Form is temporary, class is permanent? In the case of Cork Constitution and Shannon both seem fairly constant commodities. Between them they've won over half of the 11 AIL titles so far, only Garryowen rivalling them as the major powerbrokers in the domestic club game since the advent of the league, and the latter having been unceremoniously seen off by Cork Con in the semi-finals makes today's final a fitting denouement.

Cork Con and Shannon have hogged the top two places in Division One since early February and finished only a point apart. Con, competing in their third final in four years and seeking a third crown overall, have been the league's most enduring force this past few seasons and traditionally no team comes back more determined than the beaten finalists of the previous year.

"It's nice to get a second chance so quickly," admits their manager Pat O'Keefe. "It passed us by last year. It had been a very difficult week for the club, with the death of Trevor Barry the previous Sunday, and we just didn't perform against a Dungannon side who had the ability to beat us well on the day. Hopefully we'll have learned."

Encouragingly for Con, their form is more in keeping with the way they won the league three seasons ago. Then they lost three of their first four games before winning nine games in a row, culminating in a final win over Garryowen, whereas last season they won their first seven before their form tapered off.

This season they lost two of their first three, since then they've been unbeaten in 13 games, culminating in their 43-17 routing of Garryowen in the semi-final.

Con will be without Ronan O'Gara and Jim Williams. Nonetheless, the highly-talented Conor Mahony will feel he has a point to prove after his off-colour performance in last season's final at outhalf, and the resultant return of John Kelly at centre underpins O'Keefe's claim that "this is the best squad we've ever had". The inclusion of Joey Sheahan for Williams in the only other change from the semi-final which means Con will be fielding a side including four sets of brothers - Conor and Cian Mahony, Joey and Frankie Sheahans, Mick and John O'Driscoll, and Donncha and Ultan O'Callaghan.

Shannon will have two sets of brothers, Melvin and Niall McNamara, and John and Tom Hayes, as well as first cousins in back rowers Dave and Alan Quinlan. The return of the latter for the injured Anthony Foley constitutes their only change. Moylan has resisted the temptation to play Mick Galwey from the start and he is joined on the bench this time by Peter Stringer.

This is a good Shannon outfit for sure, with a fit-again Alan Quinlan straining at the leash, and they'll have enough spirit in their ranks and support from the sidelines to cause a minor upset. But Con look to have more firepower up front and more weaponry in their backs.

CORK CONSTITUTION: B Walsh; D Dillon, J Kelly, Cian Mahony, A Horgan; Conor Mahony, Brian O'Meara; I Murray, F Sheahan, J O'Driscoll, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, J Sheahan, U O'Callaghan, J Murray. Replacements: J Fogarty, R McGrath, S O'Connor, A O'Sullivan, R O'Donovan, R Kenneally.

SHANNON: J Lacey; T Cregan, M Lawlor, A Thompson, M McNamara; N McNamara, D hegarty; M Horan, J Blaney, J Hayes, B Buckley, T Hayes, A Quinlan, D Quinlan (capt), C McMahon. Replacements: G McNamara, F Roche, M Galwey, R Collins, P Stringer, J Davis.

Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU).

Last five meetings: (97-98) Cork Con 11 Shannon 12; (98-99) Cork Con 26 Shannon 19; (99-00) Shannon 17 Cork Con 28; (00-01) Shannon 9 Cork Con 20; (01-02) Cork Con 21 Shannon 13.

Formguide: Cork Con D W W W W. Shannon - W W D W W.

Leading try scorers: Con - Derek Dillon 8. Shannon - David Quinlan 7.

Leading points scorers: Con - Conor Mahony 118. Shannon - Tom Cregan 159.

Odds (Paddy Powers): 4/6 Con, 18/1 Draw, 5/4 Shannon.

Forecast: Con to win.

DIVISION TWO FINAL

BELFAST HARLEQUINS v UL BOHEMIANS Lansdowne Road (2.00).

TWO upwardly-mobile, recently-amalgamated, Division One-bound clubs have the opportunity to showcase their talents in an equally fitting denouement to the Division Two campaign. Belfast Harlequins start as hot favourites given the yardstick of their 52-3 win last February in this curtain raiser to the main event.

UL Bohemians make the point that the earlier meeting was just one of those days when nothing went right and while Andre Bester's attacking outfit are unlikely to scale those heights once more in the context of a final, likewise the Limerick club will surely not have such an off day again.

Bohs have been boosted by the return of their skipper Justin O'Connell, whose presence, relatively speaking, is akin to Mick Galwey's in a Shannon dressing-room. O'Connell is playing for the first time after an eight-week absence due to appendicitis. Full back Rob Desmond has also been passed fit, as has his understudy Carl Gilligan, and in a dangerous back line their leading try scorer is winger Andre Coetzee.

The ultra professional Belfast outfit had done their homework prior to the sides' meeting in February so perhaps Bohs will have learnt more from that encounter. Furthermore, whereas Bohs seem to have maintained their form in the play-offs judging by the 33-17 win over Barnhall in the semi-finals, even Andre Bester admits Harlequins are not playing with the swagger they had in their barnstorming start to the season.

Even so, these things are relative, for Harlequins cut quite a swathe through Division Two. A breakdown of their remarkable 587 points in 16 games so far (at an average of over 36 points a game) reflects their philosophy, with 85 tries (Rhys Botha leads the way with 16) and 57 conversions peppered by just 16 penalties and no drop goals.

BELFAST HARLEQUINS: N Malone; R Collins, A Lowe, R Botha, J Lowe; A Derwin, S Clancy; C Keown, R Weir, D Scott (capt), C Beukes, A Emerson, M Higginson. C McCarey, N Best. Replacements: M Finlay, A park, D Fitzpatrick, N Hanna, A Dougan, D Irwin.

UL BOHEMIANS: R Desmond; K Matthews, M McPhail, C Finn, A Coetzee; I Costello, L O'Connell; M Harty, G Ryan, C Neilan, J O'Connell (capt), B Dineen, C Fitzgerald, A Hartigan, A O'Gorman. Replacements: (from) C Gilligan, M Roche, J Danagher, K Flanagan, G Flanagan, S Browne, J O'Neill, P Fitzgerald.

Referee: Donal Courtney (IRFU).

Formguide: Belfast Harlequins - W L W W W. UL Bohemians - L W L W W.

Previous meetings: Belfast Harlequins 52 UL Bohemians 3.

Forecast: Belfast Harlequins to win.