Hot fancies LIT set to give UCD lesson
LIT start favourites following their splendid victory over holders WIT and, with a full squad for today’s visit of UCD, are likely to be the first team to book their place for the finals in Carlow on March 9. The game has a 1pm throw-in to allow the Dubliners the chance to get out of the city ahead of the traffic, while the other games commence at 2pm.
Seorse Bulfin’s side face another massive test in UCD, who field a team sprinkled with inter-county players.
“If we are to win this year’s title we’ll have to do it the hard way”, said Seorse. “WIT was a big game and this one is every bit as big. Home advantage should be worth something to us, but it’s a 50/50 game and it could go either way.”
UCD lost last year’s final to WIT and most of that team has left college. It may take a couple of years to rebuild a title-winning side, but they will be hoping Brendan Murphy (Offaly), Brian Barry (Kilkenny), David Fitzgerald, Paul Ormonde (Tipperary), and David Hayes (Galway) can deliver the goods against a the home side backboned by Joe Canning, Iarla Tannian (Galway), Jackie Tyrell (Kilkenny) and Kieran Murphy (Cork).
Verdict: An LIT win.
UL v Cork IT: UL Grounds, 2pm.
Should LIT win, Limerick University will be keen to ensure there are two teams from Shannonside in the last four when they play Cork IT at home.
Because this is the first outing for both sides, it’s difficult to access the merits of either team. But home advantage is likely to give UL an edge. The fact that they recently won the league strengthens their challenge that bit further.
Many of the CIT team have worn the Cork jersey at minor and U-21 level. Anthony Nash will be in goal, with Eoin Dillon, Maurice O’Sullivan, Leigh Desmond and Ballyhale-Shamrocks’ Michael Fennelly, along with Tipperary U21 players Niall Teehan and Sean Horan all on the starting 15.
UL took this year’s league very serious and didn’t lose a game, defeating NUIG in the final. Brendan Bugler (Clare), Tadhg Flynn (Kerry), Tomas Stapleton (Tipperary) and the Offaly duo, Sean Ryan and Alan Egan, will spearhead their challenge. But they will have to be at their very best to see off the Cork lads.
Verdict: A UL win.
NUI Galway v UCC: Dangean, 2pm.
UCC go into the game with the advantage of having played and won a first round tie. They had to pull out all the stops to survive a tremendous fight back by Garda College by the narrowest of margins in very difficult conditions.
They had their defence to thank for the win and there’s every chance they will have to do a similar job to see off the challenge of the home side .
Team captain Kevin Hartnett, Shane O’Neill, his club and county colleague Pa Cronin, Eoghan Murphy (Cork), Niall Moran (Limerick), Canice Hickey and John Tennyson (Kilkenny) and John Halbert (Cork) all start for the Cork students.
NUIG are without a competitive game since losing the league final to UL last December and it could come against them. Darragh Egan (Tipperary) captains the side which includes John O’Brien (Cork), Stephen Molumphy (Waterford), John Lee, Roderick Whyte (Galway) and Colin Ryan (Clare).
Verdict: A UCC win.
Thursday: St Pat’s v DIT; St. Pat’s Ground, 2pm.
St Pat’s are competing at this level for only the second year. A good win over GMIT in round one has raised hopes of an extended run and, with over half of their team coming from Kilkenny, they have every reason to feel confident they can make it to Carlow.
Richie Power, “Cha” Fitzpatrick, Richie Hogan and Eddie O’Donoghue are among their best and, while DIT are a well balanced team, it’s hard to see them stopping the trainee teachers.
Verdict: A St Pat’s win.
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