Hong Kong Sevens forces rescheduling

European Cup and international distractions having already taken their toll, and with Munster's continuing Euro involvement liable to cause more disruptions next month, AIB League fixture organisers hardly needed this week's Hong Kong Sevens tournament.

With Mark McHugh and John McWeeney from the Division One leaders, St Mary's, called into the Irish squad for the Hong Kong tournament, the IRFU were obliged to grant the club a postponement of this Saturday's scheduled match away to Shannon.

This game has now been moved back to April 22nd, while the Terenure-St Mary's derby fixed for that date has been brought forward to April 15th. The Clontarf-DLSP tie fixed for this Saturday has also been moved back to April 15th, while DLSP's home fixture with Shannon, originally scheduled for April 22nd, has been brought forward to next Saturday. The Lansdowne-Garryowen game, originally pencilled in for April 15th, had already been moved forward to this coming Saturday.

The St Mary's postponement of their game against Shannon means Clontarf will now be idle this weekend. So too will Blackrock and Galwegians, both of whom are already well behind schedule, after Blackrock requested a cancellation of Saturday's Division Two game between the sides due to Jim Ferris and David Quinlan being called into Ireland's squad for Hong Kong. Galwegians would have been just as badly hit by Matt Mostyn's involvement in Hong Kong. Blackrock may now have to play seven games in April.

Those clubs with only one player called into the Hong Kong Sevens will just have to readjust. In Lansdowne's case, this means replacing the talented Aidan McCullen with Stephen Rooney. However Shane Horgan, who strained his knee ligaments and badly bruised his knee against Dungannon remains doubtful. In the event of Horgan being ruled out, Andy O'Neill will start.

Ballymena are hopeful that the former Irish captain Dion O'Cuinneagain will have recovered from his groin strain for Saturday's game at Buccaneers. O'Cuinneagain is named in a team which shows just one change from the side which beat Young Munster two weeks ago, with Jeff Park replacing another Hong Kong selection, James Topping on the wing.

LANSDOWNE: G D'Arcy; R Niland, S Horgan, G Hamilton, R Dolan; B Everitt, D O'Mahony; R Corrigan, O Ennis, A McKeen, G Quinn, G Fulcher, S Rooney, C McEntee, L Toland.

BALLYMENA: S Mason; J Park, 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, C McCarey.