Cogan to lead new-look Cork Con

FRANK COGAN will lead champions Cork Constitution into All Ireland League battle today against Blackrock College at Stradbrook (2.30pm), and coach Brian Walsh expects a battle rather than a skirmish.

Walsh doesn’t need to have a long memory to remember that his side lost to the Dublin side at the same venue last season and expects that, if nothing else, the challenge will be hugely intense. In fact, recalled the Constitution coach, there was nothing obvious between the sides in either of last year’s clashes.

‘Rock won the opening fixture 10-3 and Con struggled to turn the tables before winning 18-15 in Cork.

Walsh hailed Cogan for his contribution to Constitution’s double All-Ireland success last season and felt it was obvious, given Evan Ryan’s move to Dublin (Clontarf) that the number eight should be asked to captain the club for the third time.

“There are a few new faces there; Merle O’Connell has moved back to Crosshaven and Evan to Dublin. Hopefully, a few younger guys will come through but it’s work in progress in that regard,” said Walsh yesterday.

Tom Gleeson is back in action after injury and plays alongside Simon Zebo in the centre and Walsh has great expectations of Brian Hayes who is named alongside Ian Nagle in the second row tomorrow. It’s also another opportunity for players such as Stephen Archer and Peter O’Mahony, who have begun to make a mark at a different level with Munster, to continue to progress.

“It should be an interesting year; there’s a lot of competition for places, a lot of good younger guys coming through, I think, so it’s really now trying to get the balance right and trying to bring these guys through at the right time when they’re fully ready.”

While Munster and Leinster supporters, with Cork or south Dublin bias, might head for Stradbrook, the action in Cork concerns two teams almost always associated with the hard grind of the game – Dolphin and Shannon at Musgrave Park.

Early season form might not be the best way to make predictions, but Shannon will certainly be smarting after losing a Munster senior cup tie away to Bruff last week. Dolphin, meanwhile, accounted easily for Sunday’s Well, so there will surely be a difference in mood between the clubs.

CORK CONSTITUTION: S Scanlon; R Lane, T Gleeson, S Zebo, C Healy; D Lyons, A Ryan; M Gateley, R Quinn, S Archer; B Hayes, I Nagle; J McSweeney, F Cogan (captain), P O’Mahony.