Lynch ready to cross the divide

Jason Lynch faces the novel prospect of lining out against former colleagues on his old stomping ground for the second time in a week, as he prepares to don the colours of Ulster at the senior hockey interprovincials at Garryduff in Cork this weekend. Midfielder Lynch, who won his first Irish senior cap against France last summer, currently plays for Lisnagarvey, whom he joined from hometown club Cork C of I in 2007 upon entering Belfast Metropolitan College. While Lynch turned out for Munster at both senior and U21 level last term, increased college commitments and travelling considerations have led him to swap the three kings for the red hand and throw his hat in with Ulster this time around. The 20-year-old graced the Garryduff turf in the colours of his new club for the first time as ‘Garvey lost an Irish Hockey League clash 3-2 last weekend, but there will be an extra edge on Sunday when his Ulster side face down Munster.

Nonetheless, Lynch told Southern Fried he is satisfied he made the right call: “It was a hard call to make, head or heart, but at the end of the day the travel was too much. I’m nervous enough about it, but it’s all friendly banter – I’m sure I’ll get a bit of grief but I know myself I’ve made the right decision. “I’d love to have played with Munster but I’m looking forward to it anyway, it should be an interesting weekend. I was a bit intimidated at the start (playing for ‘Garvey against C of I) but once you get into the game it’s OK, I’d be friends with a lot of the lads who would be shouting stuff anyway. I just zone out and play my own game.” Given the interpros perform the double function of an unofficial Irish trial, it is in Lynch’s interest to be taking part one way or another. Nonetheless, his Ulster side aren’t at full strength – Geoff McCabe is still working his way back to full fitness while David Ames is a major doubt with an elbow injury – and Leinster are most people’s favourites for the men’s title. Leinster possess some heavy goalscoring artillery in the form of Peter Blakeney, Alan Sothern, Mitch Darling and Stephen Butler, not to mention recent Irish call-up Gareth Watkins, who has hit 31 goals in 23 games this term despite not being a short-corner specialist. Co-coach Colin Stewart certainly pulls no punches about the confidence he has in his squad. “It’s probably the most attacking squad I’ve seen in Irish interprovincial hockey,” he told The Hook. “We played on Tuesday night and it was awesome. There’s a few things we need to sort out, obviously, with any team that gets together but they look really fast, really sharp up front. Not just the forwards but everybody else, and the short corner routine is pretty handy.” Regarding the opposition, Stewart added: “They’re all healthy otherwise they wouldn’t be there. I suppose Munster would be the underdogs considering last year but, you know, John Jermyn, Karl Burns, they’ve got class players. You can’t afford to let Jermyn have too many drag-flicks, let alone the guys from up north.”

The inclusion of brothers Conor and David Harte, who ply their trade in Dublin with Pembroke Wanderers, is a big boon for Stephen Jackson’s Munster side, giving them one of the strongest defences in the tournament on paper. However, they will miss the likes of Mark Black and Paul Lombard further up the pitch, where Leinster and Ulster are particularly well-served. New Irish coach Paul Revington will be present to run the rule over his charges, but whether Ulster skipper Mark Gleghorne can be part of his plans remains to be seen. Gleghorne re-iterated this week that he is keeping his options open regarding his international future as he weighs up his future for both club and country – he has been on trial at a number of Dutch clubs and is examining the viability of a defection to Great Britain. Things are harder to call in the women’s competition, though with the balance of power on the club scene currently in Leinster, Rudi Wortmann’s side may start as slight favourites. Just five remain from last year’s squad as the international contingent – unavailable last year due to Olympic qualification commitments – return to the fold, with experienced international Nikki Symmons named as skipper. Munster look particularly well-served in midfield, with the unpredictable genius of Aine Connery thrown in with the distribution skills of Hollie Moffett and skipper Deirdre Casey. However, with just three forwards named in a squad without the services of injured Irish skipper Eimear Cregan, Connery and vice-captain Julia O’Halloran may be deployed in more advanced roles. The absence of some of Ulster’s more experienced luminaries, such as Jenny McDonough and Lynsey McVicker, means they travel with a very youthful squad. Connacht have pulled off a major coup in getting Pembroke goal machine Louisa Moore into their panel, and will be hopeful of springing a few surprises. Meanwhile, the draw for the All-Ireland Schools Championships, set to take place on March 19 and 20 in Grange Road, has been made. In the new schoolboys John Waring competition, Bandon Grammar will face a St Andrew’s side that will be hell-bent on atoning for their Leinster final defeat to Wesley, and Ulster runners-up Banbridge Academy.

