St Mary’s v Clontarf rematch the headliner in AIL second round

Opening days can be misleading, but this weekend’s AIL second round may or may not confirm some eye-catching first impressions. A repeat of April’s final between champions St Mary’s and Clontarf at Templeville Road is a prime case in point.

St Mary’s began their title defence with a statement 19-18 win away to Lansdowne and, stability being central to their success, Mark McHugh is the only Division 1A head coach to name an unchanged starting XV.