Young Munster v Garryowen
The imponderable here is how much Young Munster will be in the mood to swing from the hip and dent their Limerick rivals, as they did three years ago when handing the title to Shannon. Both sides are without some very influential figures, Peter Clohessy and Mick Lynch for the home side, while Killian Keane and Shane Leahy might normally be John Hall's first two names on the teamsheet. Indeed, only five of Garryowen's successful semi-finalists of last year survive today. Still, they have more gamebreakers in David Wallace, Jeremy Staunton, Kevin O'Riordan and co, and also have much more to play for against an uninspiring home side who have been idle for five weeks.
Last season: Garryowen 3 Young Munster 3. (Semi-final) Garryowen 24 Young Munster 10.
Last five games: Young Munster - WDLWL. Garryowen - LWLWW.
Leading try scorers: Young Munster - Denis O'Dowd 3. Garryowen - Kevin O'Riordan 4.
Leading points scorers: Young Munster - Mick Lynch 37pts. Garryowen - Killian Keane 103 pts.
Referee: Dave McHugh (Munster)
Odds (courtesy of Paddy Powers Bookmakers): 11/4 Young Munster, 16/1 Draw, 1/4 Garryowen. (Handicap) 5/6 Y Munster (+15pts), 16/1 Draw, 5/6 Garryowen (-15pts)
Forecast: Garryowen to win.
Buccaneers v Lansdowne
In normal circumstances, you might fancy Lansdowne. But Shane Horgan (pelvic strain) yesterday joined Barry Everitt and Gordon D'Arcy on the injured list, and along with substitute Reggie Corrigan means Lansdowne are missing four of their seven Irish A players from this season. None were injured playing for their club, with Horgan and Everitt victims of the Hong Kong Sevens where the Irish team didn't even have a doctor. Lansdowne aren't happy, and understandably so.
Buccaneers, with less talent by their own admission, will be without their under-rated and influential centre Eamonn Molloy again but even so are near to firing on all cylinders. Admittedly the in-form Gabriel Fulcher might lord the lineouts, though an imposing and intimidating 6,000 crowd could drown out their calls as was the case with St Mary's, and the visitors' pack is pretty strong with the disruptive Angus McKeen passed fit. A compelling contest is in the offing. Buccaneers will be particularly hard to stop if they get a good start.
Last season: didn't meet.
Last five games: Buccs - WWWWL. Lansdowne - LWWLW.
Leading try scorers: Buccs - Brian Rigney 4. Lansdowne - Rory Kearns 3, Gordon D'Arcy 3.
Leading points scorers: Buccs - Simon Allnutt 104 pts. Lansdowne - Kearns 99 pts.
Referee: Alan Watson (Ulster)
Odds: 4/5 Buccs, 12/1 Draw, 1/1 Lansdowne. (Handicap) 5/6 Buccs (-1pt), 16/1 Draw, 5/6 Lansdowne (+1pt).
Forecast: Buccs to win.
Terenure v Clontarf
Theoretically, Clontarf should have much more to play for. Yet there's needle between the camps arising out of past incidents and if playing freely, Terenure could be dangerous. Aside from the absence of Eric Miller, Peter Walsh, Karl Coleman, Dermot Quinn and Andy Lamont come in for the injured David Coleman, Steve Barretta, Rory Sheriff and Dermot Blaney, while Derek Hegarty and Shane Cullen are preferred at half-back. Clontarf are hopeful about the wily Matt Smith. Though showing signs of pressure in recent outings and offering less of a threat out wide, Clontarf's pack and the boot of Richie Murphy could be enough to steer them to safety.
Last season: Clontarf 36 Terenure 17.
Last five games: Terenure - DLWLW. Clontarf - WLLLL.
Leading try scorers: Terenure - Girvan Dempsey 3. Clontarf - Ollie Winchester 3.
Leading points scorers: Terenure - Craig Fitzpatrick 40pts. Clontarf - Richie Murphy 87 pts.
Referee: Alan Lewis (Leinster).
