Holders in crucial test

As much as the Twickenham defeat demoralised Irish rugby folk, the feel-good factor generated by events in Paris last Sunday should be reflected in the attendances and interest in today's round of AIB League matches.

And if desperate times call for desperate measures, then nowhere is this truer than at the holders Cork Constitution and last season's semi-finalists Buccaneers. Both can assuredly kiss goodbye their top four aspirations if either suffers a home defeat to Terenure or Ballymena respectively. With St Mary's idle, Terenure can go top at Temple Hill.

Each has had four defeats thus far and bearing in mind their poor return in bonus points they can illafford another. Alternatively, they must each still be thinking that a sequence of four successive victories on the run-in might just do it for them.

Dungannon are in a similar position on the eve of an imposing game at Young Munster, and although Shannon also have four defeats their plight is considerably eased by having accumulated more bonus points than any other side in the top flight.

Shannon must have notions at the back of their mind about winning maximum points again today, although DLSP will be on a high after their remarkable defeat of Constitution the last time out.

Bonus points are liable to be critical in the top-four shake-up and with the finishing line in sight, the weather and the pitches improving, the increase in tries a fortnight ago may well be maintained.

Garryowen have been the most prolific try scorers with 20 thus far but their hosts Lansdowne have conceded less tries (five) except for St Mary's.

Remarkably, only Clontarf (also idle today) have scored as few tries as Young Munster (five) so far, yet the Limerick side remain firmly in third position and like Cork Constitution will today be protecting two of the four 100 per cent home records in Division One.

Ireland's opening match in the first round of the Hong Kong Sevens yesterday had the ring of last October's World Cup as like their 15-man counterparts, they were beaten by Argentina, this time to the tune of 34-0.

Meanwhile, Fijian flyer Vilimoni Delasau helped the South Pacific wizards crush China 80-0 as Six Nations wooden spoon candidates Scotland slumped to a 24-14 upset defeat to Hong Kong in the opening round.

France needed a last-gasp score to overcome a physical Croatian national side 10-7. England had an easier time of it with a 45-5 victory over the Arabian Gulf while Italy also got their campaign off to a winning start with a 19-7 triumph against Japan.

Elsewhere, Fiji's long-time rivals for seven-a-side supremacy New Zealand also enjoyed a cushy opening match with a comfortable 64-5 win against Singapore. The remaining matches in the six pools of four teams will be played today with the knockout cup competitions tomorrow.