New lessons reaping rewards for savvy Brian Walsh and UCC 

Walsh led UCC to Division 1A of the AIL for the first time and then achieved perhaps the even greater feat of keeping them there

UCC head coach Brian Walsh (right) with Dr Larrie Martin. Pictures: Jim Coughlan

There were times not so long ago when the idea of UCC playing in the top-flight of the All-Ireland League really would have meant the daunting prospect of boys against men.

Yet the evolving nature of rugby and a head coach savvy enough to see the way the game is changing means College are developing into a side capable of competing with the big guns of Energia AIL 1A, despite the inherent disadvantages of being a student outfit.

Brian Walsh has been at the helm for the last three seasons, helping them reach Division 1A for the first time and then perhaps the even greater feat of keeping them there, for which he has seen his remit extended to overall club head coach, reuniting him with UCC chairman of rugby Charlie Haly, his former Munster backline team-mate from the famous victory over Australia in 1992.

The potential for an extended stay in 1A with no promotion or relegation in the shortened 2020-21 campaign means that having as Walsh described as 'hung on' to their status over the last two terms, the perennially high natural turnover of its student squad is beginning to reduce, as players, such as Munster academy professionals John Hodnett and Jack O’Sullivan, realise they can play at a high level without needing to look for a stronger club outside the college.

UCC training last month at The Farm, Curraheen Road Sports Grounds, Cork. College are developing into a side capable of competing with the big guns of Energia AIL 1A.

UCC may not be title contenders yet but Walsh is relishing the opportunity for them to compete with city rivals Cork Constitution and similarly battle-hardened squads.

“Well it is against the odds to a certain extent and they’re traditional odds but the great thing from my perspective is we have to play rugby. We’re not going to win the physical, dogged battle so we’ve got to use the ball,” Walsh said.

“The game is changing worldwide and that puts greater pressure on the coaches, players and conditioning staff; but it’s also more enjoyable for the players and for the coaches when we start to get it right.

“So, having to use the ball more and we don’t have that safety net, ‘if it’s not working we’ll just truck it up’, you know, ‘we’ll kick the leather off the ball’, so that really is the nub of it.

“When I came out of school I played in a Con side that had (Michael) Bradley and Ralph Keyes playing at half-back. I learned very quickly about pressure, game management and all that but we’ve got to pressure teams in a different way.

“Historically if you were big and strong enough you could go out and compete with anybody but now you have to have more rounded skills so it means we have to develop those skills and how to pressurise teams with the ball in hand.

“I look at the Con games we played over the last couple of seasons and we’ve lost them all by a score so we’ve been battered and bruised but if I take Con as the benchmark, we’re not that far off it.

“The experience of the last couple of years and holding onto a few key players is helping us to develop and hopefully we can turn that into something that is competitive as we go on.” 

Walsh speaking with the UCC squad.

Walsh can call upon former Munster men and mature students Cian Bohane and Ryan Murphy but it is a predominantly young squad that lacks the years of conditioning they face on a weekly basis in the AIL.

“It just means we train differently. Our S&C staff are great and we’ve access to the facilities in College but I think what we’re developing is more agile, athletic, more rounded players.

“My view of what I’m responsible for is to make these guys better players and have a good understanding of the different ways to play. If they’re moving onto a higher level they’ll adapt into the pro game and whatever system is being played.

“There has to be structure and key fundamentals but it’s about players being able to make good decisions with and without the ball. That has to be the core part of it.”

That remit appeals to the former Con and Munster wing’s coaching sensibilities and Walsh admitted: “I’m loving it. It’s great to get kids at that age and to an extent they are sponges and they want to get better.

“I think if we stick to our principles around using the ball, which fits with the College mentality, and the other college sides do it too, it just makes for a very good environment. And no different to them being young adults maturing as they come through college off the pitch, they do the same thing on the pitch. It’s got to be enjoyable and the coaches need to enjoy it and I enjoy it. It’s not enjoyable losing 10 games last year by a score but we’re getting better all the time and so I’m really looking forward to this year.”