Garryowen spurred on by past defeats

This weather brings out positive vibes. And it was no different yesterday as the captains from the All-Ireland League finalists, Cork Constitution and Garryowen, travelled to Dublin for a pre-match conference ahead of Saturday's final.

The quip of the day went to Garryowen's teak-tough flanker Paul Neville. His club are chasing a unique quadruple having recently added the AIB Cup to the Munster junior and senior titles. As Jose Mourinho would say . . . "Nice comparison," interrupted Neville. "Chelsea and Garryowen. I'm not going to argue. Who am I? Joe Cole."

Garryowen's turnaround this season has been a credit to the club's proud history. The All-Ireland League was coasting along with Shannon looking a decent bet for a four-in-a-row, Cork Con were always the main obstacle, but the league's normally predictable nature disintegrated down the home stretch.

"Yeah, we lost five in a row, four in the league. It was January but I'm not blaming it on a Christmas hangover. We had a lot of injuries. Eoghan (Hickey) wasn't there for a few of the games. Gerry Hurley, our scrumhalf, got injured. We got everyone back and just knuckled down. We knew we couldn't afford to lose any more games. I know it's a cliché but we took every game as it came. We had to because if we lost in the league or cup we were gone out of each tournament."

Hickey's return to club action proved crucial. In the former UCD and Leinster outhalf, Garryowen acquired a professional who was unable to make an impact as Ronan O'Gara's understudy. London Irish is the next port of call for the former De La Salle, Churchtown, schoolboy. His 13 points and tactical kicking in last Saturday's 28-15 defeat of Clontarf was a cut above the average AIL outhalf.

Cork Constitution openside Frank Cogan concurs: "They have a very strong pack. They have a few kickers in Eoghan Hickey, Conan Doyle and their fullback (Conor Kilroy) who will always put them down the field. They put you under pressure. You could find yourself 15, 16 points down. Their pick-and-go game makes them very strong around the fringes."

The last remark is an insight into how Saturday's contest should unfold. Both teams have plenty of talent in the backs - particularly Garryowen's half-backs and Con's back three of Denis Hurley, Richie Lane and Cronan Healy - but this game will be won at set-piece and the breakdown.

Cogan is a recent graduate of the Munster academy but Neville is joined by past and present provincial scavengers Peter Malone and Anthony Kavanagh. The collision zone won't be pretty viewing.

Both Garryowen and Con have been on the cusp of winning this competition for several years. Neville is a firm believer such experiences can be used as a spur. "We've experienced too many defeats in semi-finals . . . We've learned from it. A lot of the players who played in the last semi-finals were 19, 20 but are now 21, 22, 23 so we can use that experience and go forward with it."

Ditto Cork Con. "We've been down this road before in Con. There have been a few times when we have finished top only to lose in the final to Shannon and Dungannon. You have to just focus on the match," says Cogan.

That fate very nearly revisited them against UL Bohemians last Saturday but a moment of madness allowed Healy to race clear for an intercept try with three minutes remaining. "There were a lot more nerves in the week leading up to the game. We tried to keep doing what we've done all along but we just didn't perform. In fairness to Bohs, they played very well."

More importantly, Cork Con would have lost the opportunity to represent Ireland at the Languedoc-Roussillon amateur tournament in France from September 3rd to 15th.

Selection of Musgrave Park, Cork, has caused some consternation with Garryowen. Although they are not the type to crib about it publicly, they had a preference for Dubarry Park, Athlone. The home of Buccaneers RFC was an ideal venue for Irish under-20s fixtures and the AIB Cup final.