Preview this weekend's club rugby action...
ULSTER BANK ALL IRELAND LEAGUE
Division 2B
Dungannon v Rainey OB
This will be the third meeting between these two teams this season. When both teams met in the UCL at Hatrick Park in August, Dungannon were 21 - 0 winners. In their first AIL meeting at Hatrick Park in October Rainey won 22 - 13. Both teams have had mixed fortunes in recent weeks with Dungannon winning three of their last four AIL games to move eight points ahead of Rainey who have lost their last three AIL games to slip down into 9th place. The Magherafelt club need league points from their remaining three games to overtake 8th place Bective and avoid the playoffs.
Dungannon continued their impressive run with four tries in their 31 - 19 win over Belfast Harlequins in the UCL last Thursday.
Dungannon Head Coach Andy Hughes agrees this is a big week for the four teams at the bottom of Division 2B. Even though his team has a bit of a cushion, they are certainly not taking anything for granted this weekend. His team’s results over the last six weeks have shown how little there is between the sides in this league. His attitude is that his players have to approach every game as if it is a Cup final.
He is expecting a physical game with Rainey as they fight for their survival. His players will have to make sure they front up. He is hoping his players have learnt their lesson from their AIL defeat at Rainey. He was disappointed with the team who let slip a positive start to the game by switching off. The team lost its shape and were punished by Rainey who went on to win. For this weekend the coach makes one change to his squad from the win over Belfast Harlequins with Stephen Todd replacing Sean O'Hagan.
Visting Head Coach John Andrews was disappointed that his side did not pick up any league points in their 33 - 19 defeat away to Highfield in Cork last weekend. He is expecting his team to be 6 or 7 points behind 8th place Bective come Saturday. The players are very much aware of the importance of getting a result at Dungannon this weekend. For this weekend, he welcomes back Stephen Rutledge, Kieran Donaghy, Timothy Barker, Darren Corrigan and Nicholas Stirling. The coach was pleased with the performance of his players in Cork and is hoping they can carry that confidence into their match with Dungannon. It is now all about league points for Rainey in the coming weeks.
FIXTURES
Dungannon (7th) v Rainey OB (9th)
SONI ULSTER CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE
Section One
Ballynahinch 14, Armagh 0
KUKRI QUALIFYING LEAGUE
Qualifying One
Ards v Dromore
There was disappointment amongst the Ards players on Tuesday night that they let slip a 13 - 8 lead at home to Clogher Valley to end up losing 19 - 13. Mark Banford picked up an injury that will rule him out this weekend with both Jonny Wylie and Gavin Anderson unavailable due to work commitments. Head Coach David Irwin welcomes back Stewart Paul, David Armstrong, Colin McClure, Taylor Nutt, Ben Orr and Gareth McBurney for the match with Dromore on Saturday.
Dromore Head Coach Jonny Cullen and his players have faced a frustrating season, coming up just short in closing out league games this season. He agrees this is an area his players have to work on. The coach is already focusing on next season and he will be looking for his players to put in a convincing performance at Ards. Injury rules out both Adam McGregor and Robert Greer with prop Andrew Black returning to the front row.
When these two teams met at Barben Hill in December, Dromore were narrow 12 - 6 winners.
Clogher Valley v Bangor
There was relief all round on Tuesday that Clogher Valley were able to turn around a 13 - 8 deficit at Ards to win 19 - 13 at Hamilton Park. After picking up several injuries in their Towns Cup defeat at home to Enniskillen last Saturday, the Clogher Valley coaches had to make eight changes last night with front line players Phil Moore, Kyle Cobain, Clive Donaldson, David Speers, Ryan and BJ Wilson, Keith Todd and Nathan Orr all unavailable. It was an opportunity for several of the second XV players Alex McKeown, Jonathan Porter, Jonny Foster, Mark Ellis and Andrew Brady to move up. Clogher Valley were always in control against Ards but struggled to turn possession into points. For this weekend against Bangor Phil Moore, Nathan Orr, Keith Todd and David Speers return to the team with injuries and unavailability ruling out the Wilson brothers, PC Falconer, Philip Holme, Allister Trenier, Clive Donaldson and hooker Kyle Cobain. Clogher Valley have now been hit with serious injuries that will potentially rule out the Wilson brothers, Kyle Cobain, PC Falconer and Allister Trenier for the remainder of the season.
