St Mary's have slight edge on form book

Leinster Senior Cup final: Recent form makes this meeting difficult to call. Both clubs experienced shaky starts to their All-Ireland League campaigns but have since addressed their form by progressing to this final with perfect records while also climbing into play-off spots in Division One.

St Mary's, in particular, have proven their worth in recent weeks by beating the supposed league champions-elect, Shannon, at home before an impressive away scalp in Ballymena. They have also proven to be an effective unit in the absence of Leinster outhalf Johnny Sexton.

They accounted for UCD twice, Bective, Skerries and DLSP en route to today's final.

Clontarf are the one Dublin club to have threatened the recent Munster monopoly of Irish club rugby. Seapoint, Barnhall, Wanderers, Old Belvedere and Lansdowne have been their victims in this competition. Recent defeats of Terenure and Dolphin leave them in fourth place in the AIL and make them slight favourites here.

Certain head-to-heads could dictate the outcome and have resonating effects on individual prospects.

At scrumhalf Paul O'Donohoe of Clontarf against Matt D'Arcy of St Mary's can be interpreted as a straight fight for a Leinster contract as both are currently in the academy.

For St Mary's, the Argentinian loosehead Juan Gomez has failed to make an impact at professional level and comes into direct contact with the former Leinster prop Niall Treston here.

Treston played for Leinster in the 2003 European Cup semi-final defeat to Perpignan but has since been hampered by injury and returned from Coventry this season.

These teams last met in the 2005/2006 final, when Clontarf prevailed 23-16. The tide may well turn this time around.

CLONTARF: P O'Brien; P Howard, M Hewitt, C Keegan, M Rantz-McDonald; I Keatley, P O'Donohoe; K Dorian, N Carson, N Treston; J Duffy, A Trenier; S Crawford (capt), S O'Donnell, P Purdue. Replacements: AJ Clarke, D Lambert, N Dennis, D Keane, C Keane, N McNamara, D Ó Síocháin.

ST MARY'S: R Gannon; D Fanning, K Douglas, M Sexton, R Doherty; F Lynch, M D'Arcy; J Gomez, Richard Sweeney, Robert Sweeney; E Keane, G Logan (capt); C McInerney, H Hogan, K Sheahan. Replacements: (from) K Greene, C Hogan, C McMahon, M Duggan, M Crockett, F O'Sullivan, M Donnellan, M Skelton.

Referee: Eanna O'Dowd (ARLB).

Meanwhile, Shannon are expected to prove too strong for Highfield in the Munster Senior Cup final at Musgrave Park (kick-off 2.30pm) today.

Mick Galwey's men currently lie second in the All-Ireland League having lost just once in seven outings, while the Cork club languish ninth in Division Two.