J1A Rugby Preview: Familiar faces look towards a bright future?

A new rugby season is underway. The Connacht Junior 1A League is starting this weekend and we take a look at the Mayo teams competing in it. Ballina RFC will be looking to improve from last season and with their new coach, club legend Mickey Murphy, at the helm and powerful reinforcements, the Moysiders seem a force on the rise. Fellow rivals from down the road Castlebar RFC are taking a similar path. Former player and underage coach Paddy Flannelly has taken over as coach of the youthful, much- changed outfit.

BALLINA RFC

Will the empire strike back? For years, the Moysiders were the indisputable number one rugby club in Mayo, as a member of the All-Ireland League. However, Ballina were relegated a year ago and spent last season finding their feet again in the Connacht Junior 1A League.

The men in green weren't able to challenge the top teams, and a defeat at the hands of county rivals Castlebar meant, Ballina would finish in the bottom four, instead of having a crack at promotion in the top section. Now, things have changed and early season signs suggest, Ballina might be in a position to make a push. There is a new head coach at helm, as former scrum-half Mickey Murphy has taken over the reins. “Our game is based on a certain system. But players need to be able to enjoy the game and the way they enjoy the game is being able to play to their strengths. So what we try is just put a system in place that brings out the strengths of all the players.”

There have been a few exciting new signings for the Heffernan Park club, and the return of Luke Sweeney from Australia, is probably the biggest of all. The talented flanker is a natural leader on the pitch and the coach is looking forward to a competitive season. Murphy started playing rugby when he was five or six and ended up with nearly 300 caps for his home
club. His father Mick was a past captain and president of Ballina RFClub and it was predestined, that the former scrum-half would end up in the sport. Murphy's backroom team consists of Richard Morrow and Aiden McNulty. The trio have represented Ballina over 1000 times and have assumed their new roles with a great sense of energy and anticipation.

“The three of us have played together since we were kids. We’ve played every age-group together, the whole way through and the benefit that gives us is we can be really frank and honest with each other. We all kind of have the same idea but things differ as well and we can argue it out.” This year, a bunch of young talent is coming through, to bolster the ranks with energy, enthusiasm and skill: “They're coming into the first and second team, and they're bringing new life into it,” Murphy explains. “Last year was a transition, and this year we're building on from what was done last season. Our goal, our vision for the club is to have two competitive teams. That's the way I'm looking at it.” Ballina have already flexed their muscles in the Cawley Cup reaching the final in that competition.

CASTLEBAR RFC

THERE have been many changes on and off the field in Cloondeash. In the coaching box, Alan Bane left the club and Paddy Flannelly has taken over the as head coach. The 53-year-old played his first game for Castlebar seniors at the age of 17, and after a stint in Wales, he returned to be part of a back-to-back Cawley Cup winning team. “I've got two fantastic coaches with me,” Flannelly told The Mayo News: “There's Christy Cusack, who would be one of the best coaches I've ever been around. I call him the brains of the operation. I think about how we should play and he comes up with the drills and the skills to put us where we need to be.” And there is Paul Coady on board who will look after the backs and Dave Staunton helping with the
forwards.

Flannelly himself coached Castlebar's U-17 and U-18 teams in recent years and taking over the seniors is venturing into new territory. “My management philosophy is called KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Simple works a hundred percent of the time - add in speed and giving the lads the ability to play what's in front of them. So you're going to use your head up, it's a matter of looking up and seeing where the space is.” Castlebar have a very young team, blessed with pace. Many players on this year's squad are well known to Flannelly as he coached them coming through the youth ranks and a good few of them played underage rugby for Connacht as well. However, only four of the team that played the last two years are still there, so Castlebar are essentially sending out almost a completely new team.

They won't be the biggest team in the Junior 1A League, so they probably won't be able to run through people. Therefore, Flannelly’s idea of seeking space is understandable. It's hard to foresee what direction Castlebar's campaign will take. Last season the team qualified for the Top 4 by winning five games out of seven, including a Mayo derby win over Ballina. “It's to try and make it as enjoyable as possible for the lads that are playing,” Flannelly explains. “People give up a lot of their time. I think things have gone very professional sometimes, but you can be professional and have a laugh at the same time.” Castlebar's ranks were certainly boosted by young talent joining the senior ranks and a few signings from outside, including Bryn Graham, who has joined from New Brighton in New Zealand. It will be an interesting season.

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