Shannon's glory days have cast a long shadow. Four All-Ireland League titles in succession in the 90s and the image of the invincibility of the Limerick team was cast in stone.

But Shannon's prowess as serial winners of All-Ireland leagues had to come to an end and the club with a long-term view identified the need for regeneration.

For several of the players who have filled places on the campaign team while the contracted players roamed around Europe with Munster and Ireland, this weekend will be a difficult balancing act.

Captain David Quinlan and coach Geoff Moylan have had to oversee the delicate management of players and the evolution of the four-in-a-row team into a new millennium Shannon.

The rich pickings of the 90s and Pat Murray's Grand Slam winning team of 1994-95 will maintain their vital place in Shannon history but the club's success during those years, like now, were grounded in reality.

"It's not a pressure to try and do what the successful team in the 90s did," says Quinlan.

"It's a couple of years since we won it, even been in the play-offs and it's a whole new team basically. Most of them haven't been in league finals and haven't won before so, no, it's not really a burden for this team that Shannon won four in a row.

"Geoff (Moylan) is very much like the squad. He's a new guy. He's worked his way through the last couple of years. Himself and Paul McMahon have really helped us gel together.

"You know, they've been fresh and new and we've kinda gotten away from the four-in-a-row team. I don't think that was a deliberate effort to move away from that team. It just had to be done because we'd so many guys involved with Munster and Ireland. We had to bring in new players at some stage."

Quinlan, variously described as a hooker, flanker and number eight, has played all of his games this year at the back of the scrum at eight. He was involved in the last win four years ago when Anthony Foley was captain but played only in a bit part in the league phase of the competition.

"Yeh, I was due a medal for that one. But I still haven't received it. Yeh, go on put that in," he says.

Mindful of fringe players and those who may have to sit it out on Saturday, Quinlan is sensitive to the issue but unapologetic for supporting what is understood as giving Shannon their best chance to beat Cork Constitution. That may also involve the higher profile players warming the bench, at least for the beginning of the match.

"The attitude of the guys has been great. The guys who have come back in have accepted that we had players who had been going all year, been training hard for us. There were a lot of tough calls.

"It's hard on fellas who've been playing all season to be left out. It has also been tough on the guys coming back in as outsiders because they haven't played with us all year.

"Players have taken been dropped in the same way as the interprovincial players have taken it when they've been asked to sit on the bench," he says.

When the two finalists last met in early January, it was Constitution who emerged as convincing winners and also demonstrated that physically they may be the dominant team at Lansdowne Road too. But Shannon have faced bigger packs all year. Their mobility and the individual ability of a number players set them apart.

"We got beaten by about eight points when we played them (Constitution) in January. It was a tough game. We went down but got back into it, then conceded a silly try. In the end they deserved to win it. They were very physical, too strong for us," Says Quinlan.

"You just have to look at their team 1 to 15 and you struggle to pick out a weak link. They also finished at the top of the table.

"Yeah, I'd say they're favourites. And the one thing that will stand to Con is last year's experience, where they got steam rolled by Dungannon totally by surprise. I think that will have given them experience."

No doubt Constitution are talking up the merits of Shannon as much as the personable Quinlan seeks to highlight just how strong last year's finalists are.

But there will be a confidence accompanying Shannon to Lansdowne Road born out of their season's efforts of successfully switching personnel, filling holes and generally adapting to changing rugby climates.

"The one thing about finals," adds Quinlan "is you are never sure of how they are going to go. It's a day that you can hit the pitch and freeze or hit the ground running." No better team in Ireland to know how to do the latter.