CONNACHT SCHOOLS SENIOR CUP: FOR THE first time in more than 30 years, Marist College, Athlone, are favourites to win this year's Connacht Senior Schools Cup.

Marist claimed their one and only title in 1977, and this year succeeded in winning their first league title – traditionally used as a barometer for cup success.

A strong Gaelic football school, rugby was revived about a decade ago, thanks primarily to the arrival of Mick Loftus. Rugby made the breakthrough at junior level in 2003 with a team that was nursed through to senior level, only to fall twice at the final hurdle to a strong Coláiste Iognaid outfit that has dominated the trophy since 2000.

Now the school is hoping to realise that long-cherished ambition, starting out this week with a quarter-final fixture over Calasanctius College in Oranmore.

The squad is captained by Robert Henshaw who made history last season when he earned Marist’s first Irish Schools cap and playing centre in the winning European Championship side.

In addition frontrow forward Saba Meunargia has been called up to the Irish Schools squad. Proving to be the complete package with plenty of competition for starting positions, Marist appear to be worthy favourites.

This year former pupil and Buccaneers coach Tony Dolan, whose son Mark played in both finals in 2007 and 2008, has taken over the senior squad which boasts a panel of 35 players.

Runners-up at the Topflight Rugby Schools’ Nations Tournament, Marist are the form team, but the favourites’ tag is something unfamiliar.

“The experience of the last two finals in which we played tells us we can take nothing for granted, particularly coming up against Calasanctius in the quarter-final as last year we only scraped past them in Oranmore,” says Loftus.

Calasanctius, along with Rice College, would be regarded as outsiders to win this year’s tournament. The Oranmore school won back-to-back junior cups in 2009 and 2010 – a huge achievement for the famed basketball nursery, but they are likely to lack the experience at senior level to challenge for honours.

They experienced a 62-0 away defeat to Marist earlier in the season, and although they should to be more competitive this week, they are unlikely to match the Athlone school in the physicality stakes.

The former kingpins of Connacht schools rugby St Joseph’s College, Garbally, face the winners of the Development Cup, either Clifden Community School or St Joseph’s College, Galway (Bish). Having suffered over the last decade following the closure of its boarding facilities, the school is enjoying a revival with close ties to Ballinasloe RFC.

Always well drilled, Garbally will be expected to advance to the next round, and are seen as the “dark horses” this year.

The biggest threat to Marist’s ambition is expected to come from the school with a long rugby tradition in the west of Ireland. Sligo Grammar is the last remaining boarding bastion in the province and can never be discounted.

Winners in 2010 and finalists last year when they lost 23-13 to Coláiste Iognaid (The Jes), Sligo lost to Marist in the schools league final by 15-8 on a day when the elements played a big part, and they will feel that was one trophy that was left behind. With a small squad, injuries are always a factor, but their biggest challenge in the early stages will come from Coláiste Iognaid in the quarter-final in Sligo.

Like Marist, Sligo are strong up front where they are led by Irish Schools and Connacht Under-19 player Thomas Ferrari, secondrow Irish schools squad member Shane Boyle, Connacht Schools number eight Diarmaid O’Dowd Hill, while possessing their attacking threat in fullback and Connacht schools player Colm Egan, who played at outhalf in last year’s final, and fellow Connacht player, scrumhalf Enda Gavin.

Last year’s champions The Jes should never be discounted, but they have one major hurdle – Sligo Grammar at home. With a huge turnover in players from their dominant side of the previous five years – only seven players from last season’s squad remains, The Jes face an uphill battle to qualify for the semi-finals this season.