RUGBY: ULSTER BANK LEAGUE PREVIEW: JOHNE MURPHY INTERVIEW
Murphy keen for Naas to keep local base ahead of challenging season
By Daire Walsh
THE 2016/17 season is set to be a significant one for Naas RFC, and for player/coach Johne Murphy, maintaining a club community base will be crucial for their future prospects.
Following their outstanding promotion campaign last term, Naas will be playing in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League for the very first time. Speaking at the launch of the Ulster Bank League at the Aviva Stadium last Wednesday, Murphy revealed that they have tried to bring a professionalism to the squad during the off-season.
“It’s been good [the off-season]. I suppose, it’s been a big shift for us. We started a bit earlier, tried to bring in as much professionalism. Get two, three weeks of jump running as well call it in, and then get the lads back and kick on from there,” Murphy remarked.
“It’s a balancing act for us really. Trying to get that we’re up in probably the top 20 teams. That it’s about trying to still have that club community base, that we very much do and want to hold onto, but trying to slowly breed in that professional that is needed at the top level.”
Following his retirement from professional rugby just over 12 months ago, Murphy opted to make a return to the amateur game, and as Naas prepare for the visit of Galwegians to Forenaughts this coming Saturday, summer recruit Fionn Carr finds himself in a similar position.
Carr was signed by Naas after his second spell with current Pro12 champions Connacht came to an end, and Murphy feels his experience will be invaluable in the upcoming campaign.
“It’s great, and he [Carr] was very much in a similar position to me last year. For him to come back to his local area, and be a part of something, is big for him, and something that he’s passionate about.
“He’s come in, he’s got in the mix, and he’s going to be very good for us at a level that the majority of the team haven’t played at before. So, his experience is going to be really good for us.”
While Murphy (who will continue to combine his duties as both a coach and a player) and Carr bring a wealth of knowledge to the Naas team, Irish underage star Adam Coyle will be aiming to further his development in the league’s second-tier.
Murphy believes the time is right for Coyle to kick on to the next level, and with Leinster keeping a watchful eye on his progress, it should prove to be a pivotal 12 months for the Ireland U20s prop.
“Adam is going to play a big part for us. It’s important for his development now that he kicks on. Obviously, we’ve got Jason Harney. He played down in Garryowen, played with Belvo [Old Belvedere], so he has that experience too. We’ve got two very good tightheads there, but it’s an important year for Adam.
“He is being watched. Peter Smyth (Leinster Academy Manager) has told us that he’s being looked at for the future. I’ve spoken to the guys who he played under this year in the U20s, Peter Malone and Nigel Carolan, and I think it’s a time now where Adam really needs to step up and kick on for his career.”
Because Galwegians are coming down from the top-flight of the Ulster Bank League, there could be a sense that Naas are being thrown in at the deep end this weekend. However, Murphy is looking forward to the challenge of facing the top clubs in their division.
“It’s tough, but we’re at home first off, and it’s the first time ever that we’re in Division 1B. There’s no illusions, it’s going to be a tough year for us.
“But if we manage to stay injury free, we’ve certainly got a good enough squad that we can do something in that league. I think it’s important that we enjoy taking on the bigger teams that have been at the top table, and it’s something we’re going to enjoy.”
As well as keeping busy with his start-up business, rugbycamps.ie, Murphy also lined out during the summer with Ellistown in the Kildare Intermediate Football Championship. He did suffer an injury set-back shortly after returning, but ultimately found his return to the GAA field to be an enjoyable experience.
“I managed to go back and I played a bit of football. I learnt my lesson pretty quickly. I went back, two weeks in, and I was chasing a young lad back in training, and I managed to pull my hamstring! I was out for a couple of weeks, but yeah, I played a couple of Championship matches and really enjoyed it. It was good,” Murphy added.