POST-MATCH REACTION: PATRICIAN NEWBRIDGE COACH ANDY BURKE
Burke proud of his players
By Daire Walsh
PATRICIAN Newbridge coach Andy Burke heaped praise on St Mel’s College, Longford after they defeated the south Kildare School in the Anne McInerney Cup (Senior Development) final at Donnybrook last Thursday.
Though Michael Somers contributed a brace of tries in the second half of a fast-paced contest, it wasn’t to be for a gutsy Patricians.
“Our team did very well for the whole season. We’ve very, very good players and we have to hand it to Mel’s from Longford,” Burke remarked after the game.
“They really put it up to us today, especially the breakdown. All credit to them, they came here and we thought we had a very good team. But looking at them, they were very competitive and deserve everything they get.”
Following five-pointers courtesy of Mel’s half-backs Liam Harte and Jack Mahon, Patricians were staring into a 10-0 interval deficit. Somers kick-started a mini-revival by the Naas Road outfit with a touchdown on 40 minutes, which was sparked by a half-time from Burke and his fellow coaches.
“We talked to the team at half-time. We said what we had to do. We had to try and be competitive at the breakdown, get the ball and then try and spread it wide as best we could. The lads gave it everything, and it just wasn’t our day today unfortunately.”
It has been a productive 2018 for Patricians, as they junior side claimed the Pat Rossiter Cup at the expense of Ballymakenny College in the same venue back in January. In the five years since rugby was introduced into the school, Burke has seen massive strides within the current crop.
“We’ve been great at the junior level. We were hoping obviously here for the double today, but it didn’t happen for us. Rugby is going very well in the school at the moment. We hope that this is a stepping stone into the future.
“Five years ago we brought rugby into the school. A lot of guys came to us and said ‘look, we’re passionate about the sport’. We knew a lot of guys play for their club, and it was a no-brainer really for us to start bringing it into the school. Looking five years into the future, it has been a great response.”
In the long-run, the Patricians squad may well look back on the experience of this final in a positive light. The school’s travelling supporters added significantly to the occasion, giving the team the lift they needed at vital junctures in the game.
“It’s great for the school. It’s great for everyone. Great support today I have to say. Hats off to all the guys that came up. They really rode in behind the guys. It just wasn’t our day today, but in the future we’ll come back fighting again. No doubt about it,” Burke added.
“We said it at the start. We knew we had great talent. We have a great bunch of guys. Going forward, these guys are going to be playing great rugby into the future.”