POST-MATCH REACTION: NEWBRIDGE COLLEGE COACH NIALL SMULLEN
Smullen rues failure to control crucial moments
By Daire Walsh
FOLLOWING his team’s defeat to St Mary’s College in the opening round of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup last Wednesday, Newbridge College coach Niall Smullen acknowledge that they didn’t apply enough pressure on their south Dublin opponents.
A couple of excellent scoring sprees by Mary’s either side of the half proved to be the downfall for Newbridge on the day, and Smullen also felt they coughed up possession too easily at times.
“We knew they were a good team. We knew we were going to be under pressure, so that wasn’t a big issue.
“Our defence was good. The issue was more, when we had the ball, we didn’t exert pressure onto them. We gave it back to them quite cheapily,” Smullen said.
“Generally what happened, through no lack of endeavour or lack of application, more just maybe not rising to the occasion, we got a couple of knock-ons. We kicked it away stupidly when we had the ball.
“We defended well, it’s just the disappointing that when we had the ball we didn’t keep it for longer.”
The concession of two tries in the early stages of the second period left Newbridge with a mountain to climb in difficult conditions at Donnybrook.
Smullen agrees that catch rugby is very tricky in cup competitions, but did pin-point a missed opportunity in the latter stages of the first-half as being pivotal.
“Catch up rugby is difficult. Even more so in cup rugby, when everything is so tight and on the line. If you think back, if my memory is correct, we had an opportunity to get a score at the end of the first-half, and we knocked on or we just got turned over. That was a key moment. If we got that score then, then you’re back in the game.”
Newbridge had failed to score in last year’s loss to Belvedere College, and when they trailed 24-0 with just three minutes left on the clock, it looked like they might suffer a similar fate this time around. However, Kevin Kyne did claim a converted try from the last meaningful attack of the contest, and Smullen believes this effort highlighted the mentality that the squad have had throughout the season.
“The one thing that they’ve been saying as a squad and as a team is that they wanted to play, they wanted to attack. They attacked well, apart from the odd mistakes here and there. It was just important that they got that score. It was important for them as a team that they came away with a good score like that.”
There was a look of familiarity to the Newbridge match-day squad on Wednesday, with several players that featured in the 2016 reversal to Belvedere. A number of players from this year’s panel will also return in 2018, and Smullen hopeful that an improvement will be made over the course of the next 12 months.
“Fom the starting team, I’m not sure off the top of my head, but I think I did a count during the week. We’ve kind of had a 38 to 42 man squad, there or thereabouts, for the year. From that squad that we’re picking from, you’re looking at maybe 20 lads coming back into the squad for next year.”
“Plenty of experience there. From today’s match-day squad, you’re talking maybe eight or nine. We’ve got a bit of experience. Hopefully if everything goes well, we can build on that, and hopefully improve. I suppose the main thing is to keep on improving, isn’t it? Getting better,” Smullen added.