ST MARY'S COLLEGE, leaders in the first division of the Insurance Corporation All-Ireland League, hope to have international number eight Victor Costello in their side for the visit to Young Munster on Saturday. Costello, who rejoined the club last week after leaving London Irish, has been named in the team in the confident expectation that transfer documentation will have come through in time.
It is certainly a timely return for Costello. Frank Fitzgerald, who has been first choice number eight for St Mary's, was injured before Christmas and is still out of the game. The club's problems were compounded when Mark Reilly was sent off the field in the drawn match against Cork Constitution. He is serving two weeks' suspension. Constitution's former Ireland prop Paul McCarthy, sent off with Reilly, has also been suspended for two weeks. St Mary's have brought Dan Bourke into the second row and move Kevin Potts to the blind-side flank for Mark Cuddihy while Costello comes for Reilly.
Young Munster will be without their former Ireland prop John Fitzgerald, who has been troubled by a virus. So they turn to Niall Hartigan to fill the berth. They have also made a change in the back division from the side that lost to Blackrock College. James Carey is named on the wing in place of David Walsh.
Constitution, two points behind the leaders, will, of course, be without McCarthy for their visit to Lansdowne, one of five clubs in the cluster just one point adrift of the top rung. It is expected that Constitution will be unchanged behind the scrum and that they'd will finalise the pack later in the week. Lansdowne have Marcus Dillon on the right wing. He comes in for Simon Cooney, who was injured against Shannon.
Shannon travel to Ballymena and hope that their international back-row forward Anthony Foley will be fit. He is under treatment for a nose injury, initially suffered a fortnight ago as well as hand and groin injuries sustained playing for Ireland A last week. Scrumhalf Gavin Russell is also under treatment for a groin strain but it was anticipated yesterday that wing Billy O'Shea and forward Kieran Maher, both unavailable for the last league match, will be fit for consideration.
Ballymena will be unchanged from the side that defeated Instonians. Hooker Stephen Ritchie, now that he has put his injury problems behind him, may well be nurturing a call to the Ireland A squad.
Blackrock and Terenure, two more of the clubs in immediate pursuit of the leaders, meet at Stradbrook. Blackrock will be without centre Brian Carey, who damaged a shoulder playing for Ireland A, and prop Cec Porter. David Lynagh stands in for Carey and Declan Kavanagh is at prop. Terenure will have prop Peter Bruce back in their side but Joe Kelly is again an absentee from the back row.
Old Belvedere will be unchanged for their home match against Dungannon, who have Keith Walker back in the second row after recovering from a groin injury.
Garryowen name an unchanged side from the team that beat Old Crescent for the visit of Instonians, who have yet to gain a point this season. Instonians have Neil Fannin at tight-head prop for Clark Millar.
Old Wesley, at home to Old Crescent, make four changes from the team that lost to Dungannon. Rory Moroney, who came on as a replacement, is named in the centre for Rob McNaughton while John Kenefick is chosen at scrumhalf for Graham Walsh. In the pack, Moss Cox deputises at prop for the injured John Feehan and Greg Duffy, after being unavailable for the last two league matches, returns to the second brow for Mark Wilson.
