Harlequins to omit Ulster trio

Belfast Harlequins will not be using any of their Ulster contracted players for their Division Two AIB All-Ireland League final against UL Bohemians at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. In deference to the injury concerns of Ulster coach Alan Solomons, fellow South African coach, Andre Bester, has agreed not to play Neil Doak, Sheldon Coulter or Simon Best in the club's first AIL final.

All three would have started if Ulster had finished their programme for the season but the interprovincial series is not yet complete.

"We have no other injury worries in the squad," said Bester yesterday. "We won't be picking the Ulster players but we have played for most of the season without them anyway. We have made an agreement with the Ulster Branch that we won't play them due to injury concerns.

"I understand where the Ulster Branch is coming from and we have to remember that for contracted players, it is their career as well. It was agreed that for this one match we wouldn't play them."

Harlequins' opponents UL Bohemians will not be selecting their line-up until today, but report no serious injury worries.

Justin O'Connell, whose place as captain has been taken by Liam O'Connell since an appendix operation, remarked that "the squad has a few niggling worries but nothing really to be concerned about".

In Division One, Shannon's Anthony Foley remains on the injury list, but hopes are increasing that he will play against Cork Constitution in Saturday's final.

Earlier in the week, Foley's participation was looking very doubtful. The back row injured his shoulder in the first quarter of Munster's Heineken European Cup semi-final against Castres last Saturday in Beziers.

Four other Munster players - Alan Quinlan, Mick Galwey, Peter Stringer and John Lacey - are carrying various knocks, but none are giving the same concern as Foley.

Cork Constitution are still undecided about a number of injury worries, including Ronan O'Gara and Jim Williams, who are both extremely doubtful.

Some concern also surrounds centre Ronan O'Donovan. Cork Con were putting players through fitness tests last night. They will announce their starting line-up today.

The Irish squad to tour New Zealand later this month will be selected in just over two weeks' time, probably on May 16th or 17th.