Hobbs keen to show last year’s win was no fluke

JOHN HOBBS is long enough in the tooth to know that in any sport, reputations are built onresults.

That’s why he feels CorkHarlequins will have to repeat last season’s Irish Senior Cup success in Hockey if they are to be ranked among the best of their generation.

Facing a very tricky away trip to Banbridge today will, he says, be a good test of exactly how good this ’Quins team actually is and, ultimately, how history will look at them.

Hobbs knows that as the cup holders the Cork side are the team everyone wants to beat, and says that Banbridge will raise their game simply because they are playing last year’s winners.

“We know we are there to be shot at and in team meetings this year we have spoken a number of times about how much we want to retain the trophy,” he said.

“We went through a tough time trying to win it in the first place and it took us a while to crack it. We had to get to three finals before we won one and that involved a lot of pain for everyone involved.

“So, having finally won it last year, there is a big desire among the squad to retain the cup and we are very focused on that. There is a very big incentive there for us to illustrate to everyone that we were no flash in the pan,” ‘Quins experienced defender explained.

He says the desire within the team comes from a collective desire to prove themselves “a class act” in Irish club hockey and he reckons they have the ammunition to do so.

Hobbs, who works with both the Munster U-18 side and the Harlequins senior women’s side (who themselves have a cup quarter-final today) now spends a good deal of time coaching. Much of the past week saw him involved with the Irish U-18 team in their series against England. He says he feels that the best is still to come from the team this season.

“We weren’t entirely convincing in either the third round against Monkstown (winning 2-1 in a game in which Hobbs scored) and we had to dig deep to come out on top in the derby with Church of Ireland in the last round, so hopefully we can show an improvement on those two performances.

“We lost Conor Harte from the team that won the final last season and replacing someone of his calibre is never going to be easy. Consequently there have been times when we struggled in defence this year and his loss weakened us a bit.

“But Phillip O’Driscoll has really stepped up this year and the team has pulled together a lot to make up for any shortcomings we might have.”

He cites players like Lee d’Alton and his younger brother Dan as players of whom a lot has been asked at various times and thinks they have answered a lot of questions for a team which has occasionally struggled without the influence of the injured John Aherne.

“Have no doubt though,” he said, “Banbridge beat us in the club championships last year and you have to remember that they play in a much stronger league than we do, which will stand to them.

“They also play a different set-up tactically to what we might be used to and they have some really good players. Eugene Magee is an international and both the McCardless brothers (Ross and Bruce) are proven goalscorers.

“They are top of their league right now and so this is going to be a big test of character for us. But, we’re determined to do well and to show that we are worthy champions.”