MEN'S HOCKEY/Under-21 Interprovincials: Munster travel to Banbridge this weekend to defend the under-21 Interprovincial title they won last year at Farmer's Cross. But the side will face Leinster tonight without two of their strongest players David Hobbs and John Jermyn, who are in Barcelona on a training week with the Ireland squad.
The two Church of Ireland players, who have 19 Irish caps between them, are hoping to be included in the Ireland squad for the European Championship finals which take place at the same venue as their training camp, Real Club de Polo, in September. Jermyn made his debut last year against Belgium, in June, with Hobbs playing his first game a month earlier against Wales.
Ulster face Munster in the closing match on Sunday afternoon, leaving Leinster to wrestle with the heavy start of Munster on Friday and Ulster on Saturday. While the Irish Universities are included in the weekend's event they cannot win the title.
Leinster, interestingly, are coached by Three Rock Rovers' recruit for this season, Bert Vreeken. The Dutch coach has freshened up things at Grange Road and has had a wonderful start with Rovers, who head the table in the Leinster Senior League.
Because of the interprovincial matches and Ireland's training week, Avoca meet Corinthians in the only scheduled Leinster Senior League match. Corinthians will be without their goalkeeper Charlie Henderson, who is in Spain with the Irish team, while Avoca goalkeeper Peter Agnew is unavailable.
TODAY: Under-21 Interprovincial Championship (Havelock Park, Banbridge): Ulster v Irish Universities, 6 p.m.; Leinster v Munster, 8 p.m.
TOMORROW: Under-21 Interprovincial Championship (Havelock Park, Banbridge): Munster v Irish Universities, 12.30; Ulster v Leinster, 2.30 Leinster Senior League Division One-Corinthians v Avoca 12.30 p.m. Whitechurch; Division Two - Skerries v Bray 12.15 Skerries; Clontarf v Portrane 1 p.m. DCU; St Brendan's v Weston 1.30 p.m. Mount Sackville; Naas v Dublin University tba; Suttonians v St James Gate tba
SUNDAY: Under-21 Interprovincial Championships (Havelock Park, Banbridge): Leinster v Irish Universities 12.30 p.m.; Ulster v Munster, 2.30 p.m.
LEINSTER: S Doran, G Keely, E Bane, R Billings, C Black, J Blackney, J Brennan, G Burke, M Elliott, R Gormley (Capt), F Lee, A Lewis, P Maguire, D O'Gorman, K Treacy, A Walker. Coach: B Vreeken. Manager: T Barry.
MUNSTER: I Hosford (Bandon), C Daunt, P Flemming, J Cuppage, J Nagle, S Nicholson, P O'Driscoll, D Crowley R Heaslip, C Acquaye, P McLaughlin, D Egner, K Twomey, R Leonard, S Wolfe, S Nicholson. Coach: J Dennis. Manager: B Downes.
ULSTER: J Moore, N Brazil, J Anderson, C Campbell, T Cockram, M Daniel, A Gill, I Hamilton, C Holmes, I Lewers, A Mills, R McCandless, I McKeown, S McNeil, J Quigley, D Robb (Capt.). Coach: B Davis. Manager: I Ross.
IRISH UNIVERSITIES: G Lennox, C Healy, B Scully, K Carroll, R Willis, G Creamer, D Barrett, D Bane, C Connolly, P Tuthill, T Parsons, C Nicholson, I Campbell, P Balbirnie, J Dunne, S McCandless. Coach: T Parsons. Manager: T Grimes.
