Gannon expects a grueller against Con

ST MARY’S captain Gareth Gannon believes Saturday’s trip to Temple Hill involves a swift leap from the frying pan to the fire.

Having started their AIL campaign against last year’s champions Shannon last Saturday, facing finalists Cork Con this weekend represents the toughest possible opening to an AIL campaign.

“It would have been nicer have a couple of easier matches to start off. But on the other hand we have one of them out of the way now and we won. Maybe it’s better to take them on

earlier in the campaign.”

Gannon is convinced his side will have their work cut out, however.

“Last week the result could have gone either way right up to the end. Apart from the result, the best thing about last week was the way our young players coped with the pressure and hopefully they will have learned from the experience.”

Con have been boosted by the availability of Mick O’Driscoll and John Fogarty, both released by Munster to play. he bad news for St Mary’s is that Shane Jennings has little chance of making the game and South African import Jacques George, after just 40 minutes action for the club, is ruled out for two months with a leg injury.

Constitution coach Christy Cantillon, well pleased with the 14-8 win over Galwegians last Saturday, finalises his team today but will almost certainly have to figure without the presence of Frankie Sheahan.

The hooker is on stand-by for a call up to the Irish squad because captain Keith Wood is still troubled by a neck injury.

Division one newcomers UL Bohemians will name their team today but it won’t include second row Matt Porter. He was sent off in last week’s narrow defeat by Belfast Harlequins (double yellow card offence) and has been excluded on the basis that he will be suspended when the Disciplinary Committee meet next week.

Brian Dineen will probably be joined in the second row by Declan O’Connell. There will be no panic in the ranks despite that 6-8 home defeat and the fact they have to travel to meet 2000 AIB champions Dungannon, who are still smarting from a big defeat away to Blackrock last week. Dolphin, after some trauma in the past, did not hesitate to give a vote of confidence to the team that defeated DLSP for the visit to Barnhall.

The Cork side have a habit of coming out on the wrong side of close run affairs but they began their Division Two campaign impressively with a

resounding 32-3 win.

Naas, the most impressive starters in Division Three, make the trip to play Queens and will do so in confident mood after beating Skerries 33-9 last weekend. They have made no changes from the opening day.

Meanwhile, Australia’s rugby squad has been hit by a bout of food poisoning in Argentina where they take on the Pumas at the start of their four-test tour of South America and Europe on Saturday.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones revealed that a dozen players had been unwell after a meal at the team hotel in Buenos Aires on Monday. It seems to be some sort of food poisoning, it’s probably just the different sort of food,” he said.