Bangor will be playing their third match in eight days after defeating Omagh in the Towns Cup 25 - 12 last Saturday and Cooke 40 - 17 in a rearranged league game at Upritchard Park. The North Down side led Instonians by one point with two games remaining. Bangor play Clogher Valley (A) this weekend and Ballyclare (H) on Saturday 26th March. At this time, both Bangor and Ballyclare are involved in discussions to bring this game forward to Thursday 24th March as Bangor are due to play Enniskillen in the Towns Cup Final on Monday the 28th March. The winners of Qualifying One are due to play their first round-robin AIL playoff game against the Connacht league winners on Saturday 2nd April.
Talking to Bangor 1st XV Manager, Ricky Armstrong they will confirm their team for Saturday after their seconds play Ballynahinch thirds tomorrow night. Players Davy Charles, James McMullan and Rob Gamble are all expected to feature for the seconds after a lay off through injury. Prop Paddy Dornan is unavailable this weekend with hooker Andrew Jackson expected to return after a lengthy lay off. Michael Ferguson is expected to return to the front row after being rested last night alongside Phil Whyte with James Leary another front row option. Craig Burton and Darren Kelly will continue in the second row with Curtis Stewart joining captain Jamie Clegg and David Bradford in the back row. Curtis Stewart made a welcome return against Cooke last night scoring two tries. Jason Guthrie will continue at 9 with the impressive Gareth Millar continuing at outhalf. The rest of the backline will be made up from Jason Morgan, Desi Fusco, Mike Apsley, Mike Weir, Ross McCloskey and Mark Widdowson with consideration being given to adding Davy Charles and Rob Gamble to the backline options.
When these two sides met in the league at Bangor in December the seasiders were comfortable 34 - 7 winners. Bangor have already won at the Cran this season defeating the Fivemiletown side in the semi finals of the Junior Cup 13 - 3 in November.
Cooke v Instonians
This local derby at Shaw’s Bridge will once again bring out a large crowd on Saturday. When these two sides met in their first league encounter in January, league champions Instonians were 22 - 3 winners. Cooke have had a busy four days defeating McCrea Cup holders Queen’s seconds last weekend 32 - 8 before succumbing 40 -17 to Bangor at Upritchard Park in a thrilling nine try encounter. They now face their third match in eight days.
Cooke Head Coach Colin Atkinson was disappointed with his team’s performance at Bangor. He also felt some of the calls went against his players, and that allowed Bangor to build a commanding 26 - 0 lead at halftime. He was pleased with the response of the players in the second half with Andrew Hanna, Toby Mannus and Sam Bridge scoring tries. He was frustrated that his team didn't bring their ‘A game’ last night but acknowledged the better team won. Two games in four days have really taken it out of his small playing squad. A number of players are carrying knocks and no decisions on selection will be made until later in the week. The coach is concerned his players go into a game on Saturday on an uneven playing field. Instonians have had the benefit of having a week off and resting up for this derby game. His squad have shown great resilience and character in recent weeks. This weekend they will have to dig deep to compete with an Instonians side chasing back to back league titles.
Instonians Head Coach William Leacock and his assistant Mark McDowell were down at Bangor last night to watch Bangor return to the top of Q 1. They acknowledge Bangor are very much the favourites to win the league title. He is adamant his players will be looking for maximum points from their two remaining games against Cooke and Portadown to keep the pressure on Bangor.
Omagh v CIYMS
Head Coach Philip Marshall will have to to make a number of changes to his team with several players unavailable due to a stag weekend. With his seconds having a league game against City of Derry during the week, he will be hoping these players come through with no injuries as they will be needed for 1st XV action on Saturday against CIYMS. He is hopeful he can put out a competitive team to compete against the East Belfast side with the coach looking a good finish to their season. Injuries and unavailability are limiting what the coach and his players are trying to achieve.
CIYMS remain without a win after 16 league matches with two games remaining. For Head Coach Gareth Fry it has been a season that promised much but will ultimately end with his team’s relegation to Q 2.
