AIL Team By Team

Ballymena

Ballymena

In: Jarlath Carey (prop), Neil Beddow (wing), Ian McIntosh (hooker), Archie Kettyle (scrumhalf) all City of Derry. Mark McCullough (second row, DU), Johnny Cuppitt (centre, Glasgow), Neil McMillan (flanker, Leicester), Paddy Wallace (outhalf, UCD), Rob Brink (flanker, SA), David Allen (flanker, Easts, Aus), Michael McComish (number eight, Campbell College), Graham McKay (flanker, Dundee Uni).

Out: Coys Beukeus (second row), Ajay Derwin (out-half), Neil Doak (scrumhalf), Rhys Botha (centre), all Belfast Harlequins), Glen Cully (prop, Bangor).

Captain: James Topping.

READ MORE

Coach: Tony D'Arcy (Aus).

Last Year: 5th

Blackrock College

In: Noel Foxe (prop, St Mary's), Paul Wallace (prop, Saracens), Declan O'Brien (back row, DLSP), David Quinlan (centre, Cambridge Uni), John Corry (outhalf Wests, Brisbane), Richard Woods (flanker, DU), Ben Willis (scrum-half, Grenoble).

Out: Gary Halpin (retired), Alan McGowan (outhalf, Lansdowne), Johnny Ryan (second row, St Mary's), Paddy Dunne (winger, St Mary's)

Captain: Michael Jackson.

Coach: Kevin West. LAST YEAR: 9th

Buccaneers

In: Tim Allnutt (centre, Galwegians), Gavin Schoemann (second row, Old Crescent), Gareth Halligan (hooker, Skerries), Ronan McCormack (prop, UCD), William Wallace (back row, Old Belvedere).

Out: Craig Brownlie (back row), Simon Allnutt (outhalf), Kevin Barrett (second row), all New Zealand, Robert Lee (full back, Galwegians), Paul Whittaker (centre, England), Matt Walker (wing, England), Eamon Molloy (centre, Suttonians) Wayne Munn (winger, Old Crescent), Rowan Frost (second row, DLSP)

Captain: Eoin Brennan.

Coach: Jaques Hanekon.

Last Year: 13th

Clontarf

In: Stephen Cullen (hooker), Andrew Woods (number 8), both DLSP, Mark Woods (back, Lansdowne), Jimmy Dempsey (outhalf, Skerries), Tommy Kiernan (winger, Cork Con), Ryan Westaway (scrumhalf, Australia), Matt Kennedy (hooker, Italy), Richie Cowman (outhalf, Aer Lingus), Terry Price (hooker, Aer Lingus).

Out: Bobby Baggott (number 8, Carlow), Shane McEntee (back row, Wanderers), Richie Murphy (outhalf, Greystones), Ger Fraser (outhalf, Coolmine), Rob Noble (centre) and Dave Mahon (both Bective).

Captain: Not appointed.

Coach: Phil Werahiko

Last Year: 11th

Co Carlow

In: Russel Armstrong (outhalf, UCD), Wesley Whitten (second row, Old Belvedere), Bobby Baggott (number eight, Clontarf), Matthew Spiller (full back, NZ), Bill Murphy (outhalf, Kilkenny), Richard Jones (scrumhalf, Kilkenny), Jimmy Hayton (prop, SA)

Out: Stephen McIvor (scrumhalf, Galway Corinthians), Andy McGrath (outhalf, NZ).

Captain: Andy Melville.

Coach: Kim Thurbon.

Last Year: promoted.

Cork Constitution

In: Dave Hurley (wing, Midleton), David Johnson (wing, Blackrock), Stephen Keane (Sunday's Well), Gareth Murray (prop), Fergal O'Gara (centre), Joe Sheehan (back row), Harry Casey (scrum-half) all UCC, Jim Williams (back row, ACT Brumbies).

Out: Craig Taylor (flanker, Aus), Tommy Kiernan (winger, Clontarf).

Captain: Ultan O'Callaghan.

Coach: Brian Hickey

Last year: Finalists

DLSP

In: Jason Critchley (centre, Dax), Aaron Davis (hooker, Bedford), Richard Candlin (second row, Bedford), Sean McCarthy (flanker, Randwick, Aus), Jack Deen (number eight, Natal, SA), Karl Lillis (returned from travelling), David Owens (second row, London Irish).

Out: Stephen Cullen (hooker), Andy Wood (number eight), both Clontarf, Rowan Frost (second row, Buccaneers), Phillip Costello (full back), Orrin Malone (centre), both Terenure, Andy Mclean (wing), Mark Kavanagh (prop), both Greystones, Shane Stephens (centre, New Zealand), Kenny Wheelock (second row), Simon O'Donnell (back row), both Aus, Declan O'Brien (back row, Blackrock).

Captain: Seamus Sarsfield.

Coach: Adrian Skeggs (Aus).

Last Year: 14th

Dungannon

In: Tim Barker (number eight, Malone), Paul Curry (hooker, City of Derry), John Campbell (prop, Terenure), Jeremey Davidson (second row, Castres), Kieron Campbell (scrumhalf, London Irish), Seamus Mallon (centre, City of Derry), Alan Redpath (centre, Armagh).

