All Ireland Junior Cup Final Preview: Moylan continues Tullamore’s cup tradition
Tullamore Coach John Moylan had a tough act to follow when he took over the reigns at the club this year as while his predecessor Andy Melville had missed out on the league title, his sides had been prolific in getting to cup finals.
Tullamore made a slow start to the season in the league but they soon found their stride and are currently second behind a strong Skerries side. Unfortunately they bowed out of the Towns Cup last weekend but Moylan and his side have the chance to claim silverware in the Nenagh man’s first year at the helm when they face Monivea this Sunday. The Nenagh man is happy with how things have been going in his first season.
“It’s been great so far. It is my first year and it took me a while to bed. First few games didn’t go to plan but it takes a while to get to know players and for players to get to know the way I want to play. We’ve changed a few things from the way they used to play. I think they’re a lot fitter and I think we have a better squad all round. We have a stronger squad than other years so hopefully we’ll be able to push on. Once the lads got used to me I think we found our feet and it’s been going good since.”
Another reason for the slow start was the absences of key players.
“There was a few all right. Aaron Deverall our out-half got injured in the first league game early on. He’s our main guy, he runs the show. He was a big loss to us in the first few games with a shoulder injury. It took a while to bed in with the new ideas and the new ways we were playing. The 10 is crucial to the whole thing. Whoever filled in for Aaron went okay but when he came back it was a big boost. Adrian hanley came back late and he’s having a superb season. We got a few guys from the West Offaly Lions too and it took them a while to bed in but now it’s getting better and better every game. We were all new at the start. It was a new squad but once we bedded in we found our feet and improved every game from then on in.”
It could get even better this Sunday when they play in the All Ireland Junior Cup Final but the Tullamore coach said he and the team would approach the game just like any other.
“We don’t want to get the players over hyped. We just want to keep it nice and cool and nice and calm. We’re going to stick to our same routine that we have all the time. There’s going to be no difference with training. It’s going to be intense but coming into the game we’ll have the same build up we always have and just treat it as an ordinary game.”
Moylan noted that after a run of injuries, his squad was getting back to full strength at just the right time.
“There’s great competition for places so that’s going to keep them on their toes. We had a hard job to pick our team last week. We had a lot of injuries but they’re all back so our squad is strong at the moment. There’s seven guys fighting to get on to the team and there’s a few guys after losing out as well so it’s healthy competition and that’s what keeping lads on their toes.”
While the squad is getting back to full strength on the field, the coach commented that the structures off the field were just as strong.
“All round in the club there’s a good foundation. There’s a super committee. Since I arrived I’ve been very impressed by the organisation of the club. I’ve an excellent manager in Tom Moloney and assistant manager Noel Browne. There’s a great buzz. The players are getting fed here after training and that brings great spirit. On Tuesday night we had 23 lads some who travelled between Galway, Dublin and Limerick. It’s great. The parents of the players are cooking for them different nights. It all adds to the spirit and that’s why we’re being successful I think.”
Tullamore have plenty of players who have experienced big cup finals but while the coach thinks the experience will help, he is not dwelling on any other finals except this one.
“We’re definitely not going to dwell on anything that happened in the last three finals. This is a new. This is a new coach. We have a new set of players. We’re a lot fitter. We’re playing different rugby. I’m not even going to go down that road of what happened in the past. The past is in the past. We’re looking forward. We’re taking it one game at a time. We’re fierce determined. We’re fit, it’s a strong squad and there’ll be no excuses come the final.
“There’s leaders there, there’s older guys there and they’re showing leadership all year, leadership even out in training this week. There was a huge build up for the semi-final and the older players really took training the Tuesday and Thursday night before that game. They led from the front and showed their experience and that brings on the younger guys. We’ve some great young players the likes of Paul McNiff. There’s some great young talent coming through the club. We’re trying to develop them. We’re all in it together.”
With conditions changing almost day to day, never mind week to week, Moylan agreed that it could be difficult to prepare the team although he knows which conditions he would prefer for his side.
“Every coach likes a dry day. People have a notion that we play 10 man rugby but let people think what they like because we have a great back line there as well. Whatever the conditions are, we don’t mind. We have both styles of play. We are hoping for a fine day.
“Their is a myth about us that we are all about our forwards but if anyone has seen us lately they would have seen our tries and especially the handling for our three tries last Saturday week was superb in the conditions. Anyone that think we can’t move the ball is coding themselves.
“We adapt to any weather conditions. In this league you are playing winter and spring and meeting all sorts of weather and if you have only one style of play; well then you’re goosed. You have to take it week by week and the next Saturday can be totally different to the previous Saturday. We have a lot of speed in our back three, two very strong centres and an excellent nine and 10 and that’s backed up by our very strong pack.”
While wanting to play a running game, the Tullamore coach also knows his side have plenty of work done to help them hold the upper hand at the all important set piece.
“I always look for a physical game up front. Lineouts and scrums are crucial. We do an awful lot of work on our scrums and lineouts and our maul is going very well. They are the basics and unless you have them right you are not going to win anything.”
Monivea have gone through the top flight in Connacht this season like the proverbial hot knife through butter winning 11 and drawing one game. They will be a tough prospect for Moylan’s side but the Tullamor coach has his homework done.
“We have been doing our groundwork on them and have a lot of research done. I would know a good few of the players from previous years and I have experienced them myself playing against them in the round robin in 2005. Their strengths are all over. They have a strong pack and a good back line. A very strong centre and a good ball carrying number eight. We have our homework done but we will be focusing more on our own game.”
He will also be focussing on discipline and not giving away the same number of peanlties they did in the semi-final against Westport.
“One big concern from the semi final was our penalty count especially in the second half. It was way too high when we weren’t really under pressure. It gave Westport a chance to get back into the game. If they had scored a try early in the second half it could have been a different game altogether. They crowd were really behind them and they played with great spirit. We have definitely to step up on our discipline. We got two yellow cards and if we get them in the final we won’t win it.”
Historically Tullamore bring great support with them to big games and John Moylan is hoping this Sunday is no exception.
“It’s a massive day for the team, the supporters and the town of Tullamore in general. I would appeal to everyone to get behind the team, to get the red and black out and come support the team. The lads will give it there all anyway and hopefully they will have good support behind them.”
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Weather for Tullamore
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
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