Garryowen's application to have their League Division One clash with Clontarf put back to Sunday has been rejected by the IRFU.
The Limerick club had hoped the union would sanction a 24-hour delay to allow the club to conduct a single training session with all their players present before the league begins. But because many clubs are in the same position, their plea was destined to fail.
Centre Rob Durno and former Lansdowne and Ireland under-21 wing Melvin McNamara will make their debuts for the club. Former Young Munster prop Niall Hartigan is another new to the light-blue colours. Ben Cronin returns after his stint with English league club Orrell.
Across the city, Young Munster are host to St Mary's College, but their plans are disrupted by injury and illness.
Coach Brian Hickey confirmed that they will wait until tomorrow morning in the hope that scrum-half Derek Tobin will recover from a calf injury: Mike Prendergast is on stand-by. Number eight Declan Edwards is expected to recover from a bout of flu. If he does not, New Zealander Matt Webber would deputise.
St Mary's College have decided not to rush back Trevor Brennan. Coach Steve Hennessy is adamant that the powerful flanker, carrying a myriad of injuries following Leinster's campaign, will not play until he is fully fit.
Mark Reilly is an able deputy at blindside flanker in a revamped St Mary's pack. New signings John Maher and Peter Smyth make their debuts, while Emmet Byrne has accommodated Maher's arrival by switching to tight-head for this match.
Injuries to Denis Hickie and Gareth Gannon mean that former Old Belvedere and Leinster fullback Peter McKenna makes his debut at outside centre. Former schools star Kelvin McNamee is named on the left wing.
Cork Constitution have left a vacancy at blindside flanker for their trip to Lansdowne. David Corkery is almost certainly out, but they await a specialist's report. Also on the sidelines are the O'Callaghan brothers, Ultan and Donnacha, and number eight Conor Kehilly.
Champions Shannon will not name their side until tomorrow morning. Coach Pat Murray has taken an extended panel of 27 players to Ballymena where they will train today. Several players are nursing bumps and bruises, but Shannon are expected to be at full strength.
Ballymena have also deferred naming a team, but it will not include James Topping, a long-term injury victim, or Stanley McDowell, who has only finished a course of treatment.
England's Matt Dawson reckons he has got what it takes to kick his side to victory against South Africa on tomorrow. Dawson takes over the kicking duties from Mike Catt, whose missed conversion proved crucial in the 12-11 defeat against Australia last weekend.
And the Northampton scrum-half insists he is capable of matching the heroics of Australian second row John Eales, who landed a penalty from 46 yards to deny England victory.
Dawson has not taken a single kick for Northampton this season but is undaunted at the prospect of filling the boots of injured club team-mate Paul Grayson. "I don't have problem with going back to this job," stressed Dawson.
Fiji finished their eight-match British tour with a 22-16 victory over Leicester at Welford Road last night. Geordan Murphy played for the home side for the last 15 minutes and landed three penalties.
YOUNG MUNSTER: S McCahill; P Boland, M Lynch, N O'Meara, D O'Dowd; A O'Halloran, A N Other; D Clohessy, M Hayes, P Clohessy (capt); M O'Halloran, D O'Meara; B Buckley, D Edwards, G Earls.
ST MARY'S COLLEGE: K Nowlan; J McWeeney, P McKenna, R McIlreavy, K McNamee; R Ormond, C McGuinness (capt); J Maher, P Smyth, E Byrne; S Jameson, D Bourke; M Reilly, V Costello, M Cuddihy.
GARRYOWEN: D Crotty; M McNamara, J Clarke, R Durno, K O'Riordan; K Keane (capt), T Tierney; N Hartigan, P Cunningham, K Ronan; S Leahy, P Hogan; D Wallace, B Cronin, C Varley.
CORK CONSTITUTION: B Walsh; J Kelly, Conor Mahony, Cian Mahony, A Horgan; R O'Gara, B O'Meara; P Soden (capt), F Sheahan, J O'Driscoll; D Sheehan, K Murphy; A N Other, J Murray, J Canning.