Out: Stephen Bell (scrumhalf, Bedford), Alistair Clarke (centre, Ballynahinch), Andy Mackey (centre, Malone).

Captain: Alistair Boyd.

Coach: Willie Anderson.

Last Year: Winners.

Galwegians

In: Marnus Uijs (hooker, Corinthians), David Brady (wing), Kevin Ward (prop, both Ballina), Rob Lee (full back, Buccaneers), Fionn McLoughlin (outhalf, Welsh Schools), Ger Flannery (hooker, UCC), Graham Heaslip (second row, Wanderers)

Out: Willy Ruane (fullback, Balllina), Denver Rumney (winger, Instonians), Tim Allnutt (centre, Buccaneers), Paul Cleary (hooker, retired).

Captain: Barry Gavin.

Coach: Kevin Dineen.

Last Year: Semi-final.

Garryowen

In: Dermot Davis (prop), Billy Treacy (full back/outhalf), both Old Crescent), Ronan Connolly (back row, Skerries), Dean Mitchell (full back, Saracens), Ray Niland (winger, Lansdowne), John Langford (second row, Shannon), Kieron Laurin (prop, Auxerre, Fra), Cyril Tupinier (wing, Montpelier, Fra), Peter Malone (back row, Bruff), Johnny Carroll (full back, Capetown Uni, SA).

Out: Dermot McInerney (centre, Terenure), Paul McDonagh (full back, Old Crescent), Nial Hartigan (prop, Young Munster), Steve MacKay (wing, Ontago, New Zealand).

Captain: Colin Varley.

Coach: Andy Earl.

Last Year: 7th

Lansdowne

In: Alan McGowan (outhalf, Blackrock), Brian Doherty (wing/fullback, Old Wesley), Fiachra Baynes (wing, Greystones), Anthony Ronan (hooker, Old Belvedere), Owen Carroll (scrumhalf, Canadian Uni, Paris), Brian O'Mahony (outhalf, UCC), Mark McDermott (hooker, Shannon), Dave Brosnan (back row, UL Bohemians).

Out: Colin McEntee (number eight, Naas), Nial Geoghegan (scrumhalf, Terenure), Ray Niland (wing, Garryowen), Paul Barry (centre, no club).

Captain: Stephen Rooney.

Coach: Harry Williams.

Last Year: 12th.

Shannon

In: Melvyn McNamara (wing/full back, Garryowen), Eamon Buckley (Young Munster), Mike Hayes (prop), Nathan Burgess (second row), both New Zealand, Stephen Conway (centre, UCC), James Blaney (hooker), Derek Hegarty (scrum-half), both Terenure.

Out: Jason Hayes (utility back, Young Munster), Mark McDermott (hooker, Lansdowne), John O'Neil (winger, Sunday's Well) .

Captain: David Quinlan.

Coach: Geoff Moylan

Last Year: 8th.

St Mary's College

In: Barry Lynn (out-half), James Norton (winger, both UCD), Kieron Lewis (centre, D.U.), John Ryan (second row), Paddy Dunne (wing, both Blackrock), Leslie Copeland (fullback, Monkstown), Peter Cameron (scrumhalf, SA EU), Mark O'Shaughnessy (back row, New Zealand, EU), Aidan McCarthy (back row, Midleton), James Quinn (centre, Corinthians).

Out: Trevor Brennan (back row, Barnhall), Noel Foxe (prop, Blackrock), Eddie Hekenui (outhalf, New Zealand).

Captain: Peter Smyth. Coach: Brent Pope.

Last Year: 6th .

Terenure College

In: Ross O'Connor (centre, Old Wesley), Phil Costelloe (wing), Orrin Malone (centre), both DLSP, Nicholas Allica (second row, Australia, EU), Clinton Hall (full back/wing, SA EU), Colin Moynagh (centre, UCD), James Sullivan (centre, Queensland), Dermot McInerney (centre, Garryowen), Niall Geoghegan (scrumhalf, Lansdowne).

Out: James Blaney (hooker), Derek Hegarty (scrumhalf, both Shannon), John Campbell (prop, Dungannon).

Captain: Shane Cullen.

Coach: Kevin Putt Last year: 10th

UCD

In: Niall Breslin (back row, Len Devel contract)

Out: Paddy Wallace (outhalf, Ballymena), Ronan McCormack (prop, Buccaneers), Barry Lynn (outhalf), James Norton (wing), both St Mary's, Colin Moynagh (centre, Terenure), Russell Armstrong (outhalf/centre, Carlow).

Captain: Shane Moore Coach: Darragh Rowley.

Last Year: Div 2 winners.

Young Munster

In: Eoin Reddan (scrumhalf), Des Clohessy (prop, both Old Crescent), Niall Hartigan (prop, Garryowen), Jason Hayes (utility back, Shannon), Rob Henderson (centre, Wasps).

Out: Matt Te Pou (back row), Darragh McDonagh (back row), both Old Crescent,

Captain: Mike Lynch.

Coach: John Maloney.

Last Year: Semi-final.

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times