ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 1A
UCD v BALLYNAHINCH
UCD sit in fourth place and present a stern challenge to the County Down side. The Leinster students have several members of the Leinster squad in their ranks and will look to play a high tempo game with width in an attempt to stretch the 'Hinch defence and create the openings for their talented back division. 'Hinch, too, have talent in abundance and the return of injured second rows James Simpson, Michael Graham, Robert Greer and John ...
ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 1A UCD v BALLYNAHINCH UCD sit in fourth place and present a stern challenge to the County Down side. The Leinster students have several members of the Leinster squad in their ranks and will look to play a high tempo game with width in an attempt to stretch the 'Hinch defence and create the openings for their talented back division. 'Hinch, too, have talent in abundance and the return of injured second rows James Simpson, Michael Graham, Robert Greer and John Donnan in the New Year will be a major boost. The students will be favourites to win this game at Belfield, but the men in green are capable of opening the New Year with an away win.
ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 1B CORINTHIANS v MALONE Malone coaches Jacque Benade and Gareth Fry will have been pleased by the Ulster Senior League performances in their three wins over Dungannon, Belfast Harlequins and Ards after enduring a run of six defeats in the UBL before the Christmas break. The Cregagh Red Sox have had to rebuild this season with new forwards Michael Ferguson, Philip Eadie, Lee McClure and Richard Millar becoming regulars in the 1st XV. In the backs Rob Haldane, Nathan Brown, Adam Liddell, Michael Rainey, Peter Henderson and Rudi Benade have had a tough introduction to the rigours of All Ireland rugby. With only one win from their opening day defeat of Dungannon, the side have suffered several narrow defeats with the losses to Dublin Uni and Shannon particularly difficult. The East Belfast side face promotion chasing opponents this Saturday with a win enough to move Corinthians into second place. The Galway side have several players from the Connacht squad in their team and will have been disappointed to lose the Senior Cup Final against Galwegians last Saturday. They have already defeated Ulster sides Dungannon and Belfast Harlequins on the road in the Ulster Bank League. Their win at 'Quins was particularly impressive with none of the Connacht squad players available for the game.
DUNGANNON v BELFAST HARLEQUINS Sadly the fixtures in this league involving the Ulster sides are all potential relegation deciders. The Stevenson Park outfit are on a run of five defeats in the Ulster Bank League and Ulster Senior League, with their second UBL win recorded at Blackrock on 9th November. Paddy Johns will hope to have captain James Bates, President Paul Magee and second rows Michael Dunleavy and Mark Jenkinson available for this game along with their Ulster squad contingent of Chris Cochrane, Chris Farrell, Stuart McCloskey, Peter Nelson, Sean Doyle, Paul Jackson and Adam Macklin. Belfast Harlequins have won three games in the UBL and will look to consolidate their mid table position. During the Senior League window they recorded wins over City of Derry and Banbridge, while also losing narrowly to Malone. Coach Adam Larkin will be hoping that Ulster players Niall Annett, Michael Heaney and Neil McComb will be released. With Ravens players Frank Taggart, Mark McGrath and Daniel Dass included in the 'Quins team along with the talented Mark Best, the Deramore Park side would have to be the favourites to pick up the points from this contest. This fixture is sure to attract a large crowd to the County Tyrone venue.
ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 2A BANBRIDGE v GALWEGIANS For both sides there is much at stake in this rearranged game at Rifle Park; postponed on 30th November. A win for Galwegians will move them to the top of the league as they enter this game on the back of an impressive Connacht Senior Cup win over fellow Galway side Corinthians last Saturday. Since the postponed game the County Down side had recorded impressive Ulster Bank League wins over fellow Ulster sides Ballymena and Rainey. They had mixed fortunes in their Ulster Senior League fixtures defeating Queen's University and losing away to City of Derry and Belfast Harlequins. Coach Dan Soper has confidence in his players with number 8 Jonny Graham leading from the front. Young scrumhalf Lee Steenson and fellow backs Adam Doherty, James Andrews, Hugo Harbinson and Myles O'Hagan have shown their is more to the Bann side than their strong forward unit. Galwegians have several talented members of the Connacht squad included in their side that includes Rory Parata, Sean O'Brien, Darragh Leader, Caolin Blade, Brian Murphy and Dave Nolan. They have scored 167 points and conceded 67 in their opening six matches. Their only defeat was to Ballymena on the opening day of the Ulster Bank League, losing 37-14.
ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 1A UCD v BALLYNAHINCH UCD sit in fourth place and present a stern challenge to the County Down side. The Leinster students have several members of the Leinster squad in their ranks and will look to play a high tempo game with width in an attempt to stretch the 'Hinch defence and create the openings for their talented back division. 'Hinch, too, have talent in abundance and the return of injured second rows James Simpson, Michael Graham, Robert Greer and John Donnan in the New Year will be a major boost. The students will be favourites to win this game at Belfield, but the men in green are capable of opening the New Year with an away win.
ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 1B CORINTHIANS v MALONE Malone coaches Jacque Benade and Gareth Fry will have been pleased by the Ulster Senior League performances in their three wins over Dungannon, Belfast Harlequins and Ards after enduring a run of six defeats in the UBL before the Christmas break. The Cregagh Red Sox have had to rebuild this season with new forwards Michael Ferguson, Philip Eadie, Lee McClure and Richard Millar becoming regulars in the 1st XV. In the backs Rob Haldane, Nathan Brown, Adam Liddell, Michael Rainey, Peter Henderson and Rudi Benade have had a tough introduction to the rigours of All Ireland rugby. With only one win from their opening day defeat of Dungannon, the side have suffered several narrow defeats with the losses to Dublin Uni and Shannon particularly difficult. The East Belfast side face promotion chasing opponents this Saturday with a win enough to move Corinthians into second place. The Galway side have several players from the Connacht squad in their team and will have been disappointed to lose the Senior Cup Final against Galwegians last Saturday. They have already defeated Ulster sides Dungannon and Belfast Harlequins on the road in the Ulster Bank League. Their win at 'Quins was particularly impressive with none of the Connacht squad players available for the game.
DUNGANNON v BELFAST HARLEQUINS Sadly the fixtures in this league involving the Ulster sides are all potential relegation deciders. The Stevenson Park outfit are on a run of five defeats in the Ulster Bank League and Ulster Senior League, with their second UBL win recorded at Blackrock on 9th November. Paddy Johns will hope to have captain James Bates, President Paul Magee and second rows Michael Dunleavy and Mark Jenkinson available for this game along with their Ulster squad contingent of Chris Cochrane, Chris Farrell, Stuart McCloskey, Peter Nelson, Sean Doyle, Paul Jackson and Adam Macklin. Belfast Harlequins have won three games in the UBL and will look to consolidate their mid table position. During the Senior League window they recorded wins over City of Derry and Banbridge, while also losing narrowly to Malone. Coach Adam Larkin will be hoping that Ulster players Niall Annett, Michael Heaney and Neil McComb will be released. With Ravens players Frank Taggart, Mark McGrath and Daniel Dass included in the 'Quins team along with the talented Mark Best, the Deramore Park side would have to be the favourites to pick up the points from this contest. This fixture is sure to attract a large crowd to the County Tyrone venue.
ULSTER BANK LEAGUE DIVISION 2A BANBRIDGE v GALWEGIANS For both sides there is much at stake in this rearranged game at Rifle Park; postponed on 30th November. A win for Galwegians will move them to the top of the league as they enter this game on the back of an impressive Connacht Senior Cup win over fellow Galway side Corinthians last Saturday. Since the postponed game the County Down side had recorded impressive Ulster Bank League wins over fellow Ulster sides Ballymena and Rainey. They had mixed fortunes in their Ulster Senior League fixtures defeating Queen's University and losing away to City of Derry and Belfast Harlequins. Coach Dan Soper has confidence in his players with number 8 Jonny Graham leading from the front. Young scrumhalf Lee Steenson and fellow backs Adam Doherty, James Andrews, Hugo Harbinson and Myles O'Hagan have shown their is more to the Bann side than their strong forward unit. Galwegians have several talented members of the Connacht squad included in their side that includes Rory Parata, Sean O'Brien, Darragh Leader, Caolin Blade, Brian Murphy and Dave Nolan. They have scored 167 points and conceded 67 in their opening six matches. Their only defeat was to Ballymena on the opening day of the Ulster Bank League, losing 37-14.