RUGBY: LEINSTER SCHOOLS’ SENIOR CUP PREVIEW: NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE V ST MARY’S COLLEGE
Newbridge College ready for Senior Cup test
By Daire Walsh
IT’S all systems go for Newbridge College, as they begin their Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup campaign with an opening round fixture against St Mary’s College tomorrow in Donnybrook (Wednesday 1 February, k/o 3pm).
Mary’s have also been drawn with Newbridge in this year’s Junior Cup, which should make it a very interesting fortnight for the two schools. Their most recent meeting in the senior competition was in 2014, when the south Kildare outfit (spearheaded by current Leinster Academy star Jimmy O’Brien) secured a 17-10 quarter-final victory.
Newbridge were comprehensively defeated by eventual champions Belvedere College at the first hurdle in 2016, but since their Senior League odyssey came to an end at the last-eight stage, head coach Niall Sullen believes they have developed a consistency that he hopes will serve them well.
“We’re very good from what I can see. An up and down season is the best way to describe it. We’ve had some excellent patches, and we’ve had some pretty poor patches, but we’ve got to a level in the last five, six weeks, and we’ve been consistently at that. Probably the best we’ve been all season,” Smullen remarked.
While Newbridge didn’t face Mary’s in the league, they had played them at the start of the school year in a pre-season challenge. Smullen doesn’t feel that game will have a huge bearing on Wednesday’s tie, but is nevertheless expecting a close-fought encounter with the highly-gifted Metropolitans.
“We played them in pre-season, which I suppose you can’t really read too much into. I’ve obviously spoken to a few other coaches, and tried to get some footage of them, but it’s all down to what happens on the day basically. They’re a very good team. We feel we’re a very good team.”
“Whoever handles the day best will probably come out on top. It’s probably the tightest fixture of the first round. Where two teams have so much to gain, and quite a lot to lose. It’s going to be a close game, a very tight affair.”
Smullen first became involved with the Newbridge seniors in 2014/15, which ended with a heartbreaking loss to Cistercian College Roscrea in a semi-final replay. The former Ireland colleges player is hopeful that they can return to this level after a disappointing second season in charge, and he sees the Leinster representative trio of Paddy Ryan, Cian Prendergast and Kevin Kyne as key figures in their quest to progress to the next round.
“The starting team hasn’t been named yet, but we’d have a lot [of players returning from last year]. We’d have Paddy Ryan, who will probably be No 8, who plays for Leinster U19s. We’ve got a guy called Cian Prendergast, who played Leinster U18s this year. Kevin Kyne, who plays Leinster U18s.
“We’ve a lot of experience in the team, and a few new guys, but sometimes the new guys not knowing what to expect is actually quite good. Because they’re fresh to it, and they go flat out, and don’t get caught up in the day and the occasion.
“We’re hoping that the experienced guys have now set a standard, and the new guys kind of just go at it at full speed, and don’t get overawed by the occasion.”
Although much is made of the preparation that goes into schools rugby in the current climate, momentum can often be a key factor in determining how successful a team’s season is. Smullen agrees this could well play a massive part in his side’s journey, but also acknowledges that performing to the very best of their abilities will ultimately give Newbridge the best chance of achieving their goals.
“Momentum is huge. If you offered me a 3-0 now, I’d take it. Last year, maybe the occasion, the expectancy got to them a little bit, and they didn’t really perform on the day. I think the key for this year’s group is just perform. Whatever you can do, perform to the best of your abilities as an individual and as a team, and then whatever happens after that happens,” Smullen added.