BALLYMENA number eight Dean Macartney was yesterday called into the Irish A Development squad to tour New Zealand and Western Samoa as a replacement for the injured Mark egan.

Egan, the Terenure back row and former Oxford captain, had been hoping that a knee injury he had being carrying for some time would clear up before the May 15th departure of the Irish party.

Macartney's last opportunity to prove himself to the Irish selectors was seven years ago when he was given an Irish trial at the age of 21 following Irish caps at schools and student level. While that did not go as he had hoped, French club Pau subsequently offered him a place which he accepted. Macartney, who was 28 on Monday, remained in France for four years before coming back to Ballymena two seasons ago.

It was an excellent experience over at Pau. The French play good, hard rugby because that's their style. It tightened me up a good bit," he said yesterday.

One of the Ballymena player's great assets is his phenomenal pace and according to his Ulster colleagues he is the fastest player on their squad, and that's including Irish winger James Topping. At Pau he was regularly played on the wing as an option to their established wide men.

The Development squad convenes in Limerick on Sunday with Macartney, along with a number of other players, hoping that injury can be avoided in the provincial cup finals on Saturday and Sunday and in the play-off game which London Irish have in the Courage League against Coventry on Sunday.

"If you start worrying about getting hurt in the cup final and start fringing about the place, that's the way you'll get injured. There's only one way to play and that's at 100 per cent," said Macartney.

Ballymena, who face Malone at Ravenhill on Saturday, will do so without their tight-head prop Rab Erwin, who was taken to hospital with a broken bone in his hand last weekend against cup holders Dungannon. Stephen Richie also departed the pitch with a neck injury but is hopeful of lining out. Presumably there will be little love lost between tight head replacement Adrian Stewart and his brother Loren. Loren plays in the Malone front row, also in the tight head position.

Lansdowne will be one of the hottest favourites for years in Saturday's Leinster Senior Cup final against Bective Rangers at Lansdowne Road and they are hopeful that Brian Glennon's hamstring is fully recovered alter coming off against Trinity last week. The change, however, was precautionary as Lansdowne were coasting to a crushing victory over the students.

Garryowen are also looking at only one player, flanker Paul Hogan, who came off with a calf muscle injury against Shannon in their Munster Cup semi-final upset last weekend. They will also wait until later in the week to name a team for Sunday's final against Young Munster in Thomond Park.

The Connacht Senior Cup final between Galwegians and Ballina goes to a replay on Sunday at the Sports Ground after the two sides drew 13-13 last weekend. Under-dogs Ballina may go into the game without two players who were taken to hospital. Prop John Rush, who was switched from lose head to tight head, hurt his ribs in the scrum and scrum half Michael Honan injured his chest in a tackle. Honan is the more likely to lineout. Centre Michael Sheehan lasted for 40 minutes before his hamstring gave way and he is another doubt for Ballina.

Galwegians expect to line out with the same side although the injured number eight Barry Gavin is cause for some concern. The team will not be finalised until Friday.

London Irish will perhaps feel more nervous tonight than they have felt all season as they go into the first of their play-off games against Coventry. In what coach Willie Anderson described as two cup finals, the team's task is to preserve their division one status in the Courage League.

They field a full-strength side for tonight's 7.30 away game in the two-leg test. London Irish play the second leg on Sunday in Sunbury at 3.00. Two wins will guarantee their place in the first division. Points aggregate and tries scored will then settle the issue if all is even.