McGurn works the Midas touch

WHILE Ireland celebrated Super Saturday, fitness expert Mick McGurn was handed further evidence that his Midas touch was in operation.

McGurn spent seven years training Ireland Grand Slam-winner Ronan O’Gara in the gym while boxing’s latest sensation Bernard Dunne has utilised his talents since August 2008.

And the Ospreys and former Ireland conditioning coach watched on as the duo turned into Irish sporting superstars within hours of each other.

O’Gara cooly slotted home the decisive drop-goal in Cardiff while Dunne landed the 11th round knockout blow against Ricardo Cordoba in Dublin to become WBA super-bantamweight champion of the world.

McGurn said: “Working with Ronan and Bernard was similar to the work I’ve done with other teams in other sports.

“Every time, the key to success was hard work.

“Ronan and I were like big brother and little brother, because we used to train all the time together.

“Whenever he wanted to train, I’d make time for him.

“I wasn’t surprised to see him score the winning drop-goal last weekend because he had bottle.”

McGurn’s impressive CV does not fade there. A treble triumph with rugby league outfit St Helens in 2001, three Triple Crowns alongside Eddie O’Sullivan and glory in hurling and international rules followed. Dunne’s heroics over Panamanian Cordoba to become the first Irish champion since Steve Collins was just the latest of his achievements.

McGurn said: “I knew what was required and I told Bernard: ‘If you follow everything I tell you to, I’ll make you a world champion. But if you don’t, you’ll have no chance.’ “I pulled out a couple of his fights on DVD and realised he’d no power and no knockout punch. My six-month-old baby had better strength levels.

“We’d spend five sessions a day whenever the Ospreys didn’t have a game. Then we had an over-reaching week consisting of four sessions a day for six days — effectively four weeks of work crammed into a week.

“At times, I thought I would break him but he showed great character. He wanted to prove people wrong to become the best in the world — and I’m so proud he’s done it.”

The pair only got together by chance. Dunne met McGurn in a Belfast gym last August and McGurn admits he had to knock the Neilstown fighter into shape.

McGurn said: “The first training session I did with him was a joke. He was a typical boxer, going out for pointless 10-mile runs but lacking power, speed and stamina and his diet was appalling.

“Once we changed his fitness programme, I wasn’t surprised I was able to turn him into a world champion.”

“He’s a super hero and up there with Collins and Barry McGuigan. He’s made for life.”