Interpro titles up for grabs
October 2, 2009
Written by Alan Good, in Interpro, Latest Stories, News
The focus turns to interprovincial action a little earlier in the season than usual this weekend, as the U16 and U18 boys and girls pit their wits against each other at Grange Road and UCD this weekend.
With bad weather playing havoc with some of the interpro tournaments last season, the competitions were moved away from their traditional winter dates, meaning players and coaches alike have been busy preparing throughout the summer off-season.
Leinster invariably start as favourites for the boys’ tournaments, though they have a habit of being less than the sum of their parts. Nonetheless, on paper, the U18 side, captained by Glenanne tyro Shane O’Donoghue, appear to possess the strongest squad once again.
Naomi Carroll will once again be a key figure in the Muster U18 girls' challenge. Picture: Adrian Boehm
Ulster will look to Banbridge marksman Stephen Dowds to provide their goals, while Munster’s Nick Burns will be seeking to embellish his reputation as one of the country’s most exciting young talents.
However, it is the U18 girls tournament which is set to provide the most intrigue; this was an incredibly close-run thing in Cork last year, with Ulster first past the post, just ahead of Leinster and Connacht.
The westerners once again are very strong at this grade, with Freddie Timmins, Lynsey Trainor and the gifted Dora Gorman anchoring their challenge.
Hermes’ Chloe Watkins is again the star name for Leinster, alongside club-mates Deirdre Duke, and skipper Gillian Pinder.
Munster possess one of the country’s most uncompromising defenders in Yvonne O’Byrne, with Naomi Carroll — who, like Duke, is also an Irish underage soccer international — providing the threat at the other end.
With a number of players announcing themselves to the wider hockey public for the first time, the U16 interpros generally have an unknown quantity to them.
Ulster are the holders in the girls’ tournament, but Munster could be the surprise package this season, with Cork Harlequins duo Leanne Mullins and Acacia Taylor rated among the best prospects in the country.
Monkstown starlet David Cole will be hoping to lead Leinster to a third successive boys title, with Irish international team-mates Scott Sullivan and Josh Moffett leading the challenge for Munster and Ulster respectively.
Elsewhere, Ireland’s men play a three-game series against Scotland in Banbridge as they continue their preparations for next month’s World Cup qualifying campaign in Argentina.
Chloe Watkins will anchor Leinster's challenge for the U18 girls title as they bid to wrest the crown back from Ulster. Picture: Adrian Boehm
With international and interprovincial action dominating this weekend’s agenda, club games are few and far between across the provinces.
However, the ESB women’s Irish Senior Cup will get underway a week early in Tallaght, as Glenanne host Ulster Elks in a match moved due to the host club’s EuroHockey League trip to Barcelona next weekend.
For details of fixtures and the Munster squads competing at this weekend’s interpros, click here and follow the respective links, then click ‘view squad details’.
Best of luck Roisin in the U16’s, Naoimi, Rebecca & Katie in the U18’s and all the Munster team. From the sounds of it should be some great games. Were all routing for ye at home!
Site’s looking great Al!
I would like to congraulate the under 16’s and 18’s ladies on their interpros. Special thanks to John Hobbs and Eddie Gash, who have coached the under 16s for the last three years, thanks for your dedication, time, commitment and energy to the girls. Two wins this tournament unlucky not to be three. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into Roisin and for developing her as a player. Keep up the great work.
Another disappointing weekend for the under age Munster ladies teams. Despite the final result well done to everyone involved.
It raises the question though were all those long 9 hours training weekends really worth it? The girls looked tired at the weekend, are we over training them perhaps?
Results were really good. It was only goal difference that stopped the
18’s from been second place. Both teams won two of the four matches, were beaten by one goal in the third, and ulster only let one goal in against them in any game the whole weekend, they are in a league of their own. For the amount of time we have to prepare, with girls been not available for selection and on holidays both teams did really well results wise. I watched both teams and did not think any of the girls looked tired, except for what you would expect after playing matches.
Unfortunately we do not have the quality in either boys or girls hockey. We need these sessions to help bring the standard up just so they can compete.
Ulster have regional sessions most weekends, normally 3 hours or so and then they have even more time together before the tournament.
