Lansdowne and Wanderers are seeking an urgent meeting with the IRFU following the union's decision to close the main pitch at Lansdowne Road for a second successive week. Lansdowne will instead host Galwegians in their AIL Division One clash on the back pitch today.

Wanderers suffered the previous week when their Division Two match with Old Belvedere was postponed. The co-tenants at Lansdowne Road are far from impressed with the IRFU's stance on the issue and maintain that there is no justifiable reason for closing the pitch. Lansdowne asked a senior referee within the club to inspect the pitch yesterday and he claimed that the surface was eminently playable.

Ireland play France at Lansdowne Road in their opening Five Nations Championship match on February 6th.

Meanwhile the weather has taken its toll on two other matches with the prospect of a third, Garryowen v Cork Constitution, being postponed. The Division Two fixture between Skerries and Portadown at Holmpatrick and the Division Four game involving Ballina and Midleton have been postponed due to unplayable surfaces.

No date has yet been decided for the Skerries match but Midleton will travel to Ballina on March 27th. Garryowen will inspect the pitch at Dooradoyle this morning (9.30) before making a decision on whether the game goes ahead.

The IRFU have announced a 37-man Ireland under-21 squad for the forthcoming international season. Gerry Murphy and Brian McLaughlin, with former international Philip Rainey fulfilling the role as manager, will coach the team. Triple Crown winners last season, Ireland's first international is against France at Musgrave Park on Friday, February 5th. Before that they will train on Sunday, January 17th at Belfield.