UCD ready to do it all again

UCC and CIT will both have eyes on a hometown success as the annual intervarsities comes to Cork for the first time in 10 years, starting this Sunday. The men’s Mauritius Cup competition looks set to provide the most intrigue, with UCC and UCD reprising last year’s rivalry while a number of the supporting cast look to crash the party over three days at the Mardyke and Garryduff. The competition has expanded to 12 teams made up of three pools of four across both competitions; the winners of each will advance to the semis with the best runner-up joining them.

College, as hosts, will be determined to do the business here, especially after being wiped out 4-0 in last year’s final by UCD. Their chances have been boosted by the absence of Irish international Shane O’Donoghue from the Belfielders’ playing roster; he instead replaces his father Rory in the coach’s role. Having beaten some of Leinster’s best clubs this term, UCD still have quality to burn in every area of the pitch. A quartet of Cork men – Nick Burns, Ben Dobson, Clinton Sweetnam and Patrick Shanahan – will be keen on claiming a title on Leeside while Ross Canning and Jeremy Duncan are among a clutch of former Ireland U18s in situ. UCD’s path to the last four is not simple though, with DIT – playing in their first ever varsities – the likeliest to throw a spanner in the works. Although they won’t have the cohesion that comes with playing together week-in, week-out, their squad is stuffed with quality players from around Leinster’s top tier. For starters, Kyle Good, Stephen Cole, Iain Walker and Richard Sykes are all senior Irish internationals. Pool A is completed by Queen’s University and the welcome return to varsity action of UL, who won’t be pushovers either. They’ve had a flying start to life as a senior club in Munster’s Division 4 since the club was formed by captain Trevor Gray, notching three wins from three, and they can call upon Simon Brickenden and Ed Gleeson of Catholic Institute this weekend too. Pool B looks like UCC’s to lose, once the Irish Hockey Trophy holders can again get the better of a Trinity side they hammered 10-4 during pre-season. Andy Gray is in situ for his ninth tilt at a varsity title while Peter Catchpole, Ireland U21 Stuart O’Grady and Fionn O’Leary are others who lead by example for the hosts. Freshers Andy Colton, Jack Cherry and Greg Chambers will also have important roles to play. Trinity have one Cork man, Midleton College alum Alex Simonin, in their ranks while Freddie Hill, skipper Niall Noonan and Cian Speers will be vital to their cause. IT Tallaght are making their varsity debut and have the likes of Glenanne hitman Jonathan Kane to call on but will likely lack the nous in every line of the side to challenge, while regular whipping boys RCSI at least have Three Rock man David Storey to organise their efforts. Pool C could be the tightest of them all, with three teams of roughly equal billing battling it out for top spot. Local interest is focused on 2010 champions CIT, who are minus some of the heroes of that success, with John Hobbs now with the coach’s clipboard while Roger Gray and Darren Beamish have moved on. They can still call on Ireland senior Ali Smith to light their fires, while experienced Cork Harlequins man Phil O’Driscoll returns for another stint in the Bishopstown college’s defence.

C of I midfield schemer Andrew Daunt captains a side which is also hoping to call on the talents – if fit – of former Cork senior hurler and current Munster Academy rugby player Darren Sweetnam. To advance they must get past the side they beat in the decider two years ago – DCU – who will again base their efforts around the superb goalkeeping of Ireland’s Stephen West and Glenanne’s midfield maestro Stephen Brownlow. Sam McElroy, formerly of Bandon Grammar, will enjoy returning to his Cork roots too. UU are the pool’s dark horses; they’ve had a fallow few years having been regular challengers at the tail end of the 2000s but arrive on Leeside with a panel chock full of Ulster premier league talent, such as former Ireland U18 men Owen Magee and Matthew Rollins. Pool C is completed by the ‘Skull and Crossbones’ an invitational side made up primarily of UCC 2nd and 3rd XI players who will look to David O’Farrell – recent winner of a Cork U21 hurling title with Blackrock – and Phil Brennan to spearhead their efforts. Meanwhile, the women’s Chilean Cup begins with UCD as unbackable favourites to retain their crown. They come to Cork with an eye-watering nine senior Irish internationals in their panel. There’s Munster interest too with Elisa Buckley, Jeamie Deacon and Kate Collins-Smyth products of the southern province’s school system. The sole question mark over the Belfielders is how strong their desire for another varsity title is having dominated this competition in recent years while bigger battles await on the national front. Should they play anywhere near their potential, it’s tough to see NUIG, CIT or the Skull and Crossbones sides troubling them in Pool A. Any side featuring Cliodhna Sargent and Yvonne O’Byrne can’t be discounted but CIT could again lack the depth to make a play for second place in the pool given NUIG’s overall pedigree. The Galway girls will feature former Coláiste na Toirbhirte girl Síle Johnson alongside a phalanx of players such as Freddie Timmins, Tara Melvin and Lynsey Trainor who have come up through the Connacht underage representative systems.

The Skull and Crossbones complete the pool and in Laura Nyhan, Edel Coyne and skipper Catherine Murphy they have capable performers but again, depth could be an issue. Onto Pool B, where last season’s Irish Senior Cup semi-finalists Queen’s are favourites to advance but will face a fight from UCC and Trinity. Goal machine Hannah McMillan and Joanne Orr lead the Belfast side here but they are running into a host outfit bang in form. College have a 100% record in Munster this season and 50-cap Irish international Miriam Crowley is back in situ to terrorize opposition defences alongside Ireland U21s Aine Curran and Olivia Roycroft. Trinity have had to cope with the loss of six senior players to Pembroke in the off-season and as such are building for the future, though Hayley O’Donnell, Eanna Horan and Alice Ward would be welcome additions to any side in the competition. RCSI will be battling to avoid the wooden spoon. Ulster Elks (UU) will have designs on Pool C – they even came to Garryduff and the Mardyke for pre-season, so are familiar with the venues – with DCU and UL attempting to play the role of spoilers. The Elks haven’t got exotic talents from foreign fields like in recent years but are a settled outfit that have a blockbuster new additions in ex-Ireland U18s Vanessa Surgeoner and Chloe Brown, who will look to link up with classy performers such as Kirstie Lammey and Caroline Smith. UL will travel with a compact panel of just 14 players but have a strong spine in goalkeeper Elaine O’Flynn, Rachelle Nyhan at the back and captain Sorcha Carey and Irish Universities representative Steph Peters in more attacking roles. DCU are a bit of a mixed bag too but have a top-class keeper in Rachel Barnett while Zara Delany, Hannah Matthews and Katie Codyre are proven performers in Leinster’s top tier with their respective clubs. IT Tallaght, led by Naomi Ellis, are very much an unknown quantity. Men’s Mauritius Cup Pool A: UCD, QUB, DIT, UL Pool B: UCC, TCD, ITT, RCSI Pool C: DCU, UU, CIT, Skull and Crossbones Women’s Chilean Cup Pool A: UCD, NUIG, CIT, Skull and Crossbones Pool B: UCC, QUB, TCD, RCSI Pool C: UU, DCU, UL, ITT To download the 2012 Intervarsities schedule and programme, click here.