Hermes aiming to book their place in Irish Senior Cup semi-final

Pegasus face the long trip south to take on Cork Harlequins in the quarter-finals of the Irish Senior Cup, and they’ll trust the weather will ensure the journey is not in vain.

Belfast Harlequins, too, are on the road, their opponents Hermes in Dublin, but the other two ties in the round are local affairs.

For the third round running, Railway Union, the 2013 cup winners, face Leinster opposition having already beaten Loreto before knocking out cup holders UCD. This time they meet Glenanne who got the better of UCC and Corinthian en route to the last eight.

The derby up north is between league leaders Ulster Elks and second-from-bottom Lisnagarvey, and if the result of their last meeting – an 8-1 win for Elks in October – is anything to go by, the home side should prevail.

Hermes, too, will fancy their chances of progressing, if they can reproduce the form that has taken them to the top of the Leinster First Division. Belfast Harlequins have won just two of their 10 league fixtures so far.

Cork Harlequins versus Pegasus is a trickier one to call, the Belfast side usually the favourites to emerge from any tie, but the Munster champions will hope to put home advantage to good use.

WEEKEND FIXTURES Tomorrow – Irish Senior Cup, quarter-finals: Glenanne v Railway Union, Glenanne Park, 1.0; Ulster Elks v Lisnagarvey, UUJ, 1.0; Cork Harlequins v Pegasus, Farmers Cross, 1.0; Hermes v Belfast Harlequins, Booterstown, 1.0.