Garryowen out for revenge in clash of the Limerick titans

THE war is far from over between Limerick rugby giants Shannon and Garryowen. Tomorrow they meet at Thomond Park in the Munster Senior Cup final.

It might just be the forerunner for an All-Ireland League final, but the importance of this tie cannot be underestimated.

Shannon have a tremendous record in the competition, with 16 titles to date - since their first in 1960.

Garryowen still rule the roost in terms of overall wins, but Shannon’s success rate since 1977 (a second title) has marked the club as the most outstanding in recent years.

Shannon’s progress to the final never looked in doubt, when they defeated Old Crescent 36-11 in the first round and got a walkover from Sunday’s Well in the quarter-final.

Mick Galwey’s side swept aside Cork Constitution 26-3 in the semi-final.

Now, fresh from their 37-20 AIL win over Cork Constitution last weekend, Shannon will be buoyed by their success in booking home advantage against Clontarf in the upcoming AIL Division One semi-final.

With Jerry Flannery and Trevor Hogan available after returning from Munster duty, Shannon will name a strong team. Others to watch include winger Ian Dowling, and Johnny O’Connor in the back row, who are both in fantastic form.

Garryowen will be hoping to reclaim the title they last won in 1999 to take their 36th Munster Senior Cup crown, and avenge their loss to Shannon in last year’s decider.

Despite some tight results in the Senior Cup, they came through with the all-important win in each round. Garryowen had a 19-9 win over UL Bohemian in the first round, but then had a close call with a 13-10 victory over Thomond.

One of the games of the competition was their semi-final, in which they overcame a determined UCC. Garryowen claimed the win, 32-26, in a heart-stopping finale.

Garryowen have a big talents in 21-year-old Gerry Hurley at scrum-half. A member of the Munster Development squad, Hurley scored a remarkable 21 points last weekend.

There are also hopes that captain Peter Malone and out-half Billy Treacy will be available for selection, with both recovering from injury.