Nothing has changed. Not even the loss of their prop Andrew Pollard to a broken ankle has de"ected a side that is very much on a mission. Prop Ian Leonard, second rows Alex Byrne and Keelan McKenna and loose forwards Rajan Reilly and Patrick Mallon are all back to redeem themselves.

Even more impressive is the fact that Byrne has moved seamlessly into the back row this year and that McKenna has to settle for a place on the bench as Stephen Mahoney, their primary impact replacement last year, started in the second row with Conor O'Sullivan in the semi-"nal destruction of Kilkenny College.

This says something about the quality of O'Sullivan when coach Greg McWilliams could have easily gone with the experience of McKenna and Mahoney in the engine room. The secret to their success is the number of ball carriers in their eight.

Mallon, Reilly, Mahoney, Byrne and Leonard are particularly effective. This has the effect of waring down the opposition as they did to St Gerard's, Belvedere and Kilkenny.

In behind, centre and captain Conor Cleary and wings Reid and Patrick Brophy are also in from last year. The new blood provided by centre Rory Pratt and halfbacks Steve Malone and Freddie Mehigan ensure a XV laced with quality right through the side.

Clongowes have made their way to the "nal on the hard work of a bruising pack of forwards with hooker Tommy Burns and tight-head Jack O'Connell two ferocious front-rowers.

The Kildare school should be able to exert heavy pressure at the scrum. The benign laws of the game at schools level will prevent them from gaining a winning edge in this aspect. Second-row Nick Mullen and captain and number eight Trevor Conneely are two "ne forwards who carry the ball with purpose.

The only question mark centres around the lack of ambition from Clongowes in the previous rounds to move the ball into the hands of their two most dangerous attackers in fullback David Kearney and centre Tom Fletcher.

Out-half Ciaran Wade is a good stepper with a sharp eye for a gap. It is his tendency to take too much time on the ball that steals precious seconds from the players outside to exploit space.

That will have to change today.

Or, Clongowes will be beaten.

Verdict St Michael's CLONGOWES WOOD D Kearney; M Sheehy, T Fletcher, S Kennedy, S Lennon;

C Wade, M McLoughlin; C Spelman, T Burns, J O'Connell, N Delahanty, N Mullen, B O'Keeffe, T Joyce, T Conneely (c) ST MICHAEL'S M O'Malley; N Reid, R Pratt, C Cleary (c), P Brophy; S Malone, F Mehigan; I Leonard, J Daniel, M Kelly, C O'Sullivan, S Mahoney, A Byrne, R Reilly, P Mallon AVONMORE MUNSTER SENIOR CUP FINAL CBC CORK v PBC CORK Tomorrow, Musgrave Park, 3.00 It is the greatest rivalry in schools rugby on the island. Christians and Pres are sworn enemies on the "eld of play. There will be no quarter given as Pres seek to move alongside Christians on the honours role by capturing their 27th Munster Schools Senior Cup at Musgrave Park tomorrow.

Sadly, Christians will be attempting to stop them without their outside centre Pat Parfery, who tore his cruciate ligament in the semi-"nal. It is a measure of their strength in depth that Shaun McCarthy - who played in the cup last year - will come onto the left wing. Niall Courtney will move across into the number 13 jersey.

Ireland Schools scrum-half Chris Nolan is a clever player at the back of the pack. He will snipe around the sides and orchestrate Christians' forwards along with hooker Andrew Cudmore in what is sure to be a tough test.

Like St Michael's in Leinster, Pres will be out to erase the memory of their 7-6 defeat to St Munchin's in last year's "nal.

They have come to depend on their go-to man Scott Deasy in the heat of battle and the Ireland under-19 candidate has not let them down with his general play and his ice-cool kicking. He landed a match-winning touchline conversion to knock out Crescent 13-11 in the semi-"nal and contributed all the points in a 13-0 win over Rockwell in the quarter-"nal.

Deasy will require his teammates to be at their best. Peter O'Mahony and second-row Michael Kene"ck will give them height and mobility. Loose-head Peter Kelleher will provide the grunt, but the input of openside Brian O'Hara, the son of former Ireland international Pat, could make all the difference.

It will be his job to be the link between backs and forwards, to give Deasy those precious extra seconds to decide on the best way forward for Pres.

Verdict Pres Cork CBC CORK O Mulrooney; D Loftus, N Courtney, C Martin, S McCarthy; R O'Donoghue, C Nolan; J Ryan, A Cudmore, J Brans"eld, T Keogh, K O'Dwyer, R O'Connor, S McCarthy (c), B O'Callaghan PRES CORK (Probable) G Nugent; T Cullinane, A Rose, B Kelleher, S Zebo; S Deasy (capt), D O'Driscoll; P Kelleher, R Corkery, R Darmody, D Lucey, M Kene"ck, N Barry, B O'Hara, P O'Mahony NORTHERN BANK ULSTER SENIOR CUP FINAL RBAI v WALLACE HIGH SCHOOL Tomorrow, Ravenhill, 3.00 It was taken as gospel that the winner of the RBAI-Methodist semi-"nal would go into tomorrow's "nal as unbackable favourites against Wallace High School. As the hour approaches, it doesn't seem quite so clear cut in what is a repeat of the 2003 "nal.

Wallace exposed Portora Royal 37-3 with a combination of impressive forward power plays and a 17-point contribution from full-back Phillip Wilson. Captain Gary Crowe, centre Matthew Arneill, Wayne Hughes and Michael McClean were the other try scorers in a facile victory that did little to prepare them for the intensity of the challenge tomorrow.

Wallace have made the "nal twice before, in 1989 and 2003, but have yet to make the breakthrough.

The continuity game was their greatest weapon in the semi-"nal and the opportunity for backs like Phillip Wilson, Nevin Spence and Matthew Arneill to interplay with Crowe, McClean and Stephen Knowles could be the basis for an upset.

However, RBAI withstood massive pressure from holders Methodist to emerge as 11-7 winners on the back of a try from second row Mark McDowell and two penalties from left-wing Patrick Irwin in the second semi"nal.

It was always going to be a one-score match and the discipline and organisation RBAI displayed not to give away a kickable penalty in defence of their line was a re"ection of the implicit trust the players have in each other.

RBAI will also have tight-head prop Andrew Boyd back from an ankle injury that forced him out of the semi-"nal at the 11th hour.

He will go straight into the front row for Alan Whitten.

The Ulster provincial quality of forwards Mark Jones, Keith Calladine, Richard McNeely and Michael Browne should be enough to deny Wallace the possession they will require to win their "rst ever title.

Verdict RBAI RBAI A Bryans; F Olayisade, A McCarthy, R McCarthy, P Irwin; J Pentland, N Dempsey; R McNeely, L Linton, A Boyd, M McDowell, M Browne, J Lusk, M Jones (c), K Calladine WALLACE HS P Wilson; S Hughes, N Spence, M Arneill, S Matthews; W Hughes, m Hanna; C Kidd, S Biggs, D Graham, D Gilkinson, P Clarke, S Knowles, M McClean, G Crowe (c)