When these two sides met at Belmont on Boxing Day, Omagh were 17 - 10 winners.
Portadown v Ballyclare
It has been a difficult time for Head Coach Richard Hedley with his team losing their last three league games. The narrow defeat at Clogher Valley in the Towns Cup quarter finals was very disappointing for the team and has impacted on their performances in recent weeks. The coach is aware his team can still finish in the top four and qualify for the AIL Junior Cup. Opponents Ballyclare also have ambitions to qualify for the AIL Junior Cup. A win for Ballyclare would guarantee them a top four finish. Defeats for Cooke and Portadown this weekend will ensure Ballyclare qualify for the AIL Junior Cup. A lot is at stake for both sides in this match at Chambers Park.
Hedley knows his team need to win to finish in the top four. Injury, fitness tests and the unavailability of players will mean the coach could not finalise his starting team until Thursday night. He was pleased by the performance of his team in their 31 - 15 defeat at home to league champions Instonians last weekend. For long periods of the game his team played well. The difference between the two teams was that Instonians were good at punishing mistakes and taking their opportunities. Something his team could learn from.
Ballyclare Head Coach Mike McKeever is simply looking for his players to go out and perform this weekend, play rugby and enjoy the match at Portadown. With Ballyclare due to play Bangor on Saturday 26th March, it is refreshing to hear a coach talk about the respect the Qualifying league clubs have for the teams competing in the Easter Monday Towns Cup Final and how the teams involved should be given the best opportunity to play as well as they can in the finals.
Discussions are now ongoing between Ballyclare and Bangor to bring forward their league meeting at Upritchard Park on 26th March to possibly Thursday 24th March to allow Bangor to have a four-day break before they play Enniskillen in the Towns Cup Final on Easter Monday (28th March). Well done to Ballyclare.
When these two teams met in the corresponding fixture at Ballyclare in September Portadown were 25 - 18 winners.
FIXTURES
Ards (9th) v Dromore (8th)
Clogher Valley (3rd) v Bangor (2nd)
Cooke (5th) v Instonians (1st)
Omagh (7th) v CIYMS (10th)
Portadown (6th) v Ballyclare (4th)
FIXTURES
Bangor 40 v Cooke 17
Ards 13, Clogher Valley 19
KUKRI QUALIYING TWO
Academy v Randalstown
When these two sides met at Nelisbrook Park in December, Academy were 9 -6 winners. For Head Coach Gareth Lynn he has witnessed his team’s five match unbeaten run end with consecutive losses against Grosvenor and Malone seconds. The defeat against Malone seconds was disappointing after his team conceded a 17 - 7 lead to lose 21 - 17 in the semi final of the McCrea Cup last weekend.
Randalstown Head Coach Gary Longwell has not finalised his team selection for this weekend with a number of players undergoing fitness tests. He agrees Academy are a very strong side and have had the better of his team in recent seasons.
Carrickfergus v Enniskillen
Head Coach Neil Hanna and his players face their biggest game in the club’s recent history given the context of the game and Enniskillen's result over Clogher Valley at the weekend. Going by recent results the coach would say Enniskillen are the ‘form team’ in Q 2 with the coach and his players expecting a very tough fixture on Saturday.
If you had offered Carrick their position at the top of the league at the start of the year, the squad would have very happily accepted it. All you want as a team is to be in contention come the business end of the season, explains Hanna. Obviously it would be nice to play your last three matches against teams at the bottom of the league, as opposed to the teams that are 2nd and 3rd in the league but we would have had to play them at some stage of the season.
His players are really up for the challenge this weekend and are looking forward to an exciting finale, to what has been a tough but enjoyable season.
On selection, the coach will be missing both Conor Cambridge and Brian Alexander who are both unavailable this week. However, he welcomes back Ryan Baillie to partner Reece Hamilton in the centre with Aaron McKinney restored to his preferred position at full back.
