Cork Constitution remain favourites

Garryowen will entertain St Mary's College at Dooradoyle next Saturday while Cork Constitution will play hosts to Buccaneers on Sunday (both games kicking off at 2.30) in the AIB league semi-finals.

As was the case last year, when St Mary's lost to Shannon in a memorable semi-final, tradition decrees that the Dublin team play on the Saturday. Furthermore, having decided that the first placed club would be at home to the fourth placed club on the Saturday, the IRFU chose to reverse the order this year.

Both games will be televised live by RTE, as will the final on Saturday week (May 1st) and privately, competition organisers will probably be glad that this year's play-offs feature a wider geographical base.

While St Mary's are again flying the flag for Dublin, they will not be gate-crashing a line-up featuring three Limerick clubs. Garryowen will again be there to represent the city which has provided the league champions for the last seven years, but this time they will accompanied by the inaugural winners, Cork Con, and newly promoted Buccaneers from Connacht, who were a third division club two seasons ago.

Given 6,000 were in Temple Hill on Saturday for the crunch game with the deposed holders Shannon, and 5,000 attended Buccaneers' crucial win over Lansdowne, the attendance for Sunday's second semi-final is set to rival last Saturday's record crowd for an AIL game in Cork.

Cork Constitution remain favourites for the title and are undoubtedly the form side in the league. They go into the play-offs on a run of seven successive wins and have a 100 per cent record in six games at Temple Hill this season. However Buccaneers pushed them to an exciting 32-25 win there last January and will travel both in hope and in numbers.

St Mary's barely scraped into the play-offs after an unconvincing 17-10 win over relegated Galwegians but co-coach Steve Hennessy said: "I'm certain we will improve. It's a big challenge going to Limerick for the semi-final but we're looking forward to it."

St Mary's lost by 13-12 in Dooradoyle last season and by 187 at home in early January, but the Garryowen coach John Hall conceded that their semi-final opponents "were probably the best team we faced all season."

Semi-Finals

Garryowen v St Mary's

Dooradoyle Saturday (2.30)

Cork Con v Buccaneers

Temple Hill Sunday (2.30)