him for two months.
Garryowen will be without international David Wallace but better news for the Dooradoyle club is Jeremy Staunton could recover in time from an ankle injury while Dominic Crotty, Killian Keane, Tom Tierney and Paul Neville are all available.
Leaders Cork Constitution are deprived of John Kelly, Anthony Horgan, Brian O'Meara and Mick O'Driscoll through injury. Frankie Sheahan has the weekend off but Cian Mahony and Jerry Murray are expected to be available.
Con's hosts tomorrow, Lansdowne, haven't selected yet but will be able to call on internationals Gordon D'Arcy and Reggie Corrigan. Shane Horgan's rib injury keeps him on the sidelines.
Eric Miller has been named in the Terenure team to play Blackrock at Lakelands having recovered from the stomach ailment that forced him out of last Saturday's game against Wales. Miller is selected at blindside flanker but could play number eight.
Blackrock are without the injured triumvirate of Gavin McCarthy, Richie Woods and Niall Treston. Paul Wallace will start at tighthead with Ben Willis at scrumhalf. The bench has yet to be named but could include Leo Cullen, Shane Byrne and Bob Casey.
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: P McKenna; J Norton, K Lewis, G Gannon, J McWeeney; M McHugh, C McPhillips; P Coyle, G Hickie, D Clare; E Keane, M O'Kelly; M O'Shaughnessy, V Costello, AN Other.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: N Turner; M Jackson, G Brown, D Quinlan, C Kilroy; J Corry, B Willis; N Fox, G McEvoy, P Wallace; T Hogan, J Fitzgerald; D O'Brien, D McGettigan, R Rogers.
TERENURE COLLEGE: S Cullen; P Costello, D McEnerney, JB Sullivan, S King; R Governey, K Putt; S Barretto, C Egan, J Nolan; M Quinn, D Quinn; E Miller, D Blaney, P O'Malley.
IRELAND A squad: P Wallace (Ulster), A Horgan (Munster), G D'Arcy (Leinster), M Mullins (Munster), J Kelly (Munster), AN Other, T Howe (Ulster), P Burke (Harlequins), B Willis (Leinster), N Doak (Ulster), R Corrigan (Leinster), P Shields (Ulster), G Hickie (Leinster), S Best (Ulster), M Horan (Munster), J Davidson (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), AN Other, A Ward (Ulster), A Quinlan (Munster), V Costello (Leinster), K Gleeson (Leinster).
