AIL: UCC looking to bring the physicality when leaders Clontarf visit Mardyke
While eight places and 18 points currently separate them in Energia All-Ireland League Division 1A, UCC assistant coach Cian Bohane is confident a big performance is coming against leaders Clontarf at the Mardyke (Saturday, 2.30pm).
Following five successive defeats, the Cork students outbattled Ballynahinch to win 10-6 away last Saturday. Although that could prove to be a big victory in the context of their season, Bohane is not solely focused on the outcome of their games.
“To be honest, the result – I know it’s a bit of a cliche – it’s secondary,” he explained. “We just want to focus on them performing well. Enjoying themselves while they’re performing and, like last weekend, the result will take care of itself then.
“For us this weekend, it’s very much just going to be about bringing as much physicality as we possibly can to the game.
“I’d be confident that, if we can focus on performance and winning every battle that we’re involved in, when it comes to 80 minutes we could get a result against them.”
After coming on for a one-minute cameo in UCC’s defeat to Garryowen last month as an emergency measure, Bohane’s AIL playing days are effectively at an end.
The presence of some promising youngsters within their back-line – as well as Munster talent like Alex Kendellen and John Hodnett in the pack – means the 30-year-old can concentrate on working with head coach Neil Lucey.
“For me, it was a really, really easy decision to step away from playing this year with the quality of players that we’ve brought in. We’ve really, really high-quality backs after being brought into the club and coming through.
“There was no need for me to continue playing on. I definitely have enough on my plate to be worrying about than putting myself together on a Monday and Tuesday for an AIL game.”
After calling time on his professional career in 2017 with nine Munster senior appearances to his name, Bohane returned to UCC as a full-time student and recently graduated from the college with a Bachelor of Education degree in PE and History.
Earlier this month, UCC’s Sports Studies and Physical Education department unveiled him as the inaugural winner of their Eamonn Ryan Role Model Award, named after the legendary Cork Ladies football manager who passed away in January of this year.
“It was an emotional award to be given,” admitted Bohane. “Eamonn obviously passed away not so long ago and he would have lectured us at a stage during the course.
“To be provided with an award that is related to him was truly an honour. It was one of the awards that I’ll hold dearly.
“I think just living life in a way where you’re just trying to help anybody that you can, always trying to do the right thing, keeping your powder dry. If that’s what makes a role model then there’s plenty of role models out there.”