Reigning champions Lansdowne were warned that life could be tough in this season’s Ulster Bank League when they lost their seasonal opener at home to newcomers UCD on Saturday.

Clontarf 26 Dolphin 31

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 16 CLONTARF 3

DOLPHIN 18 CLONTARF 20, Musgrave Park

Clontarf 18 Lansdowne 20

Clontarf 35 UL Bohemian 10, Castle Avenue

Cork Constitution 22 Clontarf 20

Cork Constitution will unveil some new players when they open their Ulster Bank AIL campaign at Temple Hill today against Clontarf (2.30pm).

Barry O’Mahony, the one-time Ireland Schools and Dolphin wing-forward, was one of five former Munster players to take a leading role as Clontarf pulled off a hugely important victory over Young Munster in the Ulster Bank League at Clifford Park on Saturday.

The big breakthrough of 1968 is still spoken about with affection by students and staff of St Munchin’s College, who had to watch for years as schools around them racked up Munster Schools Senior Cup titles at their expense.

St Munchin’s dominated territorially and were by far the greater physical force, yet they were fully extended to overcome Limerick city rivals Ardscoil Rís in the quarter-final of the Avonmore Milk Munster Senior Schools Cup at Clifford Park yesterday.

An outstanding forward pack powered by one of the Ryan triplets in each of the three rows of the scrum was the decisive element in St Munchin’s impressive victory in yesterday’s Avonmore Munster Schools Senior Cup quarter-final at Dooradoyle.

OSTENSIBLY a clash between Cork and Dublin clubs, this Ulster Bank League showdown instead had all the ingredients of a local derby — mates locking horns, not much in it on the scoreboard and technique sacrificed for passion.

Property consultants CBRE have said that pedestrian footfall on Dublin's Grafton Street has risen by almost 10% compared to the same quarter last year.

Cork Constitution 26 Clontarf 18

TODAY will be a strange one for a trio of players dubbed ‘The Boys of Contarf’ following their transfers from Cork Constitution.

Wanderers and Lansdowne captains Michael Kevany and Ross McCarron join Ulster Bank’s Joanna Fitzpatrick at the Aviva Stadium.

Old Belvedere 22 Clontarf 20

The Ireland Club team to play England Counties in the Ulster Bank Club International at Anglesea Road on Friday evening has been named.

The Ulster Bank Club International team to play Scotland Clubs in Netherdale on Friday March 11 has been named.

A HOMECOMING of sorts, albeit a spoiled one.

CLONTARF 25 LANSDOWNE 18

CHAMPIONS Cork Constitution got their All-Ireland League campaign off to a perfect start with victory at Blackrock College on Saturday.

Clontarf 26 Bruff 11

FRANK COGAN will lead champions Cork Constitution into All Ireland League battle today against Blackrock College at Stradbrook (2.30pm), and coach Brian Walsh expects a battle rather than a skirmish.

AS with all disappointments, time is a great healer. Travelling home empty handed from the two Heineken Cup semi-finals 10 days ago, even the potential of a Magners league play-off meeting between Leinster and Munster appeared somewhat hollow.

IF possession and field position counted for everything, St Mary’s College would today be still celebrating their second AIB All-Ireland League title.

AIB LEAGUE: DIVISION 1 FINAL:

PREVIEW: AIB League Division One Final

THOSE who believe Irish club rugby is on the wane will be quickly contradicted by two of the leading captains in the country.

St. Mary's College 24 Cork Constitution 20

IRELAND half-back pair Sam Cronin and Barry Keeshan will be keen to return to some unfinished business when they face their Scottish counterparts in a Club International at Donnybrook tonight (7pm).

THE Ireland Club team to play their Scottish counterparts in the AIB Club International (tomorrow, Donnybrook, 7pm) shows several changes from the side defeated by England Counties in February.

Dolphin’s Sam Cronin will captain the Ireland Club against the Scotland Club side in the AIB Club International in Donnybrook on Friday evening.

TOMORROW’S ODM Munster Senior Cup semi-final clash between champions Cork Constitution and Young Munster was in serious doubt last evening as the Cork club met to discuss whether or not to fulfil the fixture, fixed for Musgrave Park.

Coach David O'Mahony has selected players from 12 different clubs for the Ireland Club international against England Counties in Stourbridge on Friday night.

ST MUNCHIN’S emerged with the narrowest of winners from an exciting Avonmore Milk Munster Schools Senior Cup derby against Limerick rivals Crescent at Dooradoyle yesterday.

Cork Constitution 15 Garryowen 11

Cork Constitution 33 Shannon 14

IF Clontarf win a first AIB League title this season, they cannot be accused of taking the easy route.

Cork Constitution 6 Clontarf 25

Cork Constitution 6 Ballynahinch17