Buccaneers, Old Crescent and all three Ulster clubs, have contracted players on their books. Will the professionals – those who are eligible – be released to play in the final three rounds of AIBL-2? If Highfield are promoted, there will be an unprecedented three Cork City clubs in Div. One next season, the same number as Limerick currently have. UC-Cork and Young Munster play their re-fixed game on March 16. If UCC get promoted they should retain their players and not have to start 2008 / 09 with a fresh senior squad as they have done for some seasons now. Of the six or so clubs in contention for promotion Highfield, UC-Cork and Bective have never played among the elite before. The winner of the B. Harlequins at home to Malone fixture on March 1 should be in line for promotion thus restoring a Belfast City club to Div. One next season. With five points separating the top six clubs in Div. Two at the moment only a foolish man would predict the eventual placings at the end of March. Old Crescent seven points adrift at the bottom of the table appear doomed and will be joined in Division Three next season by one from Suttonians, Thomond, Wanderers and Barnhall. On the six recent occasions that their were sixteen clubs in Division Two, the 14th placed (safe) club ended up with 26 points (2001), 22 points (2002), 27 points (2003), 24 points (2004), 28 points, (2006) and 24 points (2007).

1. MALONE - A. BELFAST HARLEQUINS (2) H. BUCCS (6) H. H’FIELD (3) Remaining games : Visit B. Harlequins for the third time in as many AIBL games and have yet to avoid defeat there ; lost 10-31 on their most recent ( Jan. 2000 ) visit ; the only previous form against Buccaneers is a 9-19 loss away to them back in March 1998 ; have enjoyed 100 % success in four games against Highfield and, having won 14-13 the last time ( Feb. 2006 ) they visited, are today on a hat-trick of home victories over the Cork club.

Forecast : Have two crunch games due up against other promotion contenders ; have played the percentages very well this season and the recent return of Gareth Fry should augment their challenge. But the availability of those contracted players....and Scotland squaddie Simon Danielli?

2. B. HARLEQUINS H. MALONE (1) H. SUTTONIANS (15) H. BARNHALL(12) Remaining games : Have won their two AIBL games with Malone scoring an aggregate 58 pts ( eight tries ) to 10 points ; beat Malone 30-0 at Gibson Park in the Ulster Senior League before Christmas this season ; have no previous form against Suttonians ; Barnhall, like Suttonians, will visit Deramore Park for the first time; the Co. Kildare club beat B. Harlequins 25-18 at Parsonstown in the only previous game ( March 2002 ) between the two clubs.

Forecast : Have three home games left, two against clubs in trouble and should win these games; what Malone side will turn up on March 1 at Deramore Park is the big question. The champagne will continue to flow as it has done after every League victory; look odds-on for promotion.

3. HIGHFIELD - H. YOUNG MUNSTER (4) A. BECTIVE (7) A. MALONE (1) Remaining games : The most recent two AIBL fixtures of the three played between Highfield and Young Munster have produced away wins ; Highfield lost 13-28 at home to the Kookies in Dec. 2005; Highfield have lost all three games away to Bective and managed their first victory (16-15) in five matches against the Rangers last season in Cork ; have lost all four fixtures against Malone including twice in Belfast where they are seeking to prevent a hat-trick of away defeats at the hands of the Cregagh Red Sox.

Forecast : Must play three clubs in the top seven and are away to two of them ; the tails are up in Bishopstown but there is still an awful lot to do ; Brian O’Meara’s kicking will be crucial.

4. Y. MUNSTER - A. H’FIELD (3) H. DLSP (9) A. O.CRES (16) A. UCC (5)
Remaining games : Have W – 2, L – 1 against Highfield in past AIBL seasons and won 28-13 on their only previous visit ( Dec. 2005 ) to Bishopstown ; return to Cork again to play UCC in a match postponed from Feb. 9 ; beat UCC 16-7 on their most recent ( Mar. 2006 ) AIBL visit to the Mardyke and today are on a hat-trick of AIBL victories over the Cork students ; faltered once at home to DLSP but have beaten them in their last three encounters ; finally, travel over the road to Old Crescent where they have won twice in three AIBL visits and have succeeded in the last three AIBL – 2 matches between the two clubs.

Forecast : Three away games coming up, two against other promotion contenders and one against Old Crescent, who are in big trouble ; have now spent six seasons in Div. Two and played an away semi-final in the most recent two seasons. Will it be the third time lucky for the Kookies and a home semi coupled with promotion?

5. UC-CORK - A. DU (11) H. B’HALL (12) A. THOM (14) H. Y.MUN (4)
Remaining games : The Trinity match is the fourth AIB – 2 clash between the two university clubs presently in the second division ; won 27-22 on their only previous ( April 2003 ) AIBL visit to College Park ; last season, Cork produced the only home win so far in this series ; have lost three of their five AIBL – 2 games against ‘Munsters’ and today are on a hat-trick of defeats by them ; have won all three previous games at home to Barnhall who don’t have a good record in Cork ; lost 5-16 on their most recent ( Oct. 2005 ) visit to Thomond and are today on a hat-trick of defeats by the Limerick club.

Forecast : Its vital that the students beat Young Munster if they are to realise their Division One ambitions; away to Thomond could be a banana skin if the Limerick club are still in trouble; may be thwarted in the end by their lack of bonus points.

