Cork Con in bid for history

Cork Constitution hope to take another step in pursuit of a winning sequence which would outstrip anything that went before in the highly prized national Bateman Cup when they meet UCD in a semi-final clash at Belfield today.

Last season, Constitution matched the achievements of Lansdowne (between 1929 and 1931) when they secured a third successive title of their own and they’re now one step away from another decider and two from an unprecedented milestone.

Constitution, however, face a tough test against the students, the current Ulster Bank League leaders, who drew against the Cork side in Temple Hill earlier in the campaign.

Both teams will be without some of their first choice players due to involvement for Leinster and Munster A teams rin the B&I Cup this weekend.

Con can look back on a very good record in both the AIB and Ulster Bank tournaments, winning the AIB All Ireland Cup twice and the Bateman Cup on those three occasions since 2006.

A week after a disappointing defeat up north, Galwegians will be hoping to turn things around on home soil against Ballynahinch in the second semi final. Ballynahinch had a surprise 33-16 win but will have noted their last visit to Galway yielded nothing and Galwegians won that league encounter in November by the exact same score line, 33-16.

The Ulster club won the AIB All Ireland Cup back in 2009 before the IRFU changed the format back to Bateman Cup style competed for by just the four provincial cup winners.

CORK CONSTITUTION:

T Quinlan, J White, L O’Connell, N Kenneally, R Jermyn, D Lyons, J Poland, G Duffy, M Abbott, G Sweeney, C Kindregan, B Hayes, L Cahill, D Walsh, J Ryan (capt).

Replacements:

J McHenry, G Roche, C O’Flaherty, S Dwyer, M Carey, JJ O’Neill, A Dorgan.