Azerbaijan team an unknown quantity

Women's hockeyThe Irish squad set off yesterday for South Africa, where their preparations for April's World Cup Qualifier in Rome will step up a pace. After training over the weekend they will open the four-nations tournament in Durban on Monday against Scotland, before playing Azerbaijan on Wednesday and the hosts the following day. The tournament concludes with the final and third/fourth-place play-off on Saturday week.

Scotland, of course, beat Ireland twice at Belfield last month and should be no less competitive this time around as they fine-tune preparations for next month's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Of particular interest to Ireland coach Riet Kuper, though, will be the game against Azerbaijan, Ireland's final pool opponents in Rome.

The countries have never met but Ireland's Hermes contingent is familiar with the strength of Azerbaijan's leading club, Ata Sport, to whom they lost 2-0 in the European Trophy in Baku two years ago.

And last year, just to underline their development, Ata Sport took silver at the European Club Championship, beating German champions Russelsheimer en route to the final.

And so, while they might be ranked at 19 in the world, six places below Ireland, Azerbaijan have, evidently, a dramatically improving team.

Kuper, then, will be watching them closely in Durban.

Kuper has taken a 21-player squad to Durban, including the uncapped Alex Speers and Fiona Ferguson.

Hermes, Loreto, Railway Union and Old Alexandra, the four Leinster clubs with players in the Irish squad, resume their league campaigns this weekend after their Irish Senior Cup exploits last Saturday.

Loreto will attempt to reverse their cup defeat by Hermes at Beaufort when they meet again on Sunday, while Pembroke Wanderers, level on points with Hermes at the top of the table, who lost to Alexandra in the cup, have another difficult game, this time away to UCD.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

MAY COSTLEY - Semi-finals - Tomorrow: Moyne Thurles v Weston, Ursuline Thurles, 2.0. Sunday: Dungarvan v Yeats County, St Augustines Dungarvan, 1.0.

LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One - Tomorrow: Old Alexandra v Corinthian, Milltown, 1.15; Hermes v Clontarf, Booterstown, 1.30; Railway Union v Trinity, Sandymount, 12.0; Loreto v Three Rock, Beaufort, 2.15; UCD v Pembroke Wanderers, Belfield, 2.15.

Sunday: Loreto v Hermes, Beaufort, 2.30.

Division Two - Tomorrow: Pembroke Wanderers II v Bray, Ballsbridge, 11.0; Old Alexandra II v Diocesan, Milltown, 2.30; Corinthian II v Glenanne, Whitechurch, 3.45; Genesis v Hermes II, Belfield, 4.0.

MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Bandon v Univ of Limerick, Bandon, 2.30; Cork Harlequins v Ashton, Farmers Cross, 11.15; Belvedere v Catholic Institute, Ballincollig, 1.15.