Fielding Neil Cooke (as sorely missed by the Irish hockey squad as Roy Keane is to soccer) among 10 internationals, Ulster are aiming to regain prestige by taking the last senior interprovincial championship of the century at Grange Road this weekend. Munster, winners after a shoot-out in Cork last season, may not have the same momentum while much changed Leinster can only hope to make a greater impact.
While the tournament is unseasonal, early claims can be established for places in the Ireland team for the new Celtic Cup tournament in May and for the Scottish centenary five-nations jamboree in Edinburgh in June. Of particular interest, though, will be the performance of the Shamrocks as the squad takes shape for the European under-21 A division championship next July.
LEINSTER - I Clarke, S Kinsella; R Harris, D McKeen, A Bothwell, S Mitchell, C Kelly, F de Rosa (capt), A Browne, G Goulet, D Donnelly, P Carley, C Brady, G Shaw, G Elliott, J Goulding.
MUNSTER - W Bateman, R Shine; J Black, N Buttimer, P Chambers, R Dorman, A Dunne (capt), T Dunne, E Gash, C Hanna, J Hobbs, D Lombard, P Lombard, J Milne, R Ryan, P Smith.
ULSTER - K Thompson, D Buchanan; A Barbour, A McBride, P Brown, N Cooke, A Dowd (capt), M Irwin, C Jackson, J Lewis, E Lutton, D McAnulty, D Smyth, J Stevenson, L Tumilty, B Waring.
SHAMROCKS - C Henderson, M Ruddle; C Bailey, C Barnes, R Beere, M Black, J Bloomfield, K Burns, S Butler, A Chambers, D Eakins, M Harte, G McKee (capt), W Powderly, S Reid, J Sherriff.
PROGRAMME: Tonight: Leinster v Shamrocks, 6.0; Munster v Ulster, 8.0; tomorrow: Shamrocks v Ulster, 2.0; Leinster v Munster, 4.0; Sunday: Shamrocks v Munster, 1.0; Leinster v Ulster, 3.0. Umpires: R O'Connor, C Hutchinson, G Quail, R Ewart, T Goode, W McCully.
To ease congestion, it is recommended that car-parking takes place in the Eden grounds.
