Ulster have their sights firmly set on a four-in-a-row at the senior interprovincial tournament which gets under way at Grange Road this afternoon but Leinster will hope that the venue can inspire them to a repeat of one of their finest achievements.
In 1996, under the guidance of Fintan Butler, they produced a sparkling display to beat Ulster 6-0 at Grange Road but the northerners avenged that defeat in style last year, 7-0, in Bangor to complete their three-in-a-row. Both provinces were, though, without their international players but are back to full strength with their combined squads boasting 18 of the current panel.
David Judge has recalled just seven of last year's Leinster squad and gives four players - Caitriona Carey, Linda Caulfield, Rachel Brophy and Nikki Symmons - their senior interprovincial debuts.
Carey and Caulfield are two of five South East players in the squad, the others being Sinead McDonnell, Daphne Sixsmith and Nikki King - a statistic that must encourage the fifth "province" to believe that soon they're ready to take on the other four.
Ulster coach Graham Quincey has named six Pegasus players in his squad along with internationals Angela Platt and Lynsey McVicker, Irish Senior Cup finalists with Ballymoney, and Portadown's Jill Orbinson. Bernie Heffernan, too, has picked an impressive Munster squad which sees the return of Rachel Kohler, Karen O'Brien and Sarah Kelleher, back playing with Slough after taking a year out. Emer Cregan and Elaine Bromell, both current Irish under-21 panellists, are included, as are the Hermes trio of Fiona Connery, Johanna Hyland and Aisling Keane and Loreto pair Sarah O'Meara and Nikki Lyons. They open the tournament against the hosts in what could be a closely contested match.
Orla Bell, one of the stars of that 1996 Leinster win over Ulster, makes her debut as Connacht coach in this evening's game against the defending champions. Irish goalkeeper Tara Browne has returned from duty with HGC in Holland and joins Irish under-21s Orla Canavan and Sinead Walsh (both NUIG) in the squad, which also features five of Bell's Pembroke team-mates.