But it is Ashton who have the harder task on paper, as they lock horns with Ulster kingpins Cookstown and Wesley. The Ulster and Munster sides won’t lack motivation in this tournament; neither of the northern province’s made the last four of the Irish Schools in October, while Bandon and Ashton exited that competition at the hands of Leinster opposition at the semi-final stage. In the girls’ Kate Russell championship, Munster representatives Bandon Grammar have been drawn in the easier pool on paper, though Foyle and Londonderry and Loreto Wexford will both be relatively unknown quantities. Pool B, which features St Andrew’s, Ballymena and Coláiste Iognaid, looks certain to claim a high-profile victim. For more information on the tournaments, click here. Senior Interprovincials, Garryduff, Cork Men Friday: Leinster vs Munster (8pm); Saturday: Leinster vs Ulster (2pm); Sunday: Munster vs Ulster (12pm). Women Friday: Leinster vs Ulster (4.30pm), Munster vs Connacht (6.15pm). Saturday: Leinster vs Connacht (12pm); Munster vs Ulster (4pm). Sunday: Connacht vs Ulster (10pm); Munster vs Leinster (2pm). Munster Div 1: UL vs Ashton (2pm). Interprovincial squads Men Munster: M Ruddle (GK, Cork C of I), D Harte (GK, Pembroke Wanderers); K Burns, N Buttimer, P Catchpole, A Herbert, J Bruton, David Hobbs, J Jermyn, A Moffett, A Pritchard, D Harvey (Cork C of I), C Harte (Pembroke Wanderers), Dan Hobbs, S Nicholson (Cork Harlequins), C Sweetnam (Bandon), P Shanahan (Three Rock Rovers). Leinster: I Walker (GK, YMCA), D Fitzgerald (GK, Monkstown), P Blakeney (Three Rock Rovers), J Brennan (Glenanne), S Butler (Glenanne, co-capt), M Darling (Three Rock Rovers), A Giles (Pembroke Wanderers), R Gormley (Pembroke Wanderers), T Lewis (Pembroke Wanderers), N Lyons (Three Rock Rovers), P Maguire (Three Rock Rovers), A McConnell (Three Rock Rovers, co-capt), C Pelow (Corinthian), D Robinson (YMCA), R Shaw (Glenanne), G Shaw (Glenanne), A Sothern (Pembroke Wanderers), G Watkins (Monkstown). Ulster: I Hughes (GK, Cookstown), G Lennox (GK, Banbridge), D Ames, K Black, E Butler, C Donaldson (Cookstown), P Caruth, J Quigley (Annadale), T Cockram (vice-capt), J Lynch (Lisnagarvey), M Gleghorne (capt), S Redpath (Instonians), E Magee, B McCandless, S McCandless (Banbridge), S Todd (Mossley), J Jackson (Loughborough).

Women Munster: C Ronan (GK, Catholic Institute), A O’Neill (Cork Harlequins); C Sargent, R McSharry (Cork Harlequins), A O’Flynn, O Crowley (UCC), M Ryan, J Kenefick (Cork C of I), K Hales (Pembroke Wanderers); J O’Halloran (vice-capt), H Moffett, A Connery (UCC), D Casey (capt), M Mihailou, S Connery (Cork C of I); J O’Loughlin (UL), M Crowley (UCC), K Daly (Catholic Institute). Leinster: A Campion (Loreto), K Dillon (Railway Union), R Flinn (UCD), M Goode (GK, Bray), E Gray (GK, Hermes), L Jacob (UCD), H Jenkinson (UCD), C Joyce (Railway Union), I Joyce (Railway Union), N Keegan (Loreto), R Keegan (Loreto), J McDonnell (Railway Union), C McKean (Loreto), A O’Flanagan (Hermes), L O’Neill (Bray), N Small (Loreto), E Smyth (Railway Union), N Symmons (Loreto, capt). Connacht: L Healy (GK, Loreto), H Marlyn, M Healy (Greenfields), R Carrigan (UCD), S Walsh (capt), S McDonald, C Friel (Railway Union), A Harte (Hermes), D Kieran, A McCormack (Glenanne), L McCoy (Old Alex), G Melvin (Galway), A Smyth (NUIG), L Moore (Pembroke), C Grealy (Loreto), I Gorman (Trinity), S Nutt (Coleraine). Ulster: S Moffett (GK, Pegasus), H Stevenson (GK, Railway Union), L Barr, B Cleland, M Frazer, S Martin, N Parke (Ballymoney), E Clarke, S McCay (Ulster Elks), L Colvin (Loreto), K Elkin, G Watters (Randalstown), M Harvey (Pegasus), R Mulligan, E Stewart (Armagh), D Topley (Lisnagarvey).