Belvedere College Coaches: Ray Southam, Andrew KennyCaptain: Brian O'Neill Last Season: Beaten semi-finalistsReturning Players: Brian O'Neill (scrumhalf), Conor Hayes (full back), Kevin Barden (wing), Brian Kennedy (second row), Marcus McAllister (centre).
Representative Players: Brian O'Neill (Leinster), Kevin Barden (Leinster, Irish Schools A).
Formline: High-quality back line in which Kevin Barden and Marcus McAllister will be expected to be prominent influences. The side is led by scrumhalf Brian O'Neill, but only one member of last season's starting pack remains - second row Brian Kennedy.
Lost to Blackrock and Clongowes pre-cup, they'll expect to beat CBC Monkstown and face either Blackrock or St Mary's in a semi-final. Good backs, but may not get enough ball.
Blackrock College
Coaches: Niall McDermott, Terry O'Reilly, Tom Geraghty.
Captain: Diarmuid Laffan
Last Season: Beaten semi-finalists
Returning Players: Darren O'Reilly (second row). Diarmuid Laffan (back row), David Nyhan (full back), Michael Kavanagh (wing).
Representative Players: Darren O'Reilly, Gary Walsh.
Formline: Pretty much the unanimous choice as pre-cup favourites.
Only four players return from last year's side, but there is plenty of quality.
Like to play an expansive game and keep the ball in the hands. Couldn't ask for a much tougher start than tomorrow's clash against St Mary's.
Castleknock College
Coaches: Eoin Collins, Alan Mullen, Eddie Melvin.
Captain: Eoin Mullen
Last Season: Beaten second round
Returning Players: Devon Toner, Eric Flanagan, Eoin Mullen, Rob Delaney, James Davis, Anthony Quinn.
Representative Players: Devon Toner (Leinster, Irish Schools), Eric Flanagan (Leinster, Irish Schools A)
Formline: They suffered a very bad start to the season, but have enjoyed much better results in recent times. Have several excellent players notably 6ft 10ins second-row Devon Toner and centre Eric Flanagan. Won't have things all their own way against Roscrea, especially as they have to travel to the graveyard of many a Dublin team, Portlaoise.
CBC Monkstown
Coaches: Pat Fox, Neil Ferguson, Ian Counihan, Michael Counihan.
Captain: Ron Boucher.
Last Season: Beaten second round; inaugural winners of the Vincent Murray Cup.
Returning Players: Ron Boucher (Number eight), Ken Casey (full back), David Simmington (scrumhalf/wing), Peader Nolan (centre), Paddy Flynn (centre), Daniel Walsh (scrumhalf), Roy Wolfe (prop), Stephen Verso, David Power, Conor Byrne (flanker), Chris Mion, Eoin McNestry, Andrew Sykes.
Representative Players: Ron Boucher (Leinster, Irish Schools).
Formline: Beaten in the League final by King's Hospital, a result that has been a barometer of their improvement. When those two sides met in the pool stages, CBC suffered a thrashing, but had improved considerably by the league final. Needed to avoid a big school first up - but haven't.The High School
Coaches: Ray Walker, David Wright, Hugh Hogan.
Captain: Steve Duggan
Last Season: Beaten first round
Returning Players: Matthew D'Arcy (scrumhalf), Steve Duggan (outhalf), Shane Prunty (centre), Ben Leonard-Kane (wing), David Lee (prop), Brian Hannon (hooker), Jamie MacDonald (hooker), Pat Anglim (prop), Chris Harding (second row), Max Olahan (flanker), Peter Burns (number eight).
Representative Players: Matthew D'Arcy (Leinster).
Formline: A strong nucleus from last season's team that includes a fine scrumhalf in Matthew D'Arcy and number eight Peter Burns, a son of former High School cup winner Ian. They lost only five matches from 18 and scored 49 tries and 356 points. Will really believe they can make the semi-finals if they can muster a couple of top-quality performances.
The King's Hospital
Coaches: John Huggard, Niall Mahon
Captain: Shane Young
Last Season: Beaten second round
Returning Players: Gerard Moran (prop), Stephen Gray (hooker), Craig Telford (prop), Neville Wilkinson (second row), Roger Young (second row), Ben Cunningham (wing forward), Shane Young (number eight), Peter Musgrave (wing forward), Jonathan Orr (scrumhalf), Killian Lett (outhalf), Conor Donohoe (centre).
Representative Players: Shane Young (Leinster), Conor O'Donohoe (Leinster), Killian Lett (Leinster), Gerard Moran (Leinster).
Formline: Driven by outhalf Killian Lett, happily recovered from an ankle injury, they were impressive winners of the league. Unfortunate with the draw in that they must face the winners of the Blackrock-St Mary's match. On the day this is a team capable of beating any in the competition. Dark horses for title.
Clongowes Wood College
Coaches: Adam Lewis, Paul McCormack, Kevin West.
Captain: Paddy O'Meara.
Last Season: Lost first round.
Returning Players: Paddy O'Meara (number eight), Brian Coyle (flanker), Robert Kearney (full back).
Representative Players: Paddy O'Meara (Leinster), Robert Kearney (Leinster, Irish Schools).
Formline: Possess one of the most naturally gifted players in the competition in full back Robert Kearney. A small representation from last year's side, but they are all fine players. Had lost six matches prior to the cup including against their first-round opponents St Michael's. There is simply no such thing as a poor Clongowes team and they will be heartened by the fact that they are in the easier side of the draw. Just beat St Michael's and probably Terenure. Simple really.
Cistercian College,
Roscrea
Coaches: Séamus Egan, John Burns.
Captain: Martin Leahy.
Last Season: Lost first round.
Returning Players: Martin Leahy (flanker), Austin Murphy (centre), Des Lawlor (scrumhalf).
Representative Players:
none.
Formline: A very young side with two transition-year pupils in the team's starting line-up and another two transition-year boys on the bench. There are only four sixth-year students on the team. Three players return from last season, including captain Martin Leahy and centre Austin Murphy, who won a minor hurling All-Ireland medal with Kilkenny. They have lost several matches by just a single score and given that they take on Castleknock College in Portlaoise will, quite understandably, fancy their chances.
