As expected, four of the Irish backs who were exposed to the mighty All Blacks last Saturday will experience the other end of the rugby spectrum when St Mary's entertain Blackrock College in the opening round of the AIB League this Saturday. Despite only coming together for the first time this week, thanks to their players' various representative duties, the ambitious Templeville Road club have wasted little time in naming all their big guns for this interesting opener.

Kevin Nowlan, Dennis Hickie, John McWeeney and Conor McGuinness are included along with a fifth international, rejuvenated number eight Victor Costello. St Mary's also include new recruit Trevor Brennan, the former Bective flanker who made such a big impression for Leinster. But, just as significantly perhaps, it is a measure of their improved strength that other new captures such as highly-rated, former UCD out-half Richie Ormond and ex-Wanderers prop Davide Doen are kept on the replacements' bench. Craig Fitzpatrick is selected at out-half.

The shifting balance of power in certain regions, where elite clubs are now being formed on the back of the semi-professional provincial set-ups, is also manifested by the presence of nine Ulster players in Ballymena's opening selection of the season for their home tie with Dolphin. What's more, this is in spite of the continuing absence of winger-cum-centre Sheldon Coulter (groin) and winger Innes Gray.

A similar story will no doubt be reflected in Galwegians' initial selection for their AIL Division Two campaign. They could field 10 of the Connacht side that played against Agen in the quarter-finals of the European Conference last Saturday week, although one of the legacies of that game is the shoulder injury which will definitely sideline the province's leading try-scorer in the Conference, Nigel Carolan (shoulder). However, Galwegians, like all bar Skerries in the second division, had not finalised their side yesterday. The margin for error in the second flight is considerably tighter given that only the division winners will gain automatic promotion, while the runners-up will engage in a play-off with the team which finishes 11th out of 14 in Division One.

By extension, therefore, there is also little room for error in the lower regions of the top flight, given three clubs will be automatically relegated and a fourth will be ensnared in a two-legged play-off.

The meeting at Castle Avenue of newly-promoted Clontarf and Old Crescent, who preserved their Division One status by finishing 11th last term, sets the early tone for two clubs whose primary thoughts will be of survival.

Clontarf give AIL debuts to the prolific former Greystones out-half Richie Murphy - with the mercurial skills of Mickey Fitzsimons now on the left-wing - as well as their New Zealand number eight Craig Brownlee. Old Crescent will be led by acting coach Len Dinneen following the mysterious departure of New Zealand coach Peter Eglinton so early in the season. Packing down on the other side of number eight Liam Toland will be Dinneen's brother Gareth, who has joined from Old Belvedere.

Back-rower David Bowles is injured, while prolific full back-cum-winger Brian Begley is still sidelined by the shoulder injury which ruled him out for much of last season. Much will hinge on the new half-back partnership of Colin Forde, ex-Garryowen, and Welsh-born, ex-Ballina out-half Stephen Hopkins.

The Division One campaign actually kicks-off this evening when Lansdowne entertain Old Belvedere in a match brought forward from the weekend as Wanderers are also at home. Where possible, Lansdowne intend to have their home games against fellow Dublin opposition under the Lansdowne Road lights on Friday nights or alternatively on Sunday afternoons.

Lansdowne, runners-up last season, are optimistic about this season given that their already sizeable pack looks to have been beefed up even more by their summer recruits, despite the departure of Mark McDermott to Shannon.

American-born, Leinster lineout specialist Aaron Freeman from Treorchy - who is their overseas player - and their Kiwi flanker Anton Ford both make their AIL debuts tonight.

However, some of their back strength has been diminished by the departure of Eric Elwood and Alan Reddan to Galwegians, as well as the foot injury which is liable to sideline midfield linchpin and captain Kurt McQuilkin for several more weeks. He is targeting their third game of the campaign at home to Terenure on Sunday, December 14th.

Nonetheless, Lansdowne should still have too much power for a comparatively lightweight Old Belvedere who are viewing this campaign with some trepidation. They only avoided the drop at the expense of Old Wesley on the last day of last season when two clubs were relegated.

Nor do they look appreciably stronger for the hard slog ahead. Their main ball-winner in recent seasons, Neil Francis, is to have keyhole surgery on a knee injury which is causing the club major concern, while fellow lock Mark Feeley and flanker Mike Carswell have retired. Others missing from tonight's game are centre Steve Tormey (cartilage), full back Peter McKenna (foot) and Connacht reserve prop Ray Ward (ankle).

The remaining first division clubs have all deferred selection. Holders Shannon, who begin their quest for a fourth title in a row at home to Dungannon, are awaiting fitness checks on Andrew Thompson, Jason Hayes, Kieran Maher and Ian Sherwin. Blackrock have announced a squad of 21, but will definitely be without injured scrum-half Nicky Assaf for the meeting with St Mary's.

Skerries were the only Division Two club to have finalised their opening line-up for the weekend by yesterday. Several players will be making their AIL debuts for the club, ex-Blackrock centre Donnie Connolly, ex-Lansdowne and current Munster under-20s centre Dermot O'Sullivan, ex-Lansdowne scrum-half Alan O'Sullivan and current Connacht under-20s lock Brian O'Connor. Their stalwart and inspirational hooker Billy Mulcahy will actually be making his first appearance of the season for the club after his Connacht exploits.

The consequences of representative action may be more keenly felt at Bective, where Mulcahy's front-row partner at Connacht, John Maher, is considered very doubtful for Rangers' opening game at home to Sunday's Well.

He damaged his thumb playing for the Development XV against the Exiles last Wednesday in Limerick. They are also waiting anxiously on news of injuries to both scrum-halves, Des Jackson and Mark Edwards.

Four Irish universities will compete in The Times/Students European Rugby Championship. All told, six nations will be represented in this inaugural tournament, the pool stages of which will take place from December 15th to 19th.

In pool one, the hosts Durham University will be joined by Dublin University, Roma and Swansea. The University of Wales Institute, Cardiff will host pool two, which also features Edinburgh, Queen's University and Exeter.

UCC will host Bristol, Oxford and Cardiff Medics in pool three, while Toulouse University will host Loughborough, Northumbria and UCD in pool four. Only the pool winners will progress through to the semi-finals on January 14th, the draw for which will take place in Cork on Friday December 19th. The tournament organisers hope that the final will take place on New Year's Eve and be a curtain raiser to the European Cup final.