SUNDAY'S reprise of the All-Ireland semi-final between Meath and Tyrone, postponed from last weekend, is unlikely to see much change from the teams selected last week. Meath have already chosen the same 15 and Danny Ball, the new Tyrone manager, says: "I don't foresee any changes unless players are unavailable. There was some talk of fellas going away this weekend before the match was postponed."

Although there is a chance that this year's Players' All Star goalkeeper Finbarr McConnell may be available following suspension, Tyrone are likely to persevere with Joe Cassidy who was selected for last week's match. Fay Devlin is back in training but likely to sit on the bench.

Ball last week called for no talk of revenge for incidents in the All-Ireland semi-final which saw two Tyrone players receive nasty wounds to the head and principle attacker Peter Canavan sustain an injury, after a late challenge, from which he has yet to recover. Aside from these incidents, and more damaging for morale, was the heavy defeat suffered by the Ulster champions after which the management team of Art McRory and Eugene McKenna stepped down despite having led Tyrone to a first Ulster two-in-a-row in 20 years.

"Certainly it had its effect on some players," says Ball, "but to what extent I couldn't say. I hadn't been working with the team at that stage and maybe the break in management is useful from that point of view. The players are giving me 100 per cent and I'll have a hell of a job when I've got a full pick.

"Even with the full supplement, I'd have been trying new players. Our ambition is to remain in Division One and anything else is a bonus.

The League has been mixed so far for the county. Beset by injuries and suspensions, the team has struggled to collect points. Derry, Ball feels, were particularly fired up after their championship defeat last June. Other matches were tight but with three matches gone, Tyrone prop up the table on one point.

Looking beyond the League, there must be trepidation that whereas 20 years had passed since Derry were the last team to win two successive Ulster titles, you have to go back to 1959-61 and Down for the last three-in-a-row. Ball disagrees that the county's chance bay have gone.

"They re a young enough team. Remember Dublin went four years before their breakthrough so I wouldn't be at all defeatist about it."

Meanwhile a leading official in the county, Frank Rodgers; secretary of the Tyrone Games Administration Committee, has pledged to eradicate violence on the county's GAA pitches. His comments come after a championship season which saw fistfights break out in the county final and one of the semi-finals.

In his report to next week's County Convention, Rodgers says: "The rules are there to deal with this and they will be strictly applied ... I would particularly like to assure our referees of this since there have been reports of some of them not being entirely happy with sentences imposed."

The postponed National Football League Division Two match between Monaghan and Armagh will probably be played on Sunday in Scotstown. Originally, it had been planned that the fixture could take place as a curtain-raiser for the Ulster club final between Bellaghy and Crossmaglen at Clones but it was decided not to proceed with this.

"There would be concern that the pitch wouldn't take two matches at this time of the year," said a spokesperson for the Ulster Council. The match really has to be played this weekend as Monaghan's Annual Convention is scheduled for Sunday week, December 8th, and Armagh's for the following Sunday.

Limerick's match with Fermanagh has been switched from Askeaton to Newcastlewest. Apparently, the Askeaton club is unhappy at not being allocated a championship match for next year and has consequently withdrawn their ground as a League venue.

Meanwhile, the IRFU have issued a statement denying reports that they have been in formal contact with the GAA with a view to using Croke Park for internationals while Lansdowne Road is under development. No meaningful talks could take place before the GAA amended its rules which prohibit - with few exceptions - the playing of foreign games.

Danny Lynch, spokesperson for the GAA, said yesterday of the IRFU's denial: "It concurs with our understanding of matters."