NEWS: IT HAS been largely ignored by both public and media, leading to a complete restructuring process, but the All-Ireland League regular season ends this Saturday with seven clubs still chasing a semi-final berth.
“It has been so close this season because clubs were battling for a top-eight spot right up to last weekend,” said Shannon coach Geoff Moylan. “Old Belvedere gave Cork Con an awful tough match last Saturday as, mathematically, they still had a chance of a top eight.”
Moylan is talking about next season’s refreshing new format that sees the, already confirmed, top eight break off into an elite Division One with the bottom eight forming Division Two. The top three in Division One will be joined in a play-off semi-final by the Division Two champions.
There is a fly in the ointment, however, as the IRFU have signed up for an Anglo-Welsh-Irish A league to supplement the professional game. This means fringe and academy players currently learning their trade in club rugby will be used primarily in the new competition to be played on Monday nights after Magners League weekends.
“It means you won’t get any contracted players back,” explained Moylan. “From our point of view in Shannon we haven’t been affected at all by the professional game. Donnacha Ryan has been with us a few times this season but that’s it.
“We get by with our own players. Dolphin and Garryowen, to a certain extent, are not reliant on contracted players either. Other clubs will have problems.”
Blackrock College’s starting XV is littered with, albeit homegrown, Leinster Academy players, while St Mary’s, Clontarf and Old Belvedere are facing a similar, if lesser, problem.
“It’s how the fixtures are made now that will dictate whether the new top eight will prove a success,” Moylan continued, voicing the collective concern of AIL coaches.
“For instance, the five Munster teams all have access to floodlights and are willing to play on Friday nights.
“We had a fantastic night in Thomond Park earlier this year when 4,500 turned up for the game against Garryowen. But they need to pencil in the right Friday nights, something like an international weekend where provincial players are available to the clubs. Fixtures will be key to the success of the new format.”
Regardless, by 4pm this Saturday many short-term futures will be revealed.
The Munster cartel, with new member Dolphin, have timed their run to perfection after Blackrock’s surprise defeat in Dungannon last Saturday saw them drop to seventh and, in all likelihood, out of the play-off reckoning.
Kiwi-born Munster reserve Jeremy Manning’s injury-time touchline penalty saw defending champions Cork Constitution defeat Old Belvedere 22-20, moving them to top spot, where they should remain and earn a home semi-final, presuming they gain a bonus point at home to Ballymena.
Clontarf, Garryowen and St Mary’s should do likewise against Dungannon, Galwegians and already-relegated Terenure who, like Ballymena, have no carrot left to chase. This means the game of the day takes place in Coonagh, Limerick, where third-placed Shannon entertain second-placed Dolphin.
One from Young Munster, UCD and Buccaneers will join Terenure in Division Two. Young Munster still have control of their fate as they face the students in Belfield.
The northerners have yet to be given a rescheduled date for the Highfield fixture (cancelled on January 17th and February 7th due to weather conditions) so they have two games remaining and are eight points adrift of the leaders.