Leinster have huge numbers playing though not the same set up but really put effort into their teams.
If we want to succeded we need the set up a bit like Ulster. That means no Sunday league matches for kids who are likely to play for Munster and not have them playing league matches on this day.
Plus in the other areas the kids have generally already decided to play one sport, in Munster some of these kids are playing 2 or 3 a week some two a day.
“Concerned” – The weekend was not a dissapointment at all!!!
Yes, we did not win, but the girls on both teams [u16 and u18's did well]. It was the 1st time in 3 years the under 16 won any games, winning two and competing a third game.
The u18’s beat Leinster for the 1st time in a long long time, did very well against Ulster until we lost players to injury [were 1-0 remember, when Edwina and Edel went off], and just didn’t the depth in squad that Ulster so clearly do. We completly dominated South East and should have won by much more……had we done so, we would have finished 2nd not 4th! Thats the difference really.
Yes, we did have long training weekends in preparation……it’s not possible to develop a team, get them playing together without it. Ulster, get between 15-20 hours minimum [source the Ulster Coaches] pitch time of waterbased suffaces to prepare for tournaments, so is it any wonder they look better. We get 4 hours down here if we are lucky…
I agree in what you have said…one or two girls did look tired over weekend. In saying that, they had week off, from any sport prior to the tournament, were encouraged to rest, take water on board and eat high energy foods…so i don’t know if they did or not! However, others who played every minute of all four games still looked fresh and could have kept going…so the issue of player fitness prior to trials could be brought up here too.
As interpro coaches we only have limited time to pick squad, and get them playing well together. The girls themselves, and their school / clubs, need to get them fit and ready for the season ahead. We supplied U18 with a fitness plan, talked to school and club coaches about allowing players do same, and got nothing but positive feedback.
Now maybe i am biased, as the U18 coach, but i will defend my players here as i thought they did very well, only narrowly losing on goal difference in the end. And had decisions gone our way in the games [Stroke v Connacht, disallowed goal v South East, injuries etc] the tournament could have a very different kettle of fish altogether
Well said David. You and all the squads punched well above their weight.
Well done to both Dave and John. Both teams performed really well and both came up against very solid Ulster sides. The 16s were unlucky not to beat Leinster and the 18s were right in it against Ulster, the scoreline does not reflect the performance. There were also some excellent individual performances as well. Fair play to the lads for all their hard work and for those of you nay-sayers, perhaps you’d like to put your name forward to coach one of these teams next year?
You make your points well Dave and I think the dedication and time you have put in is fantastic. I not in anyway criticising you or your methods but more of what more can we change or what are we doing wrong.
I dont know much about the womens games but I am aware that over the last number of years we have not been able to compete or win any underage trophies. Didnt we used to win a lot before, say 6-8 years ago when Emer Cregan and others were there? Didnt Mount Mercy win the Kate Russell a lot back then also?
This year was the best year for the U18 for a while from what I saw but last year they were very poor. Now I understand you can only do so much with the players you have but a Munster team should not be loosing to Connacht or South East at any level. We have a far more developed game with more schools and clubs playing than either the South East or Munster.We should minimum always come at least 3rd at these tournaments.
People get injured I know that but its a squad you have with you. You need to allow for injuries, I’m sure every team lost players to injuries not just Munster.
I dont think that fitness is an issue. I would worry that the girls are burnt out. School hockey has become much more serious and committed over the last 4-5 years with teams now training over the summer. So along with school training and weekends packed with Munster training the majority of these girls are also playing club hockey. Most of them are on their clubs 1st teams!! Seems like a lot of hockey for young girls just not fully grown and just developing if you ask me. I would be concerned by the time these girls reach U21-Senior level they will no longer have any interest in hockey.
Has the sport progress to quickly in other provences for us to keep up with it in Munster?
I agree with the last comment. Schools hockey is all about winning and little about development in my view.
Players are training more and more at school level but I have not seen any significant improvement in the level of skill by the kids but they do seem to be continually tired.
Schools hockey is supposed to be about learning and fun, being good enough to represent Munster and maybe Ireland. At the moment the focus seems to be, put all effort training into the school and have nothing really in the tank for anything else.