Enniskillen Head Coach/President Norman Richmond was delighted for his players after their win in the Towns Cup semi final over Clogher Valley last Saturday, with an Easter Monday final against Junior Cup holders Bangor to look forward to. They had beaten some formidable opposition on the road to the final. Norman described it as both fantastic for the club and its supporters and shows that rugby is still strong west of the Bann with the clubs 2nd XV securing a place in the Foster Cup Final after defeating a strong Dromore team where they will meet Malone 4th XV.
The players are now focused on the league this weekend as they look to close the gap on the top two teams Carrickfergus and Coleraine. The team have two games in hand and every point will be crucial in maintaining their promotion challenge. The coach was pleased the squad picked up no injuries against Clogher Valley and will travel to Carrickfergus with a full squad less Matty Maguire who has work commitments this weekend. James Ferguson comes in to replace Matty Maguire with the unavailable Ashley Finlay taking his place at full back. The pack will remain unchanged from last Saturday with the coach expecting another big performance against a strong Carrick pack. It is going to be a tight game with the players facing five league games and a Cup Final in the coming weeks. The remaining league games include Academy (H) on 2nd April, Randalstown (A) on 9th April, Coleraine (H) on 16th April with no date arranged for the return game with Carrickfergus at (H).
Donaghadee v Coleraine
Dee Head Coach John West has been hospitalised this week and we wish him a speedy recovery. In his absence, John Blewitt and Paddy McGratton will have responsibility for preparing the team for this weekend’s crucial game with promotion chasing Coleraine. The Donaldson Park side need league points with five points separating the bottom four teams in Q 2. The team have lost their last three matches conceding on average 40 points per game. Their last win came at Ballymoney on 9th January when they won 18 - 15.
Coleraine are three points behind league leaders, Carrickfergus with three games remaining against Donaghadee (A) Carrickfergus (H) on 2nd April, Enniskillen (A) on 16th April. Head Coach Richard Boyd has a full squad available and will be looking maximum points from their trip to the North Down coast this weekend to keep the pressure on Carrickfergus and Enniskillen.
When these two teams met at Rugby Avenue in December, Coleraine ran out comfortable 43 - 8 winners.
Grosvenor v Larne
The Belmont side remain bottom of Q 2 with four games left to play at home. Their excellent 33 - 20 win over Academy two weeks ago has given the coaches and players the confidence to fight for their survival in Q 2. With five points separating the bottom four teams the goal for the Grosvenor players is to win all their remaining games.
Larne Head Coach Ryan Milligan is hoping his players can bounce back from their three league defeats to finish their season on a positive note. Injuries have impacted on team selection in recent games with the coach welcoming back several players this weekend. Selection was not finalised until Thursday night. Larne won the first meeting between these two teams in September at the Glynn 31 - 15.
Lisburn v Ballymoney
Three points separate these two teams in 8th and 9th place with three games remaining. Ballymoney boosted their survival hopes in Q 2 with a resounding 47 - 20 win at home to Larne two weeks ago. They will be targeting maximum points in this return fixture at Blaris this weekend. When the two teams met at Kilraughts Road in December Ballymoney ran out narrow 12 - 8 winners.
Lisburn have lost their last three league games with their final league games against Ballymoney, Donaghadee and Academy all at home. Head Coach Neil Hinds will require all his coaching skills to keep his young side in Q 2 this season. 1st XV Manager Michael Knowles describes their game with Ballymoney as massive this weekend. Some tight selection calls are expected to be made on Thursday night.
Captain Tom Fraser remains on the injured list with the team picking up no further injuries from their league defeat at Coleraine. A game the team was disappointed they didn't pick up any crucial league points. The 1st XV squad is in good form and are looking forward to Saturday. Lisburn are a young team with the players beginning to find their feet and confidence without getting the results they maybe deserve. Michael has no doubt this Lisburn team will give absolutely everything on Saturday and hopefully get the result they need.
