LEINSTER CLUB RUGBY
“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry…”
If ever the line from a Robert Burns poem was apt, it certainly applied to club rugby on Sunday as for the second time in two weeks snow forced a complete shutdown of all games in Leinster, including the Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Schools Senior Cup final.
The Leinster League is now two weeks behind schedule and the knock-on effect is that the Bank of Ireland Provincial Towns Cup will be delayed, with the final put back to late April at the earliest.
The concluding series of games in Division 1A is down for decision tomorrow with Ashbourne’s coronation as champions highly likely as victory of any hue away in Sydney Parade against already-relegated Monkstown will deliver a first title to the Meath club.
The champions elect enjoy a three-point advantage over second placed Enniscorthy who visit Kirwan Park to play De La Salle Palmerston, a team heading in the opposite direction and desperate to avoid playing in the relegation play-off.
Defeat tomorrow would condemn them to that play-off against the runners-up in Division 1B which will be Suttonians or Kilkenny who meet on Sunday in a title decider.
Should De La Salle Palmerston win tomorrow they would hope that either Gorey, who they trail by two points, or Wicklow, a further two points ahead will falter.
Gorey are at home in Clonattin against Dundalk who sit in third place and will finish there regardless while Wicklow are at home in Ashtown Lane against Boyne who are three points ahead of their hosts in fourth place.
There is something at stake in all Division 1A games tomorrow while the fourth qualifying spot for next season’s All Ireland Junior Cup is still up for grabs – and the team in fifth gets in if the Leinster League winner is promoted to the AIL.
At the bottom of Division 1B Portlaoise trail seventh-placed Clondalkin by three points with the higher finisher playing in the relegation play-off against the runners-up in Division 2A while automatic relegation awaits the club that ends up in the basement.
Portlaoise host third-placed Longford in Togher on Sunday and Clondalkin are away at the Maws, Kilcock against fifth-placed North Kildare.
Co Carlow were crowned champions of Division 2A a fortnight ago and Railway Union finished second to qualify for the play-off against Portlaoise or Clondalkin while issues at the other end of the table have also been sorted with Portarlington automatically relegated and Edenderry in the play-off.