Schools Rugby Leinster Senior Cup final Blackrock v St Michael's Lansdowne Road, 3.30What dreams may come. A novel pairing, one team that has yet to go all the way and a debutant referee. The only group familiar with the pressure-cooker environment of a St Patrick's Day final are the runaway favourites Blackrock.
Putting aside the romanticism of the underdog, it would be hara-kiri to predict anything but the Cup going to Williamstown for the 65th time.
And yet, to cast St Michael's into a mere supporting role seems equally reckless.
Victories over St Mary's, Clongowes Wood and Presentation Bray have seen this team gel into worthy opposition. Their work ethic is immense.
If Blackrock fail to hit the mental and physical intensity that enabled them to dismantle Belvedere on March 3rd then St Michael's could conceivably attain the Holy Grail.
The one-time Blackrock feeder school winning their first Cup in such a manner would make it all the sweeter. The Past Pupils Union would especially enjoy it.
Only twice, in 1988 and 1991, have St Michael's reached the final, losing on both occasions to Clongowes by a single score. Number eight Tyrone McKillen will seek to go where former captains Marc Evans and Gary Widger so nearly went before.
St Michael's arrive with a well-rounded setpiece, under the tutelage of Blackrock RFC player-coach Dave Dillon and Gavin Knaggs.
Andrew Cummiskey - the sole survivor of the Junior Cup win in 2002 - conducts a backline that purrs, particularly when Paddy Brophy and Michael Twomey are put in space.
At centre, the abrasive Conor Cleary is a banker to make the hard yards. Under-16 winger Noel Reid has been an assured place-kicker throughout the campaign.
With three of the front five also under 16 (the locks, tight head and even the sub prop), they cannot expect to survive a 70-minute war of attrition against such a formidable Rock pack. Yet, McKillen and his chief lieutenant, Patrick Mallon, won't want to give an inch.
Despite their youth, St Michael's must surely be praying for rain, sleet and maybe even a blizzard to keep the richly talented opposing backline at bay.
If you haven't seen Luke Fitzgerald yet, don't worry - he is likely become a regular on television screens in coming years, provided of course injury does not hinder his widely predicted progress to the professional ranks.
Blackrock won the largely irrelevant pre-Christmas "friendly" between the sides but at a cost. Fitzgerald broke a collarbone, only returning as a replacement in the quarter-final against Kilkenny. He immediately exploited an ailing defence with two devastating pieces of broken-field running.
Wind and rain denied Fitzgerald a fitting stage in the semi-final, while in last year's decider the Belvedere midfield clogged up his lines of running from centre. Now back at fullback, he can be expected to show early and often in the last match of a glittering schools career.
There are others. Niall Morris is a fluent running machine; Vasya Artemiev is a deadly finisher from anywhere on the paddock; Aidan Wynne dictates the tempo. Also, watch out for the injection of talent off the bench - the sharp service of scrumhalf Conor Crowley has been particularly eye-catching.
If the weather turns wild, as in the semi-final, Blackrock have an equally intimidating Plan B. Captain Paul Ryan and secondrow Brian Cawley are the two picks from a powerful eight.
This competition and its associated hype may not be to everyone's taste, but sport at its purest will be on view in Lansdowne Road today.
It's 10 years since the Dream Team climbed the steps of the West Lower after completing back-to-back titles for Blackrock. The latest batch from the assembly line should be able to claim parity with that lot by this evening.
Blackrock to pull clear in the last quarter.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: L Fitzgerald; N Morris, J Lee, A Wynne, V Artemiev; D Fitzpatrick, D Moore; S Cahill, D O'Brien, W Kavanagh; D Dowling, B Cawley; D O'Connor, A Cullen, P Ryan (capt).
ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE: M Twomey; N Reid, C Cleary, N Reynolds, P Brophy; A Cummiskey, R Shanley; I Leonard, P Hynes, A Pollard; A Byrne, K McKenna; P Mallon, R Reilly, T McKillen (capt).
Referee: Eanna O'Dowd (ARLB).
