Newcastle West and Clonmel will be tested

The top two in the Munster Junior League will be aiming to pull away from the pack this weekend but both face potential banana skins.

Newcastle West have been in free-scoring form of late and currently top the first division — those try bonus points have allowed them establish a two-point gap over Clonmel, with both sides winning their four matches to date. The Limerick side take on one of their major rivals in recent years as they host St Mary’s.

As of yet, Mary’s have been unable to reach the heights of last season. Last week’s gritty win will have boosted their confidence and the pressure will be off this weekend. They still possess plenty of quality but will need a powerful display up front and hope the likes of Matthew Hickey can cause problems around the fringes. While Newcastle West should be in for a tougher day than recently they should still possess enough quality to win out.