Welsh says Harlequins ‘red hot favourites’
The Garryduff stalwart, who has just returned to take over the coaching role there after several years overseeing the growth of his retail sports business, knows well the importance of this game and knows too the need to have his players in the right frame of mind.
Anything, therefore, that will boost his charges and perhaps lull Harlequins into a false sense of security is fair game and so his suggestion that his side are “rank outsiders” may be taken with just a little pinch of salt.
With international players of the stature of John Jermyn, David Hobbs, Karl Burns and Mark Ruddle available to him, as well as bright hopes such as Adam Pritchard, Jason Lynch and Johnny Bruton, Welsh is hardly short of talent in his first year in charge.
He does recognise that Quins have very much had the whip hand over Cork C of I in recent years and is determined to do something about it.
“I’m under no illusions about the strength Quins have at the moment, but I do have a very talented bunch of guys right now too and it is possibly the best we have had for the last ten years or so,” he says.
“In fairness to Denis Pritchard (his predecessor as coach), he was very hamstrung by the demands the Irish international team had on the players, who were very rarely available to him because of the commitment they had to training camps and games in the run up to the World Cup qualifiers in China last season.
“I’m very lucky that the players do not have the same level of demand on them this season, so most of our internationals will be available for our big games.”
Even so, he says he has a squad of about 20 players competing for places on his senior team, making a “huge difference” to the side’s potential.
“The numbers in training have swelled this season and the situation is much more healthy in the sense that everyone is competing for places and we don’t have guys who are playing regularly, but getting frustrated because they’re dropped when the internationals become available.
“That said, there are fewer big games for the clubs now and so a league clash with Quins becomes very much a season-defining thing and my main focus this year has had to be on the two league games we will play against them.”
Welsh points to the fact that Harlequins have won the last three league titles and two league and cup doubles in the same period, as well as the Irish Senior Cup last season and it is on this basis that he reckons his side to be rank outsiders.
“This is my first year back with the senior team after an absence of a few years and I must say I’m delighted to be involved once more. But I have to say that if we win anything this season it will be a bonus.
“I want the side to play as a unit and I know that they are capable of doing things and I also know there is an appetite there for a challenge. We’ll definitely be facing a big challenge this weekend, but I think we are looking forward to that.
“We’ve been boosted by the fact that Karl Burns is coming back from injury and although he has only about 40 minutes of competitive hockey under his belt at this stage, he will probably play some part in Saturday’s match.
“Mark Ruddle too has been plagued with injury, but he’s back now too and we should have a full strength squad for what is undoubtedly one of the big games of the year.”
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