Academy (6th) v Randalstown (4th)
Carrickfergus (1st) v Enniskillen (3rd)
Donaghadee (7th) v Coleraine (2nd)
Grosvenor (10th) v Larne (5th)
Lisburn (9th) v Ballymoney (8th)
GORDON WEST CUP SEMI FINALS
Limavady v Letterkenny
Lurgan v Holywood
SECOND XV LEAGUE
Malone v Belfast Harlequins
Queen’s v Ballynahinch
ULSTER BANK ALL IRELAND LEAGUE
Division 2B
Dungannon v Rainey OB
This will be the third meeting between these two teams this season. When both teams met in the UCL at Hatrick Park in August, Dungannon were 21 - 0 winners. In their first AIL meeting at Hatrick Park in October Rainey won 22 - 13. Both teams have had mixed fortunes in recent weeks with Dungannon winning three of their last four AIL games to move eight points ahead of Rainey who have lost their last three AIL games to slip down into 9th place. The Magherafelt club need league points from their remaining three games to overtake 8th place Bective and avoid the playoffs.
Dungannon continued their impressive run with four tries in their 31 - 19 win over Belfast Harlequins in the UCL last Thursday.
Dungannon Head Coach Andy Hughes agrees this is a big week for the four teams at the bottom of Division 2B. Even though his team has a bit of a cushion, they are certainly not taking anything for granted this weekend. His team’s results over the last six weeks have shown how little there is between the sides in this league. His attitude is that his players have to approach every game as if it is a Cup final.
He is expecting a physical game with Rainey as they fight for their survival. His players will have to make sure they front up. He is hoping his players have learnt their lesson from their AIL defeat at Rainey. He was disappointed with the team who let slip a positive start to the game by switching off. The team lost its shape and were punished by Rainey who went on to win. For this weekend the coach makes one change to his squad from the win over Belfast Harlequins with Stephen Todd replacing Sean O'Hagan.
Visting Head Coach John Andrews was disappointed that his side did not pick up any league points in their 33 - 19 defeat away to Highfield in Cork last weekend. He is expecting his team to be 6 or 7 points behind 8th place Bective come Saturday. The players are very much aware of the importance of getting a result at Dungannon this weekend. For this weekend, he welcomes back Stephen Rutledge, Kieran Donaghy, Timothy Barker, Darren Corrigan and Nicholas Stirling. The coach was pleased with the performance of his players in Cork and is hoping they can carry that confidence into their match with Dungannon. It is now all about league points for Rainey in the coming weeks.
FIXTURES
Dungannon (7th) v Rainey OB (9th)
SONI ULSTER CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE
Section One
Ballynahinch 14, Armagh 0
KUKRI QUALIFYING LEAGUE
Qualifying One
Ards v Dromore
There was disappointment amongst the Ards players on Tuesday night that they let slip a 13 - 8 lead at home to Clogher Valley to end up losing 19 - 13. Mark Banford picked up an injury that will rule him out this weekend with both Jonny Wylie and Gavin Anderson unavailable due to work commitments. Head Coach David Irwin welcomes back Stewart Paul, David Armstrong, Colin McClure, Taylor Nutt, Ben Orr and Gareth McBurney for the match with Dromore on Saturday.
Dromore Head Coach Jonny Cullen and his players have faced a frustrating season, coming up just short in closing out league games this season. He agrees this is an area his players have to work on. The coach is already focusing on next season and he will be looking for his players to put in a convincing performance at Ards. Injury rules out both Adam McGregor and Robert Greer with prop Andrew Black returning to the front row.
When these two teams met at Barben Hill in December, Dromore were narrow 12 - 6 winners.
Clogher Valley v Bangor
There was relief all round on Tuesday that Clogher Valley were able to turn around a 13 - 8 deficit at Ards to win 19 - 13 at Hamilton Park. After picking up several injuries in their Towns Cup defeat at home to Enniskillen last Saturday, the Clogher Valley coaches had to make eight changes last night with front line players Phil Moore, Kyle Cobain, Clive Donaldson, David Speers, Ryan and BJ Wilson, Keith Todd and Nathan Orr all unavailable. It was an opportunity for several of the second XV players Alex McKeown, Jonathan Porter, Jonny Foster, Mark Ellis and Andrew Brady to move up. Clogher Valley were always in control against Ards but struggled to turn possession into points. For this weekend against Bangor Phil Moore, Nathan Orr, Keith Todd and David Speers return to the team with injuries and unavailability ruling out the Wilson brothers, PC Falconer, Philip Holme, Allister Trenier, Clive Donaldson and hooker Kyle Cobain. Clogher Valley have now been hit with serious injuries that will potentially rule out the Wilson brothers, Kyle Cobain, PC Falconer and Allister Trenier for the remainder of the season.
