Ulster and Ballymena centre Shane Stewart's father, Paddy, is expected to arrive in Ireland today to take over the new coaching role at DLSP. The Dublin club amicably separated from their coaching director Adrian Skeggs when Skeggs was offered a coaching job with Bermuda's national side. Bermuda are hoping to qualify for the World Cup and offered Skeggs a seven-week contract.
Unable to facilitate the seven-week gap without a coach the two parties opted to go their separate ways. Stewart arrives from New Zealand's North Otago and will take up a position with DLSP immediately.
Although Stewart will not select the side for this weekend's match against Shannon, DLSP could be without Romanian winger Mihai Viorneau who has hamstring problems.
Shannon are still without full back John Lacey and could be missing wing forwards Redmond Collins and John O'Connor. Good news for the Limerick side is that Alan Quinlan played without problems at the weekend in the Munster Development League.
Blackrock College should have both second row Trevor Horgan and back row Rory Rogers available for selection against Cork Constitution. Both played against Clontarf at the weekend in their first games back with the side. Scrumhalf Ben Willis should also be available again although the Stradbrook side will once again be without outhalf Emmet Farrell, who has again damaged a knee. A fit Farrell, of course, would be with the Leinster squad anyway.
Terenure College, who face Dungannon at Lakelands, go into their third match again without captain Shane Cullen, who is out for a few weeks. Back row Peter O'Malley also did not play at the weekend against Barnhall in the Leinster Cup match while winger Seβn King was injured playing for the club's under-20 side.
St Mary's, who currently occupy the top place in the league, must again wait to see the complexion of the Leinster team and who plays on Friday night. Compared to Galwegians, however, their provincial commitments are easily bearable. The Connacht side played AIL game one with 16 players unavailable, AIL game two with 17 players unavailable and are weekly faced with 11 provincial players contracted to Connacht. Facing UCD at Belfield, the students will be pleased to see that another team has something of a similar age profile as almost half of the Galwegian side are likely to be 21 or under.
UCD, who have had a sparkling start and have won both opening matches make only one change to the side that beat Cork Constitution last time out. The injured Niall Breslin is replaced at number eight by Peter Shanley in a back-row shuffle with Neil Coughlan coming in at blindside.
Carlow also hope that their captain and strong man at the back of the scrum Andy Melville will be fully fit to occupy the number eight position for Lansdowne's visit.
The Dublin side report no major concerns with injuries for the journey to Oak Park.
UCD: D O'Sullivan; G Hayes, M Colling, S Moore (c), P Bredin; E Hickey, B O'Riordan; M Moynagh, P Blaney, I Lynam, P Callanan, C Keane, N Coughlan, T Carter, P Shanley.
