The Statoil Leinster League season reaches its halfway point this weekend, signalling the last time clubs with players on the senior Irish panel can select them for league matches, if they are picked for the Olympic Qualifier in March.
Both Hermes and Loreto will hope that their internationals can sign off in style because both face matches that could have a significant bearing on their title ambitions - leaders Hermes play second-placed Old Alexandra on Sunday while Loreto meet Trinity, who are a place below them in fourth, tomorrow.
The Hermes v Old Alexandra match was also scheduled for tomorrow but Hermes must instead travel north for their Irish Senior Cup second-round replay against Ards. The club had hoped to rearrange the league match for next Monday or Tuesday but Sunday was the only date that could be agreed upon so they now face playing two crucial matches in the space of two days.
This arrangement has served only to heighten Hermes' frustration with the Leinster branch, whose decision not to follow the example of Munster and Ulster and split the season in to two separate leagues, gave the club no option but to re-arrange the Old Alexandra game for before Christmas.
"We certainly would have preferred to play Alex another day but if we had re-scheduled the match for January we would not have been allowed to pick our international players," said Hermes manager Joan Morgan.
"We've made no secret of the fact that we are unhappy with the Leinster branch and feel they have been unfair to clubs with international players this season. We would have had no problem if all the branches had applied the same rules but, unlike Leinster, Ulster and Munster chose to co-operate with clubs who provide internationals by splitting the season in two." If Leinster had followed the example of Ulster and Munster Hermes, who are five points clear of Old Alexandra and Loreto, would already have clinched, at the very least, their place in a league play-off, which is what Pegasus and Harlequins will hope to have done by tomorrow.
If Portadown fail to beat Omagh by 13 clear goals, Pegasus will have won the first of Ulster's two Section One `mini-seasons' while in Munster if UCC fail to beat Church of Ireland at the Mardyke tomorrow Harlequins will win the first of Munster's two leagues. If, however, UCC collect all three points their match against Harlequins next Tuesday night (re-arranged from last Tuesday) will determine who wins the pre-Christmas league.
IRISH SENIOR CUP - Second round replays: Ards v Hermes, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Victorians v NUIG, Olympia Leisure Centre, 2.30.
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Senior A - Tomorrow: Muckross v Glenanne, Rathdown, 11.45; Trinity v Loreto, Santry Avenue, 12.0; UCD v Railway Union, Belfield, 1.0; Genesis v Pembroke Wanderers, Milltown, 2.45. Sunday: Hermes v Old Alexandra, Belfield, 4.0. Senior B - Tomorrow: Avoca v Muckross II, Milltown, 12.0; Railway Union II v Loreto II, Park Avenue, 12.30; Clontarf v Corinthian, Dardistown, 2.30; Aer Lingus v Pembroke Wanderers II, ALSAA, 3.0. Sunday: Old Alexandra II v Hermes II, Milltown, 12.0.
MUNSTER LEAGUE - UCC v Church of Ireland, The Mardyke, 1.30; Harlequins II v Univ of Limerick, Harlequin Park, 1.30.
ULSTER LEAGUE - Section One: Portadown v Omagh, Edenvilla Park, 2.30. Section Two: North Down v Banbridge, Comber Leisure Centre, 2.30; Queens v Civil Service, Queens, 2.30; Enniskillen v Larne, Irvinestown, 2.30; Priorians v Owls, City of Derry RFC, 2.30.
