Men's Leinster league preview

With Irish Senior Cup taking centre-stage this weekend, only Monkstown and UCD are drawn into battle this Saturday with Gavin O'Halloran, Alastair Nolan and Ross Watkins facing their old club.

The students have an injury concern over Rob Lynch while Karl Smith is away but, realistically, the main focus for UCD is likely to fall on March 28 - their showdown with Kilkenny - and, to a lesser extent Railway Union.

Points at Belfield will be a bonus against a 'Town side with a full bill of health and looking to cement fourth place.

Pembroke, meanwhile, could extend their lead to four points in the table next Tuesday night against Railway - a match has been brought forward due as Wanderers are the only side guaranteed to be in ISC action on February 28.

A win would add to the psychological pressure on Rovers and Glenanne. Railway, for their part, will be without Kevin O'Brien for the rest of the season due to his Irish cricket commitments with the impending World Cup qualifiers.

Pembroke are in Mills cup action two days prior to that, facing the only 100pc record in the men's game - Clontarf. The bulls will go into it as underdogs but have added USA international Nate Franks to the squad for the rest of the season.

The other cup quarter-final sees the hotly anticipated battle between Glenanne and Corinthian. The St Mark's based side provided one of the most complete performance the last time the sides met in the league but the Reds are on the up and will aim to take advantage of their reinstatement to the competition after initially being thrown out.

There is a full schedule of division two games with plenty of interest in the play-off race. Second placed Skerries could end Trinity's mini-revival but they could be short of Sean Lawlor, Brian McMahon and Felix Nacken for the game and are a little short on match practice in 2009.

Trinity, meanwhile, have looked slightly more secure at the back with 6'4'' Jack Hegarty bossing his circle since breaking into the team. Suttonians and Bray need all three points to stay involved against Weston (away) and Navan (home) respectively while Clontarf host a form team in Avoca.

Fixtures
Saturday:
Division 1: UCD vs Monkstown 1pm, Belfield
Division 2: Bray v Navan, 1pm, Loreto Bray; Clontarf vs Avoca, 3.15pm, Mount Temple; Skerries vs Dublin University, 1pm, Skerries; Weston vs Suttonians, 1pm, Esker

Sunday:
Mills Cup Quarter Finals: Glenanne v Corinthian, 1.30pm, Glenanne Park; Clontarf v Pembroke Wanderers, 4pm, Mount Temple

Tuesday:
Division 1: Pembroke Wanderers vs Railway Union, 7.15pm, Serpentine Avenue