Trinty in good position to turn the tables on UCD

Rugby Colours match: Dublin University V UCD Donnybrook, 7.0Dublin University's director of rugby, Tony Smeeth, knows the gap is smaller than it was three or four years ago, but that is hardly a consolation in the two-cornered dispute that is the annual Colours rugby match.

Losing, gallant or otherwise, has been Trinity's staple diet for the past seven years.

University College, Dublin, would love to maintain that sequence ad nauseam and will enter tonight's match as favourites to prolong the pain, not least to underline their AIB League Division One status.

Trinity are fifth in Division Two and playing well, albeit they narrowly lost their last two matches against Waterpark and Midleton.

Indeed, there was a curious symmetry between the universities last weekend. While UCD were losing narrowly away to Belfast Harlequins 24-23, Trinity went down to an identical scoreline against Waterpark. David Lynch, of Twin Peaks fame, could not have penned a more quirky preamble to tonight's fare.

Similarities extend beyond results. Identical twins, the Hastings, will be in the opposing squads, with Brian playing in the centre for Trinity while Michael will start on the bench for UCD.

Ostensibly they are both inside centres, although Michael did play outhalf for UCD earlier in the year, and they clashed at under-20 level last season. It's fair to assume family loyalties will be split.

Trinity would dearly love to win this, the 52nd Colours match as they celebrate 150 years of rugby this season. The portents suggest it's a reasonable aspiration. Twelve of the Trinity squad have graduated from last season's All-Ireland winning under-20 squad, while UCD boast eight from the same age group.

The teams met three times at the underage level last season with Trinity winning the McCorry Cup final clash and the All-Ireland semi-final meeting, while UCD won the League final. The best clash of the trilogy was the All-Ireland semi-final, a classic encounter replete with outstanding rugby.

It augurs well for tonight's clash, as does the fact that both teams adopt an expansive approach. The last two clashes have been dogged by bad weather, but the forecast for this evening is good.

UCD won those matches 12-6 and 17-14, which emphasises how the gap that had been in evidence in the previous three clashes is closing.

UCD will be hampered by the loss of two first choice back row members, Niall Breslin and Neil Coughlan, who sustained shoulder injuries in the defeat by Belfast Harlequins. College are fortunate they can draft in Connacht interprovincial openside Tom Carter, and Kevin Croke.

John Anthony Lee has beaten Jason Moran to the loosehead jersey following a storming performance in the Harlequins game. UCD will be led by Dermot Blaney with his brother David in the front row. Lock Simon Crawford is an excellent prospect, as is scrumhalf Daragh Geraghty.

The three-quarter line boasts plenty of pace and footballing ability and includes Gareth Hayes, a genuine, hard-running wing with plenty of promise: a rare commodity in Irish rugby these days.

Trinity will look to 19-year-old number eight Jamie Heaslip, another with tremendous ability. They will field Frenchman Pierre Lazies at outhalf and Canadian prop Forest Gainer.

Given the talent on display several players will have aspirations of emulating a distinguished list from both universities who have played in the Colours match and gone on to become full internationals, including Donal Spring, Brendan Mullin, Hugo MacNeill, Fergus Dunlea, Dick Spring, John Robbie, Mike Gibson (all Trinity) and Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickie, Ciaran Scally, Gabriel Fulcher, Tom Grace, Fergus Slattery, Kevin Mays, Jimmy Kelly, Ray McLoughlin and Johnny Cantrell who wore the light blue of UCD.

It promises to be an entertaining contest.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY: T Horner (Campbell); F Keane (Clongowes), J Quigley (Blackrock), B Hastings (Wesley), S McGee (Clongowes); P Lazies (Universite Paul Sabatier), C McShane (Blackrock); N Conlon (RBAI), M Crockett (Brynteg, Wales), F Gainer (CCSB, Victoria, Canada); M Garvey (Belvedere, capt), M Warburton (Wesley); H Hogan (High School), J Heaslip (Newbridge), R White (Wellington College, Britain). Replacements: D Rowe (Wesley), J Musgrave (Wesley), C Queenan (St Mary's), E Molloy (Ard Scoil Rís), D Sisam (Scot's College, Wellington, New Zealand), G Byron (St Michael's), R Kerr (Blackrock).

UCD: P Bredin (Newpark); G Hayes (Clongowes), K Kennedy (St Michael's), P Hickey-Dwyer (Rockwell), D McKenna (CBC Monkstown); N McNamara (Ard Scoil Rís), D Geraghty (Blackrock); J A Lee (Terenure), David Blaney (Terenure), I Lynam (Glenstal); C Davis (Blackrock), S Crawford (Castleknock); T Carter (Terenure), Dermot Blaney (Terenure, capt), K Croke (CPC Kilcullen). Replacements: C Geoghegan (St Michael's), J Moran (Clongowes), P Callanan (Clongowes), L Burke (St Mary's), J Moroney (King's Hospital), M Hastings (Wesley), S McCarron (Gonzaga).

Referee: D Woods (Leinster).