By Hugh Cahill
One of my favourite memories as a kid is of my dad taking me to Dr Hickey Park to watch Greystones compete in the All Ireland League.
Greystones was a strong, competitive side in the top flight and names like Tony Ward, Johnny Murphy, Paul McNaughton, Brian Rigney, Nick Popplewell and Reggie Corrigan would regularly line out in the green and white hoops on Saturday afternoons.
The league meant everything to club supporters and the atmosphere and tension between home and visiting fans was a brilliant reflection of the prize and pride at stake each weekend. I was just delighted to be a very small part of it all.
I would have bet good money that very few of those club supporters that lined out in grounds around the country back then would ever have imagined a time when the All Ireland League would be reduced to a mere dot on the Irish rugby landscape.
How this has been allowed to happen is both a mystery and a tragedy to many who still love the game. And for all our provincial and international success at the moment, I am absolutely convinced that we are missing out on huge potential by not giving our domestic league the support and credit it deserves.
On Saturday afternoon Clontarf welcome Dublin rivals St Mary’s to Castle Avenue (live on RTÉ Two, 1pm) in what will almost certainly be the Ulster Bank League decider this season.
The country’s top two club teams over the last eight months go head to head in what I hope will be a cracking contest that is consistent with their performances so far this year.
Just one point separates these two after 16 rounds of competition and with no play-offs, the side that finishes top of the table after 18 matches will claim the title.
If you examine each team’s recent history, there really is very little to separate them.
Clontarf have yet to win a league title despite making the final three times in the last nine years. I was lucky enough to witness their heroic effort against Shannon at Thomond Park in 2009, where they were cruelly denied the title on a “first try scored rule” after both teams had finished level after extra time. That match epitomised Tarf’s never-say-die attitude and St Mary’s will be well aware of the size of the task that faces them in Castle Avenue.
Peter Smyth’s St Mary’s team, on the other hand, are a well drilled, well organised unit with a huge amount of experience in their ranks. Captain Hugh Hogan, back after a couple of weeks off, epitomises Mary’s work rate around the field and the big number eight will have plenty of support up front from the likes of the Sweeney brothers, Ciaran Ruddock, Paul Nash and Damien Hall.
Clontarf will look to Ireland club international Barry O’Mahony to carry into contact and win ball on the deck. O’Mahony is is a superb athlete. He’s extremely quick and scores an incredible amount of tries for a wing forward.
You can put this down to any number of factors but for me his lines of support running are absolutely clinical. He always seems to pop up in the right place at the right time and his work rate is outstanding. Don’t be surprised if he crosses the Mary’s line on Saturday.
New signing Frank Cogan and Leinster hooker Aaron Dundon also provide real steel in the pack. In the backs, if Collie O’Shea gets space to work his magic, he could hold the key to unlocking the home defence with his eye for a gap and a brilliant pass from either hand.
The centre is very highly thought of in the Leinster set up, with Leinster ‘A’ coach Collie McEntee has been impressed by O’Shea’s quiet determination in training and I’ve no doubt Mary’s defence will be pushing to close him down as quickly as possible.
Killian Lett, Evan Ryan and Richie Lane are also dangerous with ball in hand for the home side.
For Mary’s, Darren Hudson is among the main attacking weapons in attack. If the visiting pack can provide their backline with a decent platform Clontarf cannot afford to miss first time tackles.
This one could come down to one moment of genius from either team.
Mary’s are set to be without the services of Jack McGrath and that is a massive let off for Clontarf in the scrum. Gareth Austin and Barry O’Flanagan will have their hands full dealing with O’Mahony at the breakdown, but this game could come down to who hold their nerve in front of goal.
Full-back Gavin Dunne has proved his worth to this Mary’s team time after time and if Clontarf lose their discipline and give away kickable penalties, he will punish them on the scoreboard.
Both sides come into this game on the back of impressive performances. Mary’s left Cork Con with a hard fought win in Temple Hill while Clontarf produced a bonus point victory over Garryowen last time out. Both have 13 wins from 16 games so far, although Clontarf have a considerably bigger point’s difference.
It is very difficult to separate this pair but home advantage might just favour Clontarf. Despite not having won an AIL title, Andy Wood has guys in his ranks who have been there before for Cork Con in Frank Cogan, Evan Ryan and Richie Lane.
Their experience under pressure could hold the key to seeing off a St Mary’s outfit that certainly won’t fear a trip across the Liffey.
Match prediction: Clontarf by five.
Comment: The Ulster Bank League
For any rugby fans with time on their hands on Saturday, you could do a lot worse than turn up at Castle Avenue or tune in to RTÉ Two to watch this match.
The sooner the powers that be realise that the best way of nurturing academy and underage players is to let them cut their teeth in the tough but talented world of the Ulster Bank League, the better for everyone.
Provincial academies offer a wonderful opportunity to train and develop up and coming players but it should not be to the detriment of our domestic league.
The current rule of having only two contracted players per team only helps to isolate clubs and alienate fringe players who are crying out for proper game time and match experience.
How will we produce international standard prop forwards in the future if the majority of their scrummaging experience comes against other ‘trainees’ in their early twenties?
The league may never reach the heights of twenty years ago but it still has an important role to play in the development of Irish players. For this to happen it needs support from fans, from players and most importantly from the IRFU.
Hugh Cahill will be on commentary duty when Clontarf face St Mary's - live on RTÉ Two from 1pm on Saturday.
