Hickey happy as Con on target
AIL RUGBY
Daire Walsh
ON A weekend when their passage to the semi-finals of the Ulster Bank League was officially sealed, Cork Constitution were made to work for their two-point victory over 2014/15 champions Lansdowne.
Heading into the final round of fixtures, one point still separates them from second-place Young Munster, and with a home tie in the last-four still up for grabs, Cork Con coach Brian Hickey revealed that his side were eager to secure a bonus point on the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch on Saturday.
“With the games being played last night [Friday], we knew we were guaranteed a top-four. What it meant was that being a point ahead of UCD, and five behind Munsters, if we were to have any chance of a home semi-final, we had to sort of go for the four-try bonus,” Hickey remarked.
“That just wouldn’t have sat easy with any of us up against Lansdowne, and I think that was proven right. There would be a view that you win the match first, but I was quite happy. I told them [players] I’d back any decision they made.”
Although Con ultimately came away with the spoils, Hickey was full of praise for the performance that their opponents produced on the day – and he felt that their line-out in particular caused them a lot of problem throughout the contest.
“I just felt that our defence wasn’t as good in the first-half as it had been during the year. Secondly, that’s the best defensive and attack line-out that we’ve come up against all season.
“It wasn’t just in the line-out that they were very good, they were very good ball carriers and tacklers around the pitch as well. I thought we got beaten up by them a little bit today, to be honest.”
Con’s final game of the regular term is at home on April 16 to Galwegians – who they are also set to face in the Bateman Cup decider a fortnight later. Hickey believes that this has added an interesting sub-plot to their tie, and with a bonus point offering a potential home draw against Young Munster in the play-offs, he sees a great benefit to the way that the league is currently structured.
“Well, that is an interesting sub-plot, because we’re playing them in a cup final two weeks after that again, in the Bateman Cup, and Galwegians will be coming down. That will dictate a whole new different set of circumstances.
“It’s made for a very, very good league, and it’s interesting right down to the last Saturday.
“It’s a much-maligned league, but I think they have the organisation of it fairly right now,” Hickey added.