Garbally the ones to beat

Connacht Senior CupEric Elwood's old school Coláiste Iognaid will form one of the big three teams in the bottom part of the Statoil Connacht Senior Cup draw, which already began this weekend in Athenry and Tuam.

Most of the matches, however, will not take place until January 22nd.

The former Irish outhalf's former stomping ground, who currently hold the title - having beaten Garbally College in last year's final - share their half of the draw with the fancied Clifton Community School and Sligo Grammar.

In the other half, it is Garbally and St Joseph's College Galway that most like potential final prospects.

St Joseph's - with a bye into the second round - play the winners of Tuam Vocational School and St Mary's College, Ballygar while Garbally face Rice Collge Westport for a place in the quarter-final.

Providing tradition holds up, Garbally will not face St Joseph's until the semi-final stage of the competition.

Clifden - who appear to be coming together strongly this year with a few players on the fringe of the Irish youth team - have already established their authority by beating St Joseph's in the final of this year's league.

Clearly, the Galway team will have to be watched and, providing they win their first match and get through at the expense of Portumna Community School, a mouth-watering quarter-final against Coláiste Iognaid is in store.

Sligo, who occupy the bottom quarter of the draw are something of an unknown quantity.

Because they are more isolated geographically, the school tends to play a lot of their rugby in Ulster.

But the winners of the Connacht title in 1999 and 2000 are always up for a run, a point that will not be lost on Athlone Community School, their first match opponents.

Overall, Garbally look like marginal favourites in the run in and that is despite the fact, of course, that they didn't play in the league.

It is a pretty open draw, a fact reflected in the spread of players on the Connacht side. Eleven schools were represented this year, an unusually scattered selection.

DRAW

First Round

(A) Athenry Vocational School v (B) St Patrick's Tuam; (C) Tuam Vocational v (D) St Mary's College Ballygar.

Second Round - January 22nd

(A) or (B) v Marist College; Garbally v Rice College, Westport; Summer Hill, Sligo v St Saran's College, Ferbane; (C) or (D) v St Joseph's College, Galway; Portumna Community School v Clifden Community School; Presentation College Headford v Coláiste Iognaid; Sligo Grammar School v Athlone Community College; Gort Community School v St Muredach's Ballina.