Ballymena refuse to play ball over time change

By Barry Coughlan BALLYMENA have guaranteed an extra edge to tomorrow’s AIL trip to Cork Constitution by refusing to a plea to change the kick-off.

Constitution requested Ballymena to either play the game under lights this evening or tomorrow at 12 noon or 4pm to avoid a clash with the televised Heineken Cup game between Perpignan and Munster.

The Cork side, beaten finalists in the competition for the last two seasons, had hoped to persuade second-placed Ballymena to agree on a time change, but the Ulster side wouldn’t play ball.

Ballymena insisted it wasn’t practical to play this evening because travel arrangements had already been made anda number of their players were unable to obtain leave from work for the entire day.

Equally, the Ulster side pointed out that a 4pm start was too late as they planned to head back to Dublin immediately after the match. They did, however, decline to bring the kick off time forward to noon.

Constitution officials and players are unhappy with the intransigence of their northern opponents.

However, Munster’s neighbours Shannon have also been turned down for a change of kick-off by UCD in the only other AIB Division One game scheduled for tomorrow.

The Irish Rugby Football Union has declined to get involved in disputes between clubs once games are fixed for certain dates or times and the normal kick-off times for AIB games is 2.30pm.

Shannon spokesman Andrew McNamara admitted: “We did make attempts to get UCD to change but they were not willing to do so.

“We figured that, no matter what time we fixed the game for, we wouldn’t get a decent crowd anyway so we decided to get on with it at the appointed time and on the appointed date.”

RTÉ Network 2 will show both Leinster and Munster’s vital Heineken Cup games this weekend. Coverage of Leinster’s clash with Swansea in Donnybrook tonight will start at 7.30pm, while Munster’s crucial game with Perpignan tomorrow, which is expected to decide the outcome of the group, starts at 2pm.