Waterpark

Coach: Jimmy Condon

Captain: Brian Murphy

Players from last year: Information not available.

Last five years: 2000-1996 - First round.

Verdict: Will find it difficult to get out of the weaker group and, with inconsistent form this season, can't be looking beyond the first round.

Colaiste Mhuire

Coach: Pat Coghlan.

Captain: Graham Donovan.

Players from last year: Padraig Vallely, Graham Donovan, Peter O'Leary, Peter Greene.

Last five years: 2000 quarter-final (Mungret Cup winners), 1999 beaten finalists Mungret Cup; 1998 Winners O'Brien Cup; 1997 beaten finalists Mungret Cup.

Verdict: The first-round clash with St Nessan's is likely to prove a real challenge and, with only two victories this season, the chances of the Crosshaven school going further are slim.

Bandon

Coaches: David Sutton, George Bradfield.

Captain: Ronan Harris.

Players from last year: John Hudson, Richard Lester, Barry Dempsey, Aaroon Hughes, Leslie Busteed, Ronan Harris.

Last five years: 2000 second round; 1999 first round; 1998 third round; 1997 second round; 1996 second round.

Verdict: Bandon have an impressive record this season in that they won six of their seven games, the only problem being that the game they lost was against Glenstal Abbey - their first round opponents. Reached the second round last year, but are likely to suffer against one of the stronger Glenstal teams of recent years.

Glenstal

Coach: Denis Hooper.

Captain: James Kennedy.

Players from last year: Mark McElligott, Mark Timmons, Ian Carroll, Alex Grant, Alban Coghlan, James Kennedy, Tom O'Brien.

Last five years: 2000 quarter-final; 1999 semi-final; 1998 quarter-final; 1997 quarter-final; 1996 quarter-final.

Verdict: The ambition this year is to win back the Mungret Cup and reach the quarterfinal of the senior cup. Having won 10 out 10 matches this season, they certainly have the form to do that. Captain James Kennedy is likely to feature strongly.

Midleton College

Coach: Martin Preston.

Captain: Mark Daunt

Players from last year: Simon Lyons, Matt Ross, Richard Murphy, Andrew O'Brien, Rory O'Carroll, Mark Daunt, Robert Moore, Sean Hollywood, Triston Tait, Philip Morris.

Last five years: 2000 first round; 1999 first round; 1998 first round; 1997 first round; 1996 second round.

Verdict: Midleton have a poor record in recent years and will need something special to reach the latter stages. They do, however, benefit from a bye into the second round where they will met the winners of Bandon and Glenstal.

Crescent

Coach: Chris Cullinan.

Captain: Brian Tuohy.

Players from last year: Anthony Gheogan, Owen Griffin, Brian Tuohy.

Last five years: 2000 semi-final; 1999 semifinal; 1998 first round; 1997 semi-final; 1996 first round.

Verdict: Like Rockwell College, Crescent must await the winners of the first and second round stages before knowing who they will play in the third round. They should then progress to the semi-final for the third year in a row, but the winners of the PBC/St Munchin's tie are likely to prove too strong.

St Munchin's

Coaches: John Broderick, Colm McMahon.

Captain: Eoin Nihill.

Players from last year: Brian Carroll, David O'Brien, Eoin Nihill.

Last five years: 2000 quarter-final; 1999 beaten finalists; 1998 semi-final; 1997 beaten finalists; 1996 semi-final.

Verdict: An impressive record this season of 10 wins and three draws from 18 games indicates that St Munchin's once again have the ability to reach the latter stages. The first big test will come in the third round when they meet PBC - and a win there could see them reach the final.

PBC

Coaches: Bernard O'Shaughnessy, Paul McCarthy.

Captain: Fergus Gately.

Players from last year: Ronan Murphy, Niall O'Connor, Richard Lane, Fergus Gately.

Last five years: 2000 quarter-final; 1999 quarter-final; 1998 semi-final; 1997 beaten finalists; 1996 Cup winners.

Verdict: For the first time in three years, PBC are in the opposite half of the draw to Cork city rivals CBC and that could well spur them to the final for the first time since 1997. St Munchin's will provide them with formidable opposition but they should progress nonetheless.

Rockwell College

Coaches: Alan Rutherford, Tony Smith.

Captain: Eoin Macken

Players from last year: Brendan Mackey, Cormac McNaughton, James Clifford, Eoin Macken, Brendan O'Connor.

Last five years: 2000 beaten finalists; 199996 quarter-final.

Verdict: A win over their third round opponents could produce a semi-final meeting with CBC, a repeat of last year's final. And having been beaten by the Cork school already this season, that is likely be as far as they get.

CBC

Coach: Greg Ahern

Captain: Frank Cogan

Players from last year: Vincent Soden, Shane O'Connor, Mark Canning, Peter Murphy, Sean Meany, Paddy Quinlan, Frank Cogan, Colin Murphy, Joe Cullen, Tomas O'Leary.

Last five years: 2000 winners; 1999 winners; 1998 winners; 1997 winners; 1996 beaten finalists.

Verdict: Another very successful season for CBC to date again raises the question: who can beat them? They've already beaten the likes of Terenure and Clongowes and seem destined yet again to reach the final.

St Nessan's

Coach: Tony Hartery; Assistants: Mike Nix, Fr Gerry Slattery.

Captain: Eoin O'Dwyer.

Players from last year: David O'Mahony, Shane Guerin, Eoin O'Dwyer.

Last five years: Reached semi-final of B section in three of the last five years.

Verdict: With three players in the Munster schools side, St Nessan's should have the slight edge on Colaiste Mhuire in the first round. Having already beaten St Clement's, they have the ability to progress to the third round.

Ard Scoil Ris

Coach: Des Harty.

Captain: Stephen Bradshaw.

Players from last year: Eddie Molloy, Shane Doyle, Brendan O'Brien, Stephen Bradshaw.

Last five years: 2000 - semi-final; 1996-96 - n/a.

Verdict: The Limerick school fell to CBC in the semi-final last year and, unfortunately for them, they have drawn the same opposition in their first game. Their playing record of six wins from 14 games is just one indication that a place in the semi-final is almost certain to be beyond them.

St Clement's

Coach: John Sheehan.

Captain: Billy Higgins.

Players from last year: Did not enter cup.

Last five years: Not available.

Verdict: The first round game with Waterpark should be evenly matched. With three players from the Munster panel - Daniel Jones, Darragh Nicholas and Darren Gleeson - St Clement's are a reasonably experienced side, especially in the backline. Not the most impressive playing record this season (won three, lost six), but a second round place is certainly a possibility.