Bangor will be playing their third match in eight days after defeating Omagh in the Towns Cup 25 - 12 last Saturday and Cooke 40 - 17 in a rearranged league game at Upritchard Park. The North Down side led Instonians by one point with two games remaining. Bangor play Clogher Valley (A) this weekend and Ballyclare (H) on Saturday 26th March. At this time, both Bangor and Ballyclare are involved in discussions to bring this game forward to Thursday 24th March as Bangor are due to play Enniskillen in the Towns Cup Final on Monday the 28th March. The winners of Qualifying One are due to play their first round-robin AIL playoff game against the Connacht league winners on Saturday 2nd April.
Talking to Bangor 1st XV Manager, Ricky Armstrong they will confirm their team for Saturday after their seconds play Ballynahinch thirds tomorrow night. Players Davy Charles, James McMullan and Rob Gamble are all expected to feature for the seconds after a lay off through injury. Prop Paddy Dornan is unavailable this weekend with hooker Andrew Jackson expected to return after a lengthy lay off. Michael Ferguson is expected to return to the front row after being rested last night alongside Phil Whyte with James Leary another front row option. Craig Burton and Darren Kelly will continue in the second row with Curtis Stewart joining captain Jamie Clegg and David Bradford in the back row. Curtis Stewart made a welcome return against Cooke last night scoring two tries. Jason Guthrie will continue at 9 with the impressive Gareth Millar continuing at outhalf. The rest of the backline will be made up from Jason Morgan, Desi Fusco, Mike Apsley, Mike Weir, Ross McCloskey and Mark Widdowson with consideration being given to adding Davy Charles and Rob Gamble to the backline options.
When these two sides met in the league at Bangor in December the seasiders were comfortable 34 - 7 winners. Bangor have already won at the Cran this season defeating the Fivemiletown side in the semi finals of the Junior Cup 13 - 3 in November.
Cooke v Instonians
This local derby at Shaw’s Bridge will once again bring out a large crowd on Saturday. When these two sides met in their first league encounter in January, league champions Instonians were 22 - 3 winners. Cooke have had a busy four days defeating McCrea Cup holders Queen’s seconds last weekend 32 - 8 before succumbing 40 -17 to Bangor at Upritchard Park in a thrilling nine try encounter. They now face their third match in eight days.
Cooke Head Coach Colin Atkinson was disappointed with his team’s performance at Bangor. He also felt some of the calls went against his players, and that allowed Bangor to build a commanding 26 - 0 lead at halftime. He was pleased with the response of the players in the second half with Andrew Hanna, Toby Mannus and Sam Bridge scoring tries. He was frustrated that his team didn't bring their ‘A game’ last night but acknowledged the better team won. Two games in four days have really taken it out of his small playing squad. A number of players are carrying knocks and no decisions on selection will be made until later in the week. The coach is concerned his players go into a game on Saturday on an uneven playing field. Instonians have had the benefit of having a week off and resting up for this derby game. His squad have shown great resilience and character in recent weeks. This weekend they will have to dig deep to compete with an Instonians side chasing back to back league titles.
Instonians Head Coach William Leacock and his assistant Mark McDowell were down at Bangor last night to watch Bangor return to the top of Q 1. They acknowledge Bangor are very much the favourites to win the league title. He is adamant his players will be looking for maximum points from their two remaining games against Cooke and Portadown to keep the pressure on Bangor.
Omagh v CIYMS
Head Coach Philip Marshall will have to to make a number of changes to his team with several players unavailable due to a stag weekend. With his seconds having a league game against City of Derry during the week, he will be hoping these players come through with no injuries as they will be needed for 1st XV action on Saturday against CIYMS. He is hopeful he can put out a competitive team to compete against the East Belfast side with the coach looking a good finish to their season. Injuries and unavailability are limiting what the coach and his players are trying to achieve.
CIYMS remain without a win after 16 league matches with two games remaining. For Head Coach Gareth Fry it has been a season that promised much but will ultimately end with his team’s relegation to Q 2.
