Catholic Institute were once again left bemoaning the Irish Hockey League draw after they were handed arguably the toughest pool in the history of the competition for the 2012/13 season.
By contrast, both the men and women of Cork Harlequins will be relieved to have ended up in the easier pools on paper, while Cork Church of Ireland’s men are another side who will be cursing their luck.
The presence of an Irish international-laden Hermes side – who are in European action this weekend – in the wildcard playoffs was always going to skew whichever pool they were landed in.
The Booterstown outfit had a poor campaign in Leinster but were unbeaten in their IHL pool when their international contingent was present – highlighting why some feel the IHL should be seeded on previous performances in the competition, like rugby’s Heineken Cup, rather than on domestic league placings.
Institute’s dubious reward for winning out in Munster is to be landed with Hermes – a beaten semi-finalist this year – in Pool A along with 2011 winners Pegasus, 2012 champions Railway Union and 2012 runners-up Loreto.
Ulster Elks, who are heading into their maiden IHL campaign after finishing fourth in the northern province, are the pool’s dark horses and could hardly have asked for a tougher introduction to the competition.
That’s not to say that Cork Harlequins’ Pool B encouters will be a walk in the park either.
Irish Senior Cup winners UCD will start as favourites to advance – depending on how many of this year’s crop stay put at Belfield – while Ballymoney are re-emerging as a force ater a couple of fallow years. Lurgan’s upward mobility has continued in Ulster and they’re here too along with Old Alex, Quins and wildcard qualifiers Ards.
Irish Senior Cup holders Quins have had the rub of the green in the men’s competition too, and will face three of the five sides they met in this season’s encounters in Pool A.
They are 2011 Irish Senior Cup finalists Cookstown and Monkstown and wildcard qualifiers Instonians, whom Quins beat twice – once in the IHL and again in the ISC semis – by the minimum margin this season.
An ever-improving Annadale and a Pembroke Wanderers side who will have to plan without coach Brendan Carolan after his departure to Corinthian complete the pool.
Things are comparatively harder for Munster’s second qualifier, Cork C of I in Pool B.
They’ll have to contend with the champions of this season and last season – Lisnagarvey and Banbridge respectively – as well as Leinster league winners Glenanne, while this year’s Irish Senior Cup finalists Railway Union make their bow in the competition in this pool.
As with Hermes in the women’s tournament, YMCA – this year’s beaten IHL finalists – are an unusually strong wildcard qualifier making this pool impossible to predict.
Irish Hockey League draw 2012/13
Men’s Pool A: Cookstown (Ulster 1); Monkstown (Leinster 2); Pembroke Wanderers (Leinster 3); Annadale (Ulster 4); Cork Harlequins (Munster); Instonians (Wildcard).
Men Pool B: Glenanne (L1); Lisnagarvey (U2); Banbridge (U3); Railway Union (L4); Cork C of I (M); YMCA (W).
Women Pool A: Pegasus (U1); Railway Union (L2); Loreto (L3); Ulster Elks (U4); Catholic Institute (M); Hermes (W).
Women Pool B: UCD (L1); Ballymoney (U2); Lurgan (U3); Old Alexandra (U4); Cork Harlequins (M); Ards (W).