Women's HockeyIreland's losing streak continued in their opening game of the four-nations tournament in Argentina, their 2-0 defeat by Olympic champions Germany their seventh successive loss of the year. The team did, though, manage to keep the Germans scoreless for the final 64 minutes of the game, having conceded goals to Alexandra Kollmar and Nadine Ernsting-Krienke as early as the fifth and sixth minutes.
Much more significant, though, will be Ireland's display in their second game in Argentina when they play the United States, who will also be their opponents in their opening game of the World Cup qualifier in Rome in less than six weeks' time.
On the club front, while the usual suspects - Hermes and Loreto - are occupying first and second place in the Leinster League as the season draws to a close, the pairing for today's Leinster Cup final at Grange Road has a refreshingly new look about it, with Railway Union seeking their first win in the competition and UCD only their second since 1955.
UCD had the most difficult of routes to the final, having to beat both last season's finalists, Loreto (in the first round) and holders Hermes in the semi-final.
Eimear Horan got the goal last month that beat Hermes and when she boards her plane to London this evening, where she will watch her brother Marcus in action at Twickenham tomorrow, she will hope to do so as a Leinster Cup winner.
Railway, though, having already beaten UCD this season, are the marginal favourites going into the game.
"They have been the most improved side in Leinster over the past three years and they have raised the bar for other clubs in terms of their preparation," said UCD coach Tom O'Donoghue.
"They are a great example to other clubs as to what can be achieved by good organisation and a lot of hard work. We have lost to them twice in the past two seasons, having led for long periods, and I am sure the frustration of those defeats will spur us on for the final."
With seven Irish Senior Cup winners in their squad a vastly experienced Hermes second team take on Lurgan in Sunday's Irish Junior Cup final at Belfield.
FOUR NATIONS TOURNAMENT (at Rosario, Argentina): Ireland 0, Germany 2; Argentina 2, USA 0.
LEINSTER JACQUI POTTER CUP FINAL (at Grange Road): Today: UCD v Railway Union, 1.30.
LEINSTER LEAGUE: Division One: Tomorrow: Old Alexandra v Three Rock, Milltown, 1.30; Corinthian v Trinity, Whitechurch, 2.0; Railway Union v Clontarf, Sandymount, 2.30.
IRISH JUNIOR CUP FINAL (at Belfield) - Sunday: Hermes II v Lurgan, 4.15.
