All-Ireland League: Not for the first time on the eve of an AIB League campaign, it's hard not to think of what might have been, and this time around we're not dipping into the halcyon early 1990s. Today's kick-off at 2.30pm at around 24 venues throughout the country should have arrived to the backdrop of a brave new dawn, but instead knee-jerk conservatism has darkened the landscape.
The proposal by the executive of the All Ireland Senior Rugby Clubs Association (AISRCA) for a 10-team first division would have revitalised interest in the AIL and reinforced its status as a far more viable third tier in Irish rugby.
Alas, that proposal has been scuppered by an open letter from the IRFU's president, Peter Boyle, supposedly reassuring the clubs about its status as that third tier and designed primarily to delay the process while re-empowering the branches.
This came in proximity to the Division Two and Division Three clubs in Munster voicing their objection to the proposal when motivated primarily by their parochial dislike of leading Division One rivals Cork Constitution, Shannon and Garryowen.
You wonder how representative they were, and why they couldn't have allowed for more debate and proper democracy within their own clubs and AISCRA.
To avoid divisiveness, the executive's proposal will not now be even put to a vote at a full meeting of AISRCA. The branches merely highlighted their own increasing irrelevance to the club game and how utterly out of touch they are when all bar Connacht sent out reactive and separate questionnaires to their clubs, of which only Ulster's was deemed relevant.
Meanwhile, contrary to Boyle's letter of September 18th, which stated the union would work with both the branches and AISCRA, his putative successor as senior vice-president of the union and chairman of the IRFU's Domestic Games Committee, Ger Healey, sent a letter to the clubs last week stating the union would work with the branches but pointedly made no reference to AISRCA.
Unless AISRCA are involved in any future questionnaire and decision-making about the development of the league, the process is doomed. Like it or not, and clearly some people within the IRFU and the branches don't, AISRCA are now the most representative body the club game has ever had in over a century, and they will have to work with them.
Unfortunately, the only apparently unified opinion to emerge from the meetings and debate within AISRCA, is a move against the end-of-season play-offs. This is a retrograde step, which betrays a lack of marketing savvy within the clubs. Seemingly, it has been motivated in part by Shannon claiming their third title in a row, eighth overall, after finishing fourth last season.
Once again though, the holders have been hit by a summer exodus of players ignored by the provinces to the English first division - an increasingly worrying trend. Outhalf Dave Delaney, centre Brian Tuohy and wing forward John O'Connor are plying their trade in the English first division while Eoin Cahill has assumed a player-coach role with his native Bruff.
Former club captain David Quinlan returns from a season with Buccaneers while back-five player Philip O'Connor has joined from Old Crescent. In the backs Andrew Finn has arrived from Garryowen and former Limerick senior footballer Stephen Kelly joins the squad. But you'd have to think the drain of the last two seasons has to hit Mick Galwey's team, and Shannon's status as joint favourites is based more on tradition than reality.
Garryowen, with Eugene McGovern and Chris Wyatt on board, should be consistent again but the dark horses are the third favourites Cork Constitution.
The departure of hugely influential scrumhalf Frank Murphy to Leicester has left a void which injury to Duncan Williams hasn't helped to fill but they have again another crop of UCC products and showed enough in winning the inaugural AIB Cup and finishing third last season to suggest they could go further.
Clontarf were the other members of the breakaway quartet last season and despite more departures again look the best in Leinster, although St Mary's should progress further from last season's cup runs, while newly promoted Terenure should acquit themselves well.
UL Bohs and Belfast Harlequins, who have regrouped so impressively under Andy Ward, ought again to lead the chasing peloton. There are optimistic sounds elsewhere, and after the heaviest recruitment drives, at the very least Dungannon and Galwegians will be interesting.
The most competitive division, with its welter of Munster and Leinster clubs, will again be the second flight, while the presence of eight Ulster clubs in Division Three ought to see at least one of Ballynahinch, Queen's University, Instonians and Banbridge win promotion, with Wanderers, Bruff and Sunday's Well also in the mix.