When these two sides met at Belmont on Boxing Day, Omagh were 17 - 10 winners.
Portadown v Ballyclare
It has been a difficult time for Head Coach Richard Hedley with his team losing their last three league games. The narrow defeat at Clogher Valley in the Towns Cup quarter finals was very disappointing for the team and has impacted on their performances in recent weeks. The coach is aware his team can still finish in the top four and qualify for the AIL Junior Cup. Opponents Ballyclare also have ambitions to qualify for the AIL Junior Cup. A win for Ballyclare would guarantee them a top four finish. Defeats for Cooke and Portadown this weekend will ensure Ballyclare qualify for the AIL Junior Cup. A lot is at stake for both sides in this match at Chambers Park.
Hedley knows his team need to win to finish in the top four. Injury, fitness tests and the unavailability of players will mean the coach could not finalise his starting team until Thursday night. He was pleased by the performance of his team in their 31 - 15 defeat at home to league champions Instonians last weekend. For long periods of the game his team played well. The difference between the two teams was that Instonians were good at punishing mistakes and taking their opportunities. Something his team could learn from.
Ballyclare Head Coach Mike McKeever is simply looking for his players to go out and perform this weekend, play rugby and enjoy the match at Portadown. With Ballyclare due to play Bangor on Saturday 26th March, it is refreshing to hear a coach talk about the respect the Qualifying league clubs have for the teams competing in the Easter Monday Towns Cup Final and how the teams involved should be given the best opportunity to play as well as they can in the finals.
Discussions are now ongoing between Ballyclare and Bangor to bring forward their league meeting at Upritchard Park on 26th March to possibly Thursday 24th March to allow Bangor to have a four-day break before they play Enniskillen in the Towns Cup Final on Easter Monday (28th March). Well done to Ballyclare.
When these two teams met in the corresponding fixture at Ballyclare in September Portadown were 25 - 18 winners.
FIXTURES
Ards (9th) v Dromore (8th)
Clogher Valley (3rd) v Bangor (2nd)
Cooke (5th) v Instonians (1st)
Omagh (7th) v CIYMS (10th)
Portadown (6th) v Ballyclare (4th)
FIXTURES
Bangor 40 v Cooke 17
Ards 13, Clogher Valley 19
KUKRI QUALIYING TWO
Academy v Randalstown
When these two sides met at Nelisbrook Park in December, Academy were 9 -6 winners. For Head Coach Gareth Lynn he has witnessed his team’s five match unbeaten run end with consecutive losses against Grosvenor and Malone seconds. The defeat against Malone seconds was disappointing after his team conceded a 17 - 7 lead to lose 21 - 17 in the semi final of the McCrea Cup last weekend.
Randalstown Head Coach Gary Longwell has not finalised his team selection for this weekend with a number of players undergoing fitness tests. He agrees Academy are a very strong side and have had the better of his team in recent seasons.
Carrickfergus v Enniskillen
Head Coach Neil Hanna and his players face their biggest game in the club’s recent history given the context of the game and Enniskillen's result over Clogher Valley at the weekend. Going by recent results the coach would say Enniskillen are the ‘form team’ in Q 2 with the coach and his players expecting a very tough fixture on Saturday.
If you had offered Carrick their position at the top of the league at the start of the year, the squad would have very happily accepted it. All you want as a team is to be in contention come the business end of the season, explains Hanna. Obviously it would be nice to play your last three matches against teams at the bottom of the league, as opposed to the teams that are 2nd and 3rd in the league but we would have had to play them at some stage of the season.
His players are really up for the challenge this weekend and are looking forward to an exciting finale, to what has been a tough but enjoyable season.
On selection, the coach will be missing both Conor Cambridge and Brian Alexander who are both unavailable this week. However, he welcomes back Ryan Baillie to partner Reece Hamilton in the centre with Aaron McKinney restored to his preferred position at full back.
