IRELAND captain and scrum-half Niall Hogan, who will be continuing his medical studies at Oxford University next season, faces an extremely busy weekend. On Saturday, he will lead Ireland against the Barbarians, and on Sunday plays for Terenure College against Lansdowne in the final of the Leinster Senior Cup.
"There is no way I want to miss playing in the cup final, and I have told Terenure that I am available to play on Sunday - barring injury of course, and I hope that does not arise," said Hogan.
He hopes that if he plays with Oxford next season, he will be released for Leinster's matches in the interprovincials and European Cup. "Obviously I would like to play in the Varsity Match, but I also want to be available for Leinster. I hope that things work out."
Both Terenure and Lansdowne hope to announce their teams today. Terenure will have second row Colin Potts available. He missed the semi-final because of influenza. Lansdowne may have full back Ray Hennessy and second row Shane Leahy available. Both have been injured and have not played in the cup. Those lay-offs could mean that Lansdowne will stand by the side that won their semi-final.
This will be the fourth meeting between Lansdowne and Terenure in a Leinster Cup final. Lansdowne won all three, in 1979, 1989 and 1991. Lansdowne's captain on Saturday (in the absence of Brian Glennon) is international scrum-half Fergus Aherne, who scored all 13 points in Lansdowne's four-point win in 1991.
Terenure, who won the cup two years ago under Hogan's leadership, may feel that a more significant element than the three cup final defeats they have suffered against Lansdowne is that they beat Lansdowne this season in the Leinster League final.
AIL champions Shannon, who meet Cork Constitution in the final of the Munster Senior Cup at Musgrave Park on Sunday, will announce their side today. Shannon hope to have all those involved in the semi-final win over Young Munster last Sunday available Second row Brian Rigney, who damaged neck muscles in the semi-final, was due to train last night and hopes to be fit.
Shannon will not in any case consider Eddie Halvey who moved to Saracens some months ago, even though he is eligible. Halvey will play for Ireland on Saturday, having missed the International Championship because of injury.
Another man who is playing for Ireland on Saturday is second row Gabriel Fulcher. He moved to London Irish in March from Cork Constitution and, like Halvey, is eligible for the final. But it is extremely unlikely that Constitution will call on Fulcher's services.
Constitution outside-half Paul Burke is an Ireland reserve on Saturday, but, like Niall Hogan, he will play for his club in the cup final. Constitution hope wing Denis O'Dowd, who missed the semi-final, will be available, and that flanker Jerry Murray will have recovered from the head injury he sustained in the semi-final.
Shannon will have vivid memories of their last Munster Senior Cup final against Constitution. That was in 1989 at Musgrave Park. Shannon were going for four in a row and led 12-10 with the match in injury time. Then, in a dramatic finish, Kenny Murphy kicked a penalty for Constitution to win the cup.
That was the last time Constitution won the trophy and indeed the last occasion they appeared in the final. Only three survive from that team: Niall Murray, Alan Byrne and Len Dinneen. Shannon have captain Pat Murray, Niall O'Shea, who came on as a replacement last Sunday for his brother Billy, Mick Galwey, Mick Fitzgibbon and Kieran Maher.
Shannon also lost the 1983 and 1985 finals to Constitution at Musgrave Park. But Shannon won the cup at Musgrave Park in 1987 when they defeated Highfield in the final. And Maher, Niall O'Shea, and Galwey were all members of that side.
And there is another interesting connection. A member of that High field team was Brian Rigney, who on Sunday hopes to collect his first Munster Cup medal in the Shannon colours. Galwey and Niall O'Shea have won five cup medals, Maher and Fitzgibbon four each.
Pat Murray, the man who leads Shannon on Sunday, has a superb record. He captained the teams that won the cup in 1991 and 1992. He has led Shannon to the AIL Championship for the past two seasons and captained Munster to the interprovincial Grand Slam last season.
