Under the guidance of their new coach Harold de Jong, Leinster will attempt to complete their first three-in-a-row since the 1950s in the senior interprovincial tournament in Cork this weekend.
Fintan Butler's successor has named a squad that shows five changes from the one that beat Munster to the title on goal difference in Galway last year. Pembroke Wanderers' Emma Glanville joins four players promoted from last season's under-21 squad - Loreto goalkeeper Avril Copeland, her clubmate Cathy McKean, Railway Union's Ciara O'Brien and Irish under-21 sweeper Sarah Rand of Trinity. Bernie Heffernan's Munster squad is boosted by the return of Irish panellist Sharon Hutchinson. The Harlequins goalkeeper, who return ed to Cork in time for the new season after a year working in Uganda, is one of eight players included from the Munster League leaders.
After being pipped to the title by Leinster last year, Munster will hope to make the most of home advantage and repeat their 1995 achievement when they won the tournament, on home soil, for the first time in 20 years.
Ulster, once again coached by Andrea McCullough, have seven of the all-conquering Pegasus squad to choose from this weekend, but they have lost two of their most influential players, who were originally named in the panel. Irish forward Kim Mills is unavailable, through illness, while `contractual commitments' to Coleraine, where she is player-coach, have also forced Caryn Bentley to withdraw from the squad. Coleraine were unable to reschedule tomorrow's league match against Victorians for next week and the South African international's contract obliges her to give first commitment to the club.
After missing out on last year's tournament through injury Connacht welcome back Deirdre McDermott of Hermes and Muckross midfielder Claire Deacy, who captains her province. Coach Noel Keogh has also called up Lisa Codd, who impressed in the recent inter-varsities for NUIG, and three more senior newcomers, Catherine Hannon (North Kildare), Pamela Ryan (Galway) and Rosie Walsh (Hermes).
Irish coach Riet Kuper will be an interested spectator at all six matches in Cork over the weekend.