To say that Munster should not lose to a Connacht is very harsh on Connacht. They won the U16s two years ago and finished second this year in the U18s, they got a group together at 13 and worked them gradually to a very effective side. They also have produced a significant number of underage internationals, something Munster is only starting to do now with the Munster Cheetahs. I’m sure this will pay off in time to come.
Sometimes a smaller base allows more concentrated work to be done with a group of players, rather than having 100 kids turning up at your first trial.
Well done to all involved. U18s beating Leinster is a massive achievement and sounds like we were very close to taking points from Ulster to bring the cup back home to where is belongs.
It takes a lot of hard work on both players and coaches part so well done guys.
Concerned, why not just name yourself and then go to the coaches and managers etc, with your CONCERNS, instead of posting anon on a website,
Don’t really want to get involved in an assessment of the Interpro performances as I didnt see any of the games, but I have been at sessions/ matches organised by Dave/Kay and Andy/Stephen and the preparation looked mighty good to me!
Don’t know how relevant this factor is but I’ll throw it in the mix for discussion purposes too. When meeting and assessing new players at UCC’s hockey induction nights, the amount of players who give up hockey after the Junior Cert is startling. A few years ago, one or two would give up in Leaving Cert year but now the majority seemed to have given up when entering 5th year. That is downright scary. You’re 15/16/17: go play some sport. There must be an awful lot less players to pick from nowadays so the ones still playing might be getting asked to do a lot more as a result (and they are also the ones likely to be playing multiple sports!).
Dont know what this phenomenon is like in other provinces but it is a big factor in Munster.
For the record, and I’m not kidding, when I react with shock that they gave up for the last 2 years, every last one of the players (now that they’re back playing a great sport again that they probably took up when 9 or 10) throws their eyes up as if to say “I know, what was I thinking. If I could do it all again..”
Final say on this matter [as far as I am concerned anyway].
As coach of U18 for last three years, and assistant year before, I would have to say that we are improving. Obviously each year, the squad and the opposition are different but overall Brain, Kay and myself believe we are improving – or rather this year way better than last is you want to look at it that way.
Yes….Interpro hockey is about squads and not just 11 players, but the problem we have in Munster [as they do in southeast and to a lesser extent Connacht {at the moment}] is that we don’t have the strength in depth that Leinster and especially Ulster do. We can allow for injuries for sure…however what we cannot cope with is if our injuries are to our best or key players. Everyone can play and cover a position, which is why we bring 18 players. But when you lose players like Rebecca Barry [game 1 after 15mins to Concussion – out for tournament], Edwina McGrath [captain and only actual left back in squad], and then have your best performers Naomi Carroll and Yvonne O’Byrne with muscle injuries it’s not good. [I should point out that our physio was kept busy over the weekend and I would like to thank Jane here now!] If we had the depth of squad that Ulster did….then no worries, we would have done better, but unfortunately Munster doesn’t at the moment so the squad did their best on that front, and I’m proud of each and every one.
Fitness / burn out is a concern alright – a few players we thought would thrive in tournament conditions didn’t [in all the games that is] so this could be an issue for sure. Girls [and boys too] shouldn’t be doing too much sport at this age…..but with School hockey becoming more competitive now with better coaches and management directives, and the increased intensity and frequency of training session a compromise may need to be reached.
I’d have no problem, as Scoil Mhuire head coach, if a Senior Ladies coach asked me to rest my player(s) before a game, or let them sit out training once a week, and I would expect same from them…….and to be fair I have obliged and people have obliged me with decisions like this in the past. The question we should ask is which comes first in the list – International, Interprovincial, Club or School teams??? As it stands now, a player like Yvonne O’Byrne for example or Amy-Kate Trevor……both play for division 1 senior sides, and are integral to their school teams. Each squad [school and club] would train twice a week with a game…..that’s 6 sessions in theory for these girls to cope with, before pressures of Interpro’s, Irish Trials / Trainings, exams, or other sports!!! All I can say on this matter is that I will be looking into it from my point of view as Scoil Mhuire coach, so the girls remain healthy, fit and able to play and enjoy their hockey.
Sorry Phil I know of several names that have been put forward over the past number of years for 16s and 18 girls but if youre not from the right club your name will not be considered