Harlequins dig deep as European odyssey begins in Vienna
The back story has been a bizarre one for the Farmers Cross men. Having stunned Irish hockey with an unexpected Irish Senior Cup triumph last year, their hopes of a EuroHockey League berth were dashed as Scotland edged past Ireland in the rankings, instead sending them to this weekend’s second-tier competition in Austria.
Furthermore, Quins have endured a rotten season domestically, relinquishing their Munster league and cup crowns to Cork C of I — the nadir coming when they were thumped 6-0 by their great rivals in the Munster Senior Cup final — before finishing bottom of their Irish Hockey League pool, albeit with some improving performances.