6. BUCCANEERS - H. WANDERERS (13) A. MAL (1) H. DU (11) A. B'HALL (12)
Remaining games : Have no AIBL form against Barnhall nor against Wanderers ; are fortunate to be playing Wanderers at Dubarry Park for all sorts of reasons ; beat Malone 19-9 in Athlone back in March 1998 but have never visited Gibson Park ; have W-2, L-1 against Trinity with all three matches taking place at College Park.

Forecast : Have lost four games but are still very much in the hunt for promotion ; if they win their re-fixed game at Barnhall this Saturday, the Pirates will rise into second place in the table; have two home games against Leinster clubs left and eight points here is not a big ask; have only a slender chance of victory at Malone but could edge into the promotion frame as all the clubs around them will take points off each other in the coming weeks.

7. BECTIVE - H. H’FIELD(3) A. SUTT (15)

8. CLONAKILTY - A. BECT (7) H. THOM (14) A. B’HINCH (10) A. SUTT (15)

9. DLSP - A. O.CRES (16 ) A. Y.MUN ( 4 ) H. WAND (13) H. B’HINCH (10 )

10. HINCH - A. B.HARL (12) H. O.CRES(16 ) H. CKTY ( 8 ) A. DLSP ( 9 )

11. D. UNIVERSITY - H. UCC (5) A. WAND (13) A. BUCCS (6) H. O.CRES (16)

12. BARNHALL - H. B’HINCH (10) A. UCC (5) A. B.HARL (2) H. BUCCS (6)
Remaining games : Have no AIBL form against Buccaneers ; have won three of their last four games against Ballynahinch and today are on a hat-trick of home victories over them ; will remember that Ballynahinch were the first Ulster club to win (21-12) at Parsonstown back in December 2001; have lost on all three previous trips to the Mardyke ; beat B. Harleqiuins 25-18 in Co. Kildare (March 2002 ) but have yet to play them away in Belfast.

Forecast : At this stage of each season, the Blue Bulls are either in trouble themselves or are going to have a big say in the ambitions of their opponents; nothing has changed ; Barnhall at the moment need six or so points to avoid relegation ; the two home games first up are crucial and the points must be harnessed at this stage ; there is only the remotest chance of points at the Mardyke and Deramore Park.

13. WANDERERS - A. BUCCS (6) H. Dublin University (11) A. DLSP (9)Remaining games : Have no previous form against Buccaneers as their final game of the 1997 / 98 season (v Buccaneers at Merrion Road ) was never played ; great controversy followed the non-playing of the fixture ; the end result was that Wanderers escaped relegation ; also, have no form against Trinity, a club that have used Merrion Road as a home venue in the past when College Park was unplayable ; visit Kilternan for their final game, a venue where they lost ( 11-22 ) on their only previous AIBL visit ( Jan. 1998 ).

Forecast : Just back in AIBL – 2 after five seasons in Div. Three; have two away games to play and have a poor record on the road this season ; all three fixtures are against clubs in mid-table so a major effort should see the Merrion Road club safe from the dreaded drop.

14. THOMOND - H. SUTTONIANS ( 15 ) A. CLONAKILTY ( 8 ) H. UCC ( 5) Remaining games : Drew 18-18 with the Dubliners at home in their first season(1999 / 2K) in the AIBL and have won and drawn away to them since ; a year ago, lost 3-21 at home to Clonakilty to become the Co. Cork’s first AIBL victim in Limerick ; lost three on the trot against UCC but are today on a hat-trick of AIBL victories over the Cork students.

Forecast : Should survive as they have two home games left and are a much better side at home in Fitzgerald Park than they are out on the road.

15. SUTTONIANS - A. THOM (14) A. B.HARL (2) H. BECT (7) H. CKTY (8)
Remaining games : First up are Clonakilty, old foes from Div. Three ; the two clubs have met seven times and the home side has always been successful ; a third trip to Limerick this season with Thomond providing the opposition for the crunch meeting ; drew 18-18 on their only previous ( Jan. 2000 ) appearance at Fitzgerald Park ; travel to promotion – seeking B. Harlequins against whom they have no previous form ; lost 15-44 away to Bective last season and now entertain them for the first time in the AIBL.

Forecast : Have spent the last two seasons in AIBL – 2 ; need two victories to maintain their presence in Division Two ; cannot expect to win in Belfast or Limerick ; the League of Nations side have a very negative points difference and will be hard pushed to retain their current status.

16. O. CRESCENT - H. DLSP (9) A. B’HINCH (10) H. Y.MUN (4) A. DU (11) Remaining games : Have won their two fixtures at home to Trinity but lost (14-22) on their only previous (Nov. 2003) AIBL visit to College Park ; have won their last five fixtures with DLSP and this sequence includes three games at home to the south Co. Dublin club ; were unbeaten in their first five encounters with Ballynahinch but lost away to them last season ; have to return to Co. Down again this March ; have lost their last three AIBL fixtures with Young Munster and a further defeat today could ensure major consequences for the defeated club.

Forecast : After three seasons in AIBL – 1 and 13 seasons in AIBL – 2 are Old Crescent about to become the first Limerick City club to be relegated from the second division ? Parting company with their Welsh coach and out half before Christmas was never going to help matters. There is some hope left in that they play three clubs in mid-table but they can expect no favours from Young Munster in their bid to avoid relegation.