Seapoint on verge of joining senior ranks for first time

AIB LEAGUE QUALIFYING ROUND ROBIN:SEAPOINT STAND on the verge of attaining senior status in Division Three of the AIB League next season for the first time if they can beat Monivea away next Saturday. This being the club's 75th year, it would be a fitting achievement for the Kilbogget Park club.

They became the first team to beat AIB Junior Cup winners City of Derry since last October with a 17-9 win in the first round of the qualifying round robin last Saturday week, and followed that with a 38-12 home win over Richmond last Saturday.

Another victory in Monivea will assure them of a place in Division Three at the expense of relegated Co Carlow, while the runners-up will meet Portadown, second-last in Division Three, in a play-off.

City of Derry and Monivea trail Seapoint by four points, with the Ulster team knowing a win at home to pointless Richmond will guarantee them at least a play-off.

Seapoint coach Nigel Osborne, previously a back with Old Wesley and Wanderers, believes only a win in Monivea will do, in the expectation City of Derry will get a bonus point win against Richmond.

“We need at least two points in Monivea, which effectively makes it a must-win game for us. Monivea are a very good side, with a very good back-line, and are coached by the Connacht forwards coach, Dan McFarland.”

Seapoint expect to bring several hundred supporters for what the club have described as the biggest game in their history. They have lost only three of 24 competitive matches this season, including an 18-8 defeat to league semi-finalists Old Belvedere in the semi-finals of the Leinster Senior Cup. But Seapoint are unbeaten in 16 league matches.

“We have no foreigners, they are all local lads,” says Osborne, “and are mostly drawn from CBC Monkstown, St Andrew’s, Newpark and Pres Glasthule. The club reflects the changing face of club rugby in Ireland. They are a community club, which is full every Wednesday night and Sunday morning.

“The forwards coach, Declan Keegan, has been coaching the team on and off for 10 years and his son, Brian, is our outhalf and leading points scorer.

“We might find it hard if we are promoted but the club should have no fears,” Osborne adds. “We believe in improving players, rather than buying players in. I don’t believe coaches should be agents for players.”

The core of the side is drawn from two generations of Leinster Schools Cup semi-finalists from CBC Monkstown, circa 2000 and two years ago (when coached by Osborne).

Among the recent crop are the ex-Irish Schools pair of centre Gary Foley and backrower Mick Noone, along with the ex-Leinster Under-19 duo of Killian Jenkinson and Stephen Boucher, a converted backrow to wing, who scored three tries last Saturday.