Ireland complete their build-up to the Olympic Qualifier (March 24th to April 2nd) with a practice match and two full internationals against Japan in Belfast this weekend before setting off for Milton Keynes next Wednesday. The Japanese are also in the final stages of their preparations for the tournament, where they have been drawn in the other pool with Britain, New Zealand, China and Russia, and play Ireland for the first time since their 3-2 defeat in the 1997 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
Loreto's Caitriona O'Kelly has been ruled out of the three games after sustaining a nasty injury to her left thumb in a training accident. UCD's Jenny Osborne takes O'Kelly's place in the squad this weekend but a decision on whether or not she will make it to Milton Keynes will be made in the next few days. Harlequins' midfielder Rachel Kohler will become the third Irish international, after Mary Logue and Sarah Kelleher, to win 100 caps if, as expected, she is selected for tomorrow's match. Kohler is one of five survivors in the current squad from Ireland's starting line-up against Japan in 1997 (along with Logue, Jenny Burke, Karen Humphreys and Arlene Thompson) while Japan's experienced squad includes eight of their team from that day.
While they might be regarded as the rank outsiders at the Qualifier, Japan's recent form suggests they could prove to be difficult opponents - they lost three matches against New Zealand, the sixth-ranked team in the world, but only by single-goal margins in Ashburton and Christchurch last month.
Morale in the Irish camp, though, is high after the team's superb displays against the USA in San Diego last month and three more confidence-boosting performances against Japan would send them to Milton Keynes in good spirits.
Meanwhile, Senior A leaders Old Alexandra are favourites to retain the Leinster Senior Cup when they meet Senior B's Loreto II in today's final at Grange Road (12.0). Loreto II, though, have named a squad with plenty of first-team experience, including Mary Barnwell, Linda Jenkinson and Gillian Dawson, scorer of the extra time winner against Clontarf in the semi-finals.
