Irish Colleges Interprovincial Semi-Finals
The Irish Colleges Interprovincial Series, sponsored by Treasury Holdings, kicks into action in NUI Maynooth today with the Leinster v Connacht and Ulster v Munster clashes serving also as a selection bonus for the Irish Colleges squad.
Over 80 rugby players attending Colleges, Institutes and Universities throughout the country will gather at NUI Maynooth today to represent their respective provinces in a afternoon that should provide top class rugby.
The action gets underway at 12.30pm when defending champions Leinster face Connacht.
Then at 2.30pm Munster and Ulster will face off for the second final spot. The Irish Colleges are kindly sponsored by Treasury Holdings.
As well as representing their provinces, players involved will also have the opportunity of impressing Irish Colleges selectors present who will choose the Irish Colleges representative side to play the French Students in mid-February.
This game will be followed by their second game against England Students scheduled for Newcastle, England on February 25.
The provincial sides include a number of AIB League players who combine playing for their college and club.
Leinster who are going for their fourth title have James Power (Blackrock College), John Dever (Terenure College) and Sean Treacy of Clontarf, while Ulster have Mike McKeever, former Under-21 captain and presently captain of the Ulster side, and two players from Ulster Ravens in James Thompson (Dromore) and Mark O’Connor (City of Derry).
With such a strong squad to choose from, the new-look Leinster coaching ticket of head coach Brett Igoe, forwards coach James Winstanley and manager Jack Hanratty are gunning for a fourth Interpro title in-a-row.
Speaking ahead of the game, Leinster Colleges captain and Blackrock College back rower Alex Dunlop admitted he is delighted with the calibre of player in the squad this year.
“It is great to see so many new faces in the squad and all squad members are playing at an extremely high level, be it AIB League or the top class Under-21s,” he said.
Leinster Colleges
R.Williamson (IT Carlow), R.Crotty (IT Tallaght), C.O’Shea (DCU), J.Power (DIT), I.Denham (DCU), P.DeBarra (IT Carlow), S.Treacy (DCU), S.Preston (DIT), G.Wattleworth (IT Carlow), B. Harrison (NUI Maynooth), M. Kearney (IT Carlow), R. Lennon (IT Tallaght), C. Deans (IT Tallaght), J. Dever (Garda College), A. Dunlop (IT Tallaght) CAPT. Subs from : D. O’Byrne (IT Carlow) , A. Buckeridge (IT Tallaght), A. Mulligan (IT Carlow), C. Enright (DIT), H. Nolan (DCU), J.Harris-Wright (Sallynoggin FE), B.Woods (DCU), E. Downes (NUIM), R.Smith (IT Carlow)
Ulster Colleges
M. Lawton (Bel.Met), D. Orr (OU), C. Brigl (UUJ), M. McKeever (UUJ), J. Devitt (UUJ), M. O’Connor (UUJ), A. Windner (UUColeraine), P. Greenaway (UUJ), S. Morton (UUJ), A. Ferguson (UUJ), J. Cornett (UUJ), M. Dunleavy (UUColeraine), R. Hackney (UUColeraine), R. Halsall (UUJ), P. Stewart (UUJ) Subs from : M. Davison (UUJ), J. Thompson (Bel.Met), R. Sheard (UUJ), J. Corscadden (UUJ), S. Browne (UUJ), JJ Baird (UUJ), G. Taylor (UUJ), S. Beattie (UUJ), T.McDonald (UUJ)
Munster Colleges
D. Hurley (CSN), S. Harvey (IT Carlow), M. O’Neill (IT Tralee), J. Clogan (Waterford IT), G. Mackessey (CSN), S. Mullally (Limerick IT), E. Gardner (Garda College), F. Considine (CSN), S. Malone (Garda College), P. Galvin (Waterford IT), K. Bracken (University of Limerick), F. Broderick (University of Limerick ) CAPT., K. Murphy (Garda College), T. Nihill (Waterford IT), N. Kinane (University of Limerick) Subs from: T.J Relihan (Garda College), C. O’ Reilly (IT Tralee), S. Cotter (CSN), S. Upton (University of Limerick), R. Dennehy (CSN), T. Keogh (Cork IT), H. De Stackpool (University of Limerick), K. Murphy (University of Limerick), S. Melbourne (Limerick IT)
Connacht Colleges
Squad to be confirmed