Odds: 1/1 Terenure, 16/1 Draw, 8/11 Clontarf. (Handicap) 5/6 Terenure (+2pts), 16/1 Draw, 5/6 Clontarf (-2pts).
Forecast: Clontarf to win.
Galwegians v St Mary's
Were Shannon to win, then St Mary's may have to win by 37 points more than Shannon do to make the play-offs, or else make up 56 points on Cork Con or 50 on Garryowen. Granted, if ever there was a team capable of doing it (and an opposition capable of subsiding) then you'd have thought this would be it. However, though they've rolled over three times this season, not once have Galwegians done so at home. They have their pride and the pressure is off to a degree. An early St Mary's score or two would seem critical, so making Galwegians less interested, but St Mary's haven't been that expansive this season up till now and it's a very hard task in the region of 40 or 50.
Last season: Didn't meet.
Last five games: Galwegians - LWLLL. St Mary's - WWWLL.
Leading try scorers: Galwegians - Eric Elwood 5. St Mary's - John McWeeney, Peter McKenna, Victor Costello 3 each.
Leading points scorers: Galwegians - Elwood 77pts. St Mary's - Fergal Campion 58 pts.
Referee: David Napier (Ulster).
Odds: 8/1 Galwegians, 16/1 Draw, 1/20 St Mary's. (Handicap) 5/6 Galwegians (+25pts), 16/1 Draw, 5/6 St Mary's (-25pts).
Forecast: St Mary's to win.
Cork Constitution v Shannon
Temple Hill awaits its biggest AIL crowd ever and the pre-match banquet for 500 is over four times the norm (necessitating the erection of a 6,000 sq ft marquee). Cork Con expect Anthony Horgan, John Kelly, Ian Murray, Ronan O'Gara and Brian Walsh to be fit, as do Shannon of Eddie Halvey (without whom Colm McMahon would revert from centre to flanker). Rhys Ellison returns, though John Lacey's absence deprives them of their best try-scoring weapon. Con are the form side, with six straight wins, though Shannon have scored 12 tries without reply in their last three outings. For Con the incentive is a home semi-final and to put Shannon out of the equation, for Shannon it is win-or-bust. Theirs is the greater therefore, and when that's the case you somehow always expect them to get there.
Last season: Cork Con 11 Shannon 12.
Last five games: Cork Con - WWWWW. Shannon - LLWWW.
Leading try scorers: Cork Con - Brian Walsh, Dave O'Brien 4 each, Conor Mahony 3. Shannon - Marcus Horan 5, John Lacey 4.
Leading points scorers: Cork Con - Ronan O'Gara 111 pts. Shannon - Andrew Thompson 81 pts.
Referee: Murray Whyte (Leinster).
Odds: 11/10 Cork Con, 16/1 Draw, 4/6 Shannon. (Handicap) 5/6 Cork Con (+2pts), 16/1 Draw, 5/6 Shannon (-2pts).
Forecast: Shannon to win.
Blackrock v Ballymena
The great imponderable is whether Ballymena will be up for it. Clearly a tired and perhaps even an unhappy camp, they nonetheless have a juggernaut pack and, if coach Andre Bester or out-half Derek McAleese ever felt inclined to use them, have more strings to their three-quarters than a Blackrock side deprived of Alan McGowan (knee) and curiously leaving big-hitter Dave Quinlan on the bench.
Granted, Blackrock have much more to play for, and Ballymena need only to avoid defeat by 30, but the home side seem to have had a doomed look about them during a run of one win in eight.
Last season: Ballymena 44 Blackrock 6. Last five games: Blackrock - LLWLL. Ballymena - LLLLW.
Leading try scorers: Blackrock - Aidan Guinan 4 tries. Ballymena - Rab Irwin 2, Mark Blair 2.
Leading points scorers: Blackrock - Alan McGowan 44pts. Ballymena - Simon Mason 107 pts.
Referee: Bertie Smith (Munster).
Odds: 10/11 Blackrock, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Balymena.
Forecast: Ballymena to win.
