Old Belvedere have the edge

RUGBY: ALL IRELAND LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL PREVIEWS: Olod Belvedere v Clontarf: TODAY’S COMBATANTS wobbled slightly in terms of results…

RUGBY: ALL IRELAND LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL PREVIEWS: Olod Belvedere v Clontarf:TODAY'S COMBATANTS wobbled slightly in terms of results in the final throes of the regular season but those blips are likely to be cast aside this afternoon.

Old Belvedere finished second in the elite division while Clontarf topped 1B to earn the right to contest today’s Ulster Bank All Ireland semi-final.

A firm, dry sod should suit the home side who prefer to use the full expanse of the pitch to maximise the impact of fullback Danny Riordan and the prolific and pacy David Mongan on the left wing.

First, though, Belvedere must secure possession and that won’t be a straight-forward remit against a powerful Clontarf eight.

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Young hooker Aaron Dundon has enjoyed a cameo or two with Leinster in recent times and is a strong, mobile, hard-carrying, try-scoring presence; in the latter respect he leads the way for Clontarf alongside wing Michael Keating with five tries apiece.

Ben Gissing’s experience, strength and streetwise footballing nous singles him out as an important performer in a pack led by Niall Treston.

Belvedere have some good young forwards in the Connacht-bound tighthead prop Stewart Maguire and his fellow Leinster academy prospect, Ben Marshall, but number eight Leo Auva’a invariably provides the go-forward impetus. Clontarf will know stopping him will be vital.

Richie Leyden is more of a backrow than secondrow and this appears to underline Belvedere’s intent to play an expansive game at a high tempo. David Gilchrist and Jonathan Slattery were both good schools players.

The home side have elected to leave a couple of former interprovincial players, outhalf and backs’ coach Andy Dunne and scrumhalf Chris Keane on the bench.

Clontarf have plenty of zip behind the scrum through underage representative wing Collie O’Shea, Michael Keating and Evan Ryan.

Belvedere will start as marginal favourites but to support that assertion they’ll want to avoid an arm-wrestle up front. If they can establish a platform at set-pieces and guarantee quick ruck ball at the breakdown then they certainly possess the cutting edge to translate it into points. It’ll be close but the home side to shade it.

OLD BELVEDERE:D Riordan; E Devitt, J Kennedy, B Woods, D Mongan; Conal Keane, S Keogh; V Soden, D Gilchrist, S Maguire; R Leydon, B Marshall; J Slattery, J Risden, L Auva'a.

CLONTARF: D O'Shea; M Keating, K Lett, E Ryan, C O'Shea; M Dufficy, H Nolan; C Kavanagh, A Dundon, N Treston (capt); B Gissing, M Kearney; E Cremin, B O'Mahony, S Crawford.

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an Irish Times sports writer