Garryowen fancied to see off hot Quins

MUNSTER Senior and Junior Cup champions Garryowen are favourites to add the AIB All-Ireland Senior Cup to their trophy cabinet against Belfast Harlequins at Dubarry Park, Athlone this afternoon(4pm).

A meeting of these teams in the early part of the season would have been regarded as a formality for Garryowen but a lot has changed over the past few months. Most significant was the appointment of South African Alan Solomons, the former Ulster coach, as the Harlequins director of rugby. He quickly brought an end to the nine successive defeats that the club suffered in the AIB League.

Instead, they have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions and all but secured their division one status for next season. After beating Shannon by four points in the semi-final of the cup, have every reason to believe they can create another upset. Solomons readily admits that his team’s prospects will be all the rosier should centre Darren Cave and winger Paul McKenzie make it back unscathed from Ulster’s Magners League visit to Glasgow last night.