The teams for this weekend's round of AIL rugby fixtures have been announced today.

Blackrock College will be able to call on the strike power of their Ireland U20s Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken in Division 1A against a Dolphin disrupted without their regular number eight James Coughlan, who has been called up by Munster.

A FEAST of running rugby in the Aviva Stadium – unfortunately for anyone hoping for a competitive opening encounter in the O2 Challenge, all of it came from one side.

MARTIN MURPHY never doubted that this day would come. While the Aviva Stadium had its detractors, once planning permission was granted, the stadium director could visualise the gates opening at 1pm as they do today for the O2 Challenge between a Connacht/Munster selection and a team representing Leinster/Ulster (2.30pm).

Dublin 2-16 Wexford 0-15 (aet)

Mayo 1-19 Dublin 0-14

TYRONE will be playing NFL Division Two football for the first time in the 21st century next year, courtesy of a power-packed first-half display from a Dublin side playing their best football of the campaign.

Tyrone 1-11 Dublin 2-14

Cork manager Conor Counihan and his Dublin counterpart Pat Gilroy have named their sides for tomorrow night's Allianz National Football League Division 1 encounter at Pairc Ui Rinn (7.30pm).

NICHOLAS MURPHY returns to the Cork team for Saturday’s NFL game against Tyrone in Omagh.

DERRY manager Damian Cassidy pulled no punches after this fixture, describing the disciplinary system which had deprived him of attacker Eoin Bradley as “a farce”.

DUBLIN football manager Pat Gilroy has described the decision to screen three of his side’s four NFL games live on Setanta’s subscription channel as “harsh” on the county’s supporters.

THOUGHTS of last August’s All-Ireland quarter-final will inevitably spring to mind when Kerry and Dublin meet on Sunday, but Pat Gilroy is, understandably, concentrating on the season to come rather than the last.

Only five of the team which started last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final are in Dublin’s starting line-up for this Sunday’s Division 1 NFL clash against Kerry at Fitzgerald Stadium (KO 2.30pm).

DUBLIN and Meath will have to do it all over again after 90 minutes of football failed to separate the old sparring partners in a thrilling O’Byrne Cup tie at Parnell Park yesterday.

DUBLIN captain Paul Griffin has declared his opposition to a motion from his own county board that would give a second chance to provincial football champions who lose at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.

IT was Dublin alright, but not as we know them.

MICHAEL McAULEY may get his chance to prove he’s Dublin’s new Ciarán Whelan when the 2010 season begins on Sunday.

MARK McCALLON netted a golden goal in Mullingar yesterday to keep Garrycastle on track for an historic Leinster Club SFC football title. Not alone has the Westmeath club never won the provincial title, but no team from the Lake County has ever managed to annex the provincial crown.

Ballyboden St. Endas 1-10 Rathnew 1-7