RUGBY: BRITISH & IRISH CUP QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEW
Tracy eyeing more silverware for Leinster’s A team
By Daire Walsh
LEINSTER ‘A’s quest for a third consecutive British & Irish Cup title continues in Clifton Lane on Saturday afternoon (24 January, KO 2pm), when they face English Championship side Rotherham Titans at the quarter-final stage.
Five victories from six pool encounters ensured that the defending champions comfortably secured their place in the knock-out rounds, but an October defeat to Carmarthen Quins (as well as the performances of the other group winners) meant that Girvan Dempsey’s men were denied a home tie in the last-eight.
This is nothing new to the Blues, however, as they had to come through tricky away fixtures on route to their 2013 and 2014 triumphs. Rotherham were impressive during their own Pool 2 campaign, which included back-to-back wins over Ulster Ravens. They currently occupy fifth position in the IPA Championship table.
James Tracy is part of a large Kildare contingent in the squad, and having featured prominently in this competition in recent years, he knows how important this game will be.
“They [Rotherham] are a very, very good club. I’d know a few players who have gone over there. They’re always very competitive in the Championship, and we’ve done our analysis and stuff like that.
“They’re all very physical, the Championship sides. You know what you’re going to get with them, but Rotherham play a good brand as well. They seem to throw it around a good bit, so it’ll be a good challenge for us.”
As part of their preparation for this crucial game, Leinster ‘A’ made the journey to the Sportsground on Wednesday to face Connacht Eagles in an interprovincial challenge. In testing conditions, the visitors were on the receiving end of a 17-0 reversal, but given the youthfulness of the squad on the day, it was an ideal warm-up prior to the Rotherham clash.
“It was the perfect kind of game to have. We had a young enough side, and they [Connacht Eagles] had a few senior players. It was a windy and wet day. It was a very physical battle, but it was exactly what we needed before going over to play a Championship side, who are going to be all about trying to beat us up. It was a good prep.”
Joining Tracy in the Leinster ‘A’ set-up are Adam Byrne (Naas), Billy Dardis (Newbridge), Athy duo Joey Carberry and Jeremy Loughman, as well as former Newbridge College team-mate Sam Coghlan-Murray.
Tracy is keen to emphasise the important bond he has with Coghlan-Murray, and also offered his thoughts on his old school’s prospects in the upcoming Junior and Senior Cups.
“I’ve been with him [Coghlan-Murray] the whole way up. I was on the same team the whole way up, which is brilliant. Having your best friend from school with you the whole way makes it a lot easier. There’s always a bit of craic with the Kildare lads.”
“I coach the Junior Cup team as well. I’m still involved with Newbridge College. They [Seniors] have a great chance. Looks like they’ve a really promising team, same with the Juniors. They look like they’ve a really good chance this year. Hopefully it goes well.”
Traditionally, the British & Irish Cup has acted as an excellent stepping stone towards Leinster’s first-team squad. Dominic Ryan was captain for last May’s showpiece triumph over Leeds Carnegie, while the likes of Martin Moore, Jordi Murphy, Darragh Fanning and Jack Conan have also featured at this level.
With three Pro12 appearances already under his belt, the 23-year-old is hoping that more opportunities will come his way.
“Definitely. You say Dominic Ryan, if you look back to the year before, Martin Moore and Jordi Murphy and all these kind of players have gone on. It’s a massive stepping stone. If you’re doing well at that level, it proves that you’re ready to make the step up,” Tracy added.