Enniskillen Head Coach/President Norman Richmond was delighted for his players after their win in the Towns Cup semi final over Clogher Valley last Saturday, with an Easter Monday final against Junior Cup holders Bangor to look forward to. They had beaten some formidable opposition on the road to the final. Norman described it as both fantastic for the club and its supporters and shows that rugby is still strong west of the Bann with the clubs 2nd XV securing a place in the Foster Cup Final after defeating a strong Dromore team where they will meet Malone 4th XV.
The players are now focused on the league this weekend as they look to close the gap on the top two teams Carrickfergus and Coleraine. The team have two games in hand and every point will be crucial in maintaining their promotion challenge. The coach was pleased the squad picked up no injuries against Clogher Valley and will travel to Carrickfergus with a full squad less Matty Maguire who has work commitments this weekend. James Ferguson comes in to replace Matty Maguire with the unavailable Ashley Finlay taking his place at full back. The pack will remain unchanged from last Saturday with the coach expecting another big performance against a strong Carrick pack. It is going to be a tight game with the players facing five league games and a Cup Final in the coming weeks. The remaining league games include Academy (H) on 2nd April, Randalstown (A) on 9th April, Coleraine (H) on 16th April with no date arranged for the return game with Carrickfergus at (H).
Donaghadee v Coleraine
Dee Head Coach John West has been hospitalised this week and we wish him a speedy recovery. In his absence, John Blewitt and Paddy McGratton will have responsibility for preparing the team for this weekend’s crucial game with promotion chasing Coleraine. The Donaldson Park side need league points with five points separating the bottom four teams in Q 2. The team have lost their last three matches conceding on average 40 points per game. Their last win came at Ballymoney on 9th January when they won 18 - 15.
Coleraine are three points behind league leaders, Carrickfergus with three games remaining against Donaghadee (A) Carrickfergus (H) on 2nd April, Enniskillen (A) on 16th April. Head Coach Richard Boyd has a full squad available and will be looking maximum points from their trip to the North Down coast this weekend to keep the pressure on Carrickfergus and Enniskillen.
When these two teams met at Rugby Avenue in December, Coleraine ran out comfortable 43 - 8 winners.
Grosvenor v Larne
The Belmont side remain bottom of Q 2 with four games left to play at home. Their excellent 33 - 20 win over Academy two weeks ago has given the coaches and players the confidence to fight for their survival in Q 2. With five points separating the bottom four teams the goal for the Grosvenor players is to win all their remaining games.
Larne Head Coach Ryan Milligan is hoping his players can bounce back from their three league defeats to finish their season on a positive note. Injuries have impacted on team selection in recent games with the coach welcoming back several players this weekend. Selection was not finalised until Thursday night. Larne won the first meeting between these two teams in September at the Glynn 31 - 15.
Lisburn v Ballymoney
Three points separate these two teams in 8th and 9th place with three games remaining. Ballymoney boosted their survival hopes in Q 2 with a resounding 47 - 20 win at home to Larne two weeks ago. They will be targeting maximum points in this return fixture at Blaris this weekend. When the two teams met at Kilraughts Road in December Ballymoney ran out narrow 12 - 8 winners.
Lisburn have lost their last three league games with their final league games against Ballymoney, Donaghadee and Academy all at home. Head Coach Neil Hinds will require all his coaching skills to keep his young side in Q 2 this season. 1st XV Manager Michael Knowles describes their game with Ballymoney as massive this weekend. Some tight selection calls are expected to be made on Thursday night.
Captain Tom Fraser remains on the injured list with the team picking up no further injuries from their league defeat at Coleraine. A game the team was disappointed they didn't pick up any crucial league points. The 1st XV squad is in good form and are looking forward to Saturday. Lisburn are a young team with the players beginning to find their feet and confidence without getting the results they maybe deserve. Michael has no doubt this Lisburn team will give absolutely everything on Saturday and hopefully get the result they need.
Academy (6th) v Randalstown (4th)
Carrickfergus (1st) v Enniskillen (3rd)
Donaghadee (7th) v Coleraine (2nd)
Grosvenor (10th) v Larne (5th)
Lisburn (9th) v Ballymoney (8th)
GORDON WEST CUP SEMI FINALS
Limavady v Letterkenny
Lurgan v Holywood
SECOND XV LEAGUE
Malone v Belfast Harlequins
Queen’s v Ballynahinch