Clontarf aiming to shake off Dolphin

THE battle of Clontarf is how Dolphin will look at Saturday's AIL Division Two came at Castle Avenue. The Dublin side, who have been the strongest looking team in the division, have a chance to virtually secure the title in the biggest match of the weekend against their Cork rivals. Dolphin are the side who are particularly breathing down their neck in the final run-in.

Two personnel changes, both likely to strengthen the current leaders Clontarf, see the dynamic Philip Quinn returning to the lock position with Pat Ward, invigorated from his trip to Hong Kong last weekend, coming into the back row.

Dolphin, who surprisingly went down to Monkstown last Saturday, must pick themselves up despite a number of injury worries. They will not finalise their team until tomorrow night when they see the extent of their wounded list, which has four players on the physio's table.

Greystones, too, must play a wait-and-see game as they have a number of worries with potentially unfit players. Four must pass fitness tests tomorrow before selection for their game against Monkstown, who should go into the game somewhat more emboldened than they might have been.

Not surprisingly, Monkstown name an unchanged side from last week.

At Sunday's Well, things are little different from elsewhere around the country where again the team's physiotherapist is being kept busy. Left wing Brian Roche injured his hamstring last Saturday while Brian Lacey, on the other wing, hopes to back after breaking his thumb some weeks ago. Flanker and captain Jim Cutriss missed the game against Clontarf but hopes to return against an out-of-sorts Bective Rangers.

Pat Bolger comes into the Bective second row for Fiacra Lennon, who has a broken finger, and Tom Quinlan replaces Heindrik Kruger who has concussion. There is still no place for Vinnie Cunningham on the side. The out-half berth has also been left vacant pending the fitness of Shane Buckley.

UCC travel to City of Derry for what is a particularly important game for the home club. While the students sit in relative safety, around the lower middle part of the table, Derry are anxious to raise themselves a little higher than third bottom, where they sit dangerously close to relegation with just four points.

UCC hope to stretch a run of three wins, with Derry hoping to extend theirs to three in a row. Indeed UCC point to their matches against both Dolphin and Clontarf which they lost by only a point and suggest, perhaps tongue and cheek, that they, too, should be in the promotional race. Derry field an unchanged side from the one which beat Bective last week, while UCC make several changes to their line-up.

Full-back Colin Healy is out with damaged knee ligaments, taking Donagh Keishan into that position from the wing, where Phillip Duggan gains a place. At prop, Rob Laffan comes in for Aidan McSweeney. The match kicks off at half an hour early (at 2.0) in order to allow UCC catch their train home from Belfast.

In Division Three, UCD and Queen's play in what is effectively a Dudley Cup decider. Both sides are a safe distance from either promotion or relegation but are the only unbeaten teams in the University competition. In addition there are obvious places up for grabs in the summer tour to Australia involving the Irish University site.

UCD, who are at full strength, will hope to build on their fine win over Galwegians two weeks ago and will be seen as marginal favourites for the final round of games in the division.