VICTORY for Ireland's development team against the North West in the Interprovincial Championship at Eglinton tomorrow would mean that only Leinster and Munster stand between them and the title.
The Development XI meet Leinster at Malahide on August 25th and Munster at the Mardyke six days later. In the meantime, the Developers have an additional match, a non representative one, admittedly, but the Free Foresters should provide worthy opposition at Rathmines next Wednesday.
All this activity will provide a good build up to the tour to England later this month, when Lancashire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire Club and Ground sides will provide the opposition for Jason Molins's team. But tomorrow's match will be no push over, for visitors under estimate the doughty players of the North West at their peril.
As well as its Interprovincial implications, the game, like that against the Free Foresters, will be useful preparation for those involved in the three day match against Scotland at Linlithgow next weekend. Owen Butler, Paul Gillespie, Kyle McCallan, Greg Molins and Declan Moore will all be playing against the Scots, while Alan Patterson will be the 12th man.
Meanwhile in Leinster, weather always permitting, of course, the River House League continues apace over the weekend, with five matches on offer today, and three more tomorrow. Clontarf, who have been motoring very well indeed, will be hoping to pull even further ahead at the expense of Leinster, at Castle Avenue today.
Both teams are unchanged since last weekend Clontarf have some doubts about the fitness of Deryck Vincent, but as of yesterday afternoon, the potential match winner had not cried off.
YMCA, going through something like an annus horribilis this season, will be without Alan Lewis for their home match against Pembroke today, but will regain his services for tomorrow's match against Railway Union at Park Avenue. Pembroke show one change, compared to the side defeated by The Hills in last Saturday's Cup final, as Conor Dwyer stands in for the absent Stuart McCready.
