Cahill: Lansdowne drubbing the turning point

PREVIEW: AIB League Division Two Final

The hammering marked a turning point in the Limerick side’s season, a season which would end with promotion to Division 1B and a place in today’s final.

Cahill explained: “It (the loss) was an early wake-up call, a reality check, because we had set big targets for the year. That result let us know in no uncertain terms what we had to do to achieve them.”

Lansdowne skipper John Lyne downplays the significance of that autumnal meeting ahead of today’s clash.

He reasoned: “It will count for nothing, it’s from another time. What happened on that particular day has no relevance, Bruff have earned their place in the final. We will show them absolute respect because they’ve proved to be a great team this season. ”

Lyne can relate to the hard work of today’s opponents as his side have battled to return their famed club to the upper echelons of the game in Ireland.

He admitted: “We were where we probably deserved to be in Division Two. I don’t think (because of the name of your club) you can assume you should be elsewhere, you don’t belong to a certain division, there is no God given right to be anywhere.

“We had to work hard to get to where we are. It’s great being back up (in the top division) but you can’t take a foot off the pedal and after a fine season – even though we have reached our goal of promotion – it would be nice to leave with a trophy as well.”

Added focus on developing the under-age structure in the club has helped – a mantra Bruff have preached for years.

Cahill explained: “Under-age rugby has been the strength of the club; I suppose that’s where it all started and it has been a steady growth right up through the ranks, from the under-age stuff to junior rugby, to senior status and from Division Three to Two and now to 1B.”

Regardless of today’s results, Cahill is confident of Bruff’s continued development. “It’s going really well; the player numbers are increasing at under-age and adult rugby levels, the interest in the area has been fantastic and there is a huge community feel to the club.

“As far as this particular team is concerned, all of us have come up through the ranks together. Everyone knows everyone and that kind of spirit has got us through games when the going got tough.

“In years gone by, any country player worth his salt would have gone into Limerick to play his rugby, but now they have a senior club in the country and it’s an easier option to go to nearby parish club. That has already helped pay huge dividends for us and, hopefully, we can drive on from here.”

BRUFF: P Thompson, J Moore, J Malone, J Carroll, A Cashman, B Cahill (capt), T Cahill, G Ryan, C O’Regan, S Forster, A Bourke, M O’Connell, D Gardiner, M Carroll, J Shine.

LANSDOWNE (from): D Hewitt, S Gahan, K Lewis, G Stafford, M Healy, A Geraghty, B O’Riordan, D Lyne (captain), P Flood, J O’Connell, N Keogh, W Earles, D Ryan, B Horan, A McCullen, D Twomey, B McKeever, K Cleere, R Boucher, L Kavanagh, J Meagher.