Facing something of a do-ordie finale to their roller-coaster first season in the top flight, DLSP have opted to shore up their creaking scrum for the visit of Terenure on Saturday at the risk of demoting their loosehead cum place-kicker and leading scorer Mark Kavanagh.
Kavanagh moves to the bench along with customary first-choice hooker Simon O'Donnell, who has been unable to complete the club's last five games due to troublesome ankle ligaments. Karl Condron and Stephen Cullen return at loosehead and hooker alongside Condron's brother Nigel in an otherwise unchanged side beaten in injury time by Clontarf a fortnight ago.
That defeat has left DLSP on the precipice of a relegation playoff with the fifth-placed Division Two club should Clontarf (currently three points adrift in last place) beat Shannon at Thomond Park on Saturday. Terenure, who know that a victory will guarantee a home semi-final, are not surprisingly unchanged from the team which beat St Mary's a fortnight ago.
Likewise, St Mary's are unchanged as they entertain Cork Constitution, having since ended their Thomond Park hoodoo in convincing fashion last Saturday, with John McWeeney remaining on the right wing and Denis Hickie on the left, while Emmet Byrne is again on the bench.
Lansdowne, almost certain to make the play-offs if they beat Young Munster at Lansdowne Road (something they've not done in three attempts) recall left-winger Robbie Dolan from injury, while Angus McKeen starts at tight-head in place of Peter McQuillan after an impressive appearance as a replacement in the win at Ballymena. Despite the latter's setback, they too are expected to be unchanged for the trip to Garryowen.
DLSP: E Devitt; M Cunningham, S Stephens, D McCabe, S Walsh; D O'Riordan, B Hogan; K Condron, S Cullen, N Condron, K Wheelock, R Frost, D O'Brien, T Giles, B Wood.
Lansdowne: G D'Arcy; R Niland, S Horgan, G Hamilton, R Dolan; B Everitt, D O'Mahony (capt); R Corrigan, O Ennis, A McKeen, G Quinn, B Cusack, A McCullan, C McEntee, L Toland.
St Mary's College: P McKenna; J McWeeney, G Gannon, R McIlreavy, D Hickie; M McHugh, P Lynch; P Coyle, P Smyth, D Clare, I Bloomer, M O'Kelly, T Brennan (capt), V Costello, R Doyle.
Terenure College: G Dempsey; D Lynagh, M O'Kelly, M Smyth, S Cullen; R Governey, D Hegarty; S Barretto, J Blaney, J Campbell, R Sheriff (capt), P Holden, P O'Malley, E Miller, B Kavanagh.
Ballymena (probable): S Mason; J Topping, S Stewart, R Botha, S McDowell; S Broughton, M Edwards; N McKernan, A Stewart, C Millar, M Blair, G Longwell, A Graham, D O'Cuinneagain, D Topping.
