Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Divisions
Kick-off Saturday 2.30pm unless stated
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Division 1A:
Lansdowne (8th) v Shannon (9th), Aviva Stadium back pitch
Lansdowne and Shannon meet for the first time in the Energia All-Ireland League since February 2019. Both clubs are at the wrong end of the table, with the losers of this game set to sit in the bottom two for the Christmas break.
Sam Prendergast’s involvement with the Ireland U20s today means Peter Hastie reverts to out-half from the Lansdowne team originally selected for last week’s postponed fixture. Sam Burns starts at full-back and Darragh Murphy comes into the pack.
Itching to return to action after a heavy derby defeat to Young Munster, Shannon have also made changes. Ireland U19 international Josh Costello and Harry Long feature in the back-line, with Odhran Ring slotting in at number 8.
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Division 1B:
Malone (10th) v City of Armagh (2nd), Gibson Park
Second-placed City of Armagh are missing injured top scorer Kyle Faloon (45 points) for their Ulster derby trip to Belfast. Ryan Purvis deputises at full-back, with the back-line led by Romain Morrow and Jack Hughes.
However, Armagh, who also start Peter Lamb, Philip Fletcher and John Glasgow up front, are without a quartet of players who were on Ulster ‘A’ duty yesterday. Malone’s Angus Curtis, Declan Moore and Ben Gibson were also in provincial action.
Malone head coach Josh Pentland commented: “A lack of accuracy at the breakdown and in the opposition 22 cost up at Old Belvedere the last day. The boys have responded well in training, and we’re looking forward to fixing those errors against an Armagh side that have made great strides.”
St Mary’s College (3rd) v Highfield (4th), Templeville Road
Aaron O’Neill, Ryan O’Loughlin and Hugh Lane are brought into the St. Mary’s College back-line for this top four duel. Sean Cronin’s only other change sees Niall Hurley swap in for Ethan Baxter at openside flanker.
29-10 winners last time out against UCC, Highfield are looking to piece together back-to-back wins for the first time since the opening rounds of the season. Conor Quaid’s men won both of last season’s encounters by four points – 21-17 at home and 28-24 in Templeogue.
Highfield’s top scorer Cian Bohane continues at out-half, this time joined by Richard Cassidy, with the fit-again James Taylor set for some involvement off the bench. Hooker Travis Coomey has scored three tries in his last two games.
UCC (7th) v Old Belvedere (6th), Musgrave Park, 4.30pm
Musgrave Park’s all-weather pitch is the venue as UCC aim to end a run of four straight defeats. Killian Coghlan, Joe O’Leary and Cian Whooley return to the back-line, while a notable switch sees captain Louis Bruce revert to the full-back role.
It is very tight in the mid-section of the table with only two points separating Michael Bradley’s young guns, who also bring in Patrick McBarron at number 8, from fourth-placed Highfield. Therefore, a win of any kind would be a huge result for either club.
Centre Jamie McAleese and back rowers Óran O’Brien and Evan O’Boyle are both promoted from the bench for Old Belvedere’s first away tussle with UCC since September 2017. They won by a single point that day, an injury-time try splitting the sides.
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Division 2A:
- Ballymena v Queen’s University, Eaton Park
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Division 2B:
- Dungannon v Rainey Old Boys, Stevenson Park
