New recruits boost hopes of title dreamers

It's back. For better or worse, the AIB All-Ireland League cranks back into top gear this Saturday with the opening round of the first division.

A host of high-profile, mid-profile and low-profile new recruits and transfers are in line to make their debuts, many of whom will literally only have been introduced to the bulk of their new club-mates this week due to World Cup and European Cup commitments.

A case in point is Mike Mullins who, fresh from his startling display in Munster's 35-34 defeat of Saracens, makes his debut for the club of his father's parish when Young Munster entertain Clontarf. Anything like a repeat of his display last Sunday when he scored one, created two and missed a couple of tackles for a few more, should be worth the admission money alone.

However, it is as much the presence of his new band of debutante young tyros which has new coach John "Packo" Fitzgerald palpably jumping in his socks. "We have a good squad; I'm really looking forward to it," enthused Fitzgerald yesterday.

There is 20-year-old full back Tom Cregan, who Fitzgerald hopes can also solve the placekicking problems which so undermined Young Munster last season; there's the returning centre Leo Doyle from Old Crescent, who along with Mullins is keeping Sean McCahill "playing his best rugby" out of the team; another newcomer is 20-year-old left-winger Finbar Hogan, a dual status player from Bruff, the "fastest player in the club"; and there's "outstanding" 19-year-old lock Paul O'Connell, an Irish Youths and under-21 star who "will play for Ireland - guaranteed."

There are also a couple more debutantes in the back row, namely abrasive Connacht flanker Ian Dillon, recruited from Bohemians, and Matt te Pau, the Tongan World Cup number eight signed from Richmond.

The latter, along with Mullins and Peter Clohessy, prompted Fitzgerald's rhetorical question, "when was the last time Young Munster had three World Cup players?"

The flip side of all this is that stalwarts such as Ger Earls, Des Clohessy and Derek Tobin have been ruled out by recent injuries, but the coach does not seem unduly concerned, more encouraged by the unprecedented strength in depth available to him compared to recent times.

Lansdowne are probably the other club to rival Young Munster for the tag of proverbial dark horses, and they will host the favourites Shannon in a fixture which has proved a bit of a bugbear for the club of the 90s.

Lansdowne begin where they left off last season with most of their team intact, albeit now without the retired Kurt McQuilkin. Andrew O'Neill, a 20-year-old former Blackrock schools player who was at Bath last year, makes his debut on the left wing, as does Brian Cusack in the second row and Irish under-21 flanker Aidan McCullan, who had been studying in Dax last year.

Shannon, with five of the all-conquering Munster pack, and the likes of Marcus Horan, captain Mark McDermott and Eddie Halvey to ably fill in the numbers, have yet to select but expect to be at full-strength. Holders Cork Constitution travel to their victims in last year's semi-final. Already without David Corkery, their selection has been delayed pending fitness checks on Munster's wounded pair, Frankie Sheehan and Cian Mahoney.

Buccaneers' newly installed successor to Eddie O'Sullivan, Brian Rigney, anxiously awaits a fitness test on his recently sidelined scrum-half Stephen McIvor, and is comparatively less concerned about the bouts of food poisoning Martyn Steffert and Conor Kilroy picked up with Connacht in Bucharest.

St Mary's, away to newly promoted Dungannon, will be without Conor McGuinness indefinitely, although Eoin McCormack's departure has been offset by the return of Philip Lynch. Trevor Brennan has also been advised to rest his shoulder some more, while Brent Pope waits on Malcolm O'Kelly (neck) and Ray McIlreavy (shoulder) before finalising his line-up.

His counterpart Willie Anderson has a major doubt over Jonathan Bell, and similarly Ballymena have their fingers crossed that Dion O'Cuinneagain will have recovered from his shoulder injuries to make his debut at home to newly promoted DLSP. His chances are rated at "60-40".

Philip Werahiko has already unveiled DLSP's opening hand in their first game in Division One, encouraged by the presence of the Condron brothers in an improved front row. Their tight five has been further buttressed by the arrival of their AIL debutante Rowan Frost, a Kiwi lock signed from Portadown, while the inform Declan O'Brien will play at number eight and Shane Stephens, after recent injuries, reverts to full back.

Garryowen, runners-up for the last two years, are confident that their new South African prop, Connie Botha, will be passed fit for his debut at home to Terenure.

Terenure unveil a few of their summer recruits, namely the ex-Oxford pair of centre Nathan Ashley and former Lansdowne out-half Richie Governey. Despite retiring with a hamstring strain in Ulster's defeat to Wasps, Eric Miller has been named at number eight.

In Division Two, Brian O'Driscoll will make his eagerly awaited debut for Blackrock as they start the long haul back to the top flight at home to Dolphin. Scrum-half James Ferris, props Aidan McSweeney and Gary Halpin, and flanker Barry Gibney make their AIL debuts for the club as well.

Old Belvedere, who travel to UCD, do so without former UCD out-half Andy Dunne and fellow Irish under-21 player Simon Keogh. Dunne is still out with a broken leg sustained playing for the Leinster under-21s. Ray Monaghan (groin) and Dave Keogh (hamstring) are also still sidelined, although Donal Martin returns following a fractured eye socket.