Christians have plenty motivation, but Pres won't lack their own

Presentation Brothers Cork's James O'Leary celebrates after the game. Pic: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Here’s one thing for certain ahead of Thursday’s Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup final: Christians won’t have to dig deep for motivation against Pres.

But Ger Burke insists his treble-chasing PBC side won’t lack for hunger either in the trilogy all-Cork decider between these two great rivals.

Four of last year’s winning team remain in place, while Denis Murphy would’ve made it five but for an injury picked up the week of the 2024 final. That means 11 players will be starting their first final in front of a packed house at Virgin Media Park (2pm kick-off).

“The Christians aspect means it’s going to be an incredibly tough final,” says Burke.

“Their motivation is huge. Their hunger and hurt from the last few years is really going to be a driving force. That makes the challenge for us all the harder.

“But on the other side of it, I don’t think anybody wants to partake in any other game more than they want to partake in a Pres-Christians final. There’s just nothing like it.

“Look back at last year’s final, the final the year before, and the semi-final the year before that… In terms of occasions, spectacles, intensity, physicality, and the quality of the games, they blow every other game or occasion in the Senior Cup in the last couple of years out of the water.

“Would we like an easier opposition? Yeah, but you just love Pres-Christians. It’s the game everybody wants to be involved in.

“I said to the lads, when they were first and second years dreaming of their time in the jersey and their Senior Cup final, you can be guaranteed it was Christians they were playing. That’s what every Pres and Christians fella wants to play in.” 

Even for the likes of James O’Leary, lining up for his third consecutive PBC-CBC final at inside centre, this year has taken on its own distinct flavour.

“James being captain is a new thing,” says Burke. “Deckie Fitz(gerald) has been around the scene for the last three years but moving to out-half, it’s a new challenge. Denis, who missed the final last year, it’s great for him and he’s been vice-captain.

We didn’t speak about going for back-to-back last year and we haven’t mentioned, at all, the three-in-a-row this year.

“That’s not by design. It’s not like we made a decision not to do that. It just hasn’t come up because this is a new group, a new dynamic, a new journey. This is its own story to tell.

“This isn’t going to hurt any less if we lose or feel any better if we win because it’s three in a row.

“This is a group of talented young men that have worked incredibly hard, sacrificed, and are trying to win a Senior Cup together and have that special moment.

“The fact that it’s three in a row is irrelevant to that. It’s not the motivation. It’s for these boys to create their own memories and stories in this year.” 

Among the player turnover, they have blooded a new front-five, including a hooker who hadn’t played in the front-row until this year and a handful more without prior Senior Cup experience. 

Place-kicker Daniel Murphy, Alex Moloney, and Rian MacFarlane O’Shea have stepped up from Junior Cup level.

All that while winning each of their round-robin and knockout games with bonus-point tallies.

“It’s been a good year. We’ve won a lot of games. Results have been decent, performances have been mixed,” says Burke.

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“In terms of these boys reaching their potential, we’ve had some excellent performances. We were really good away on tour. We’ve had some good wins against some of the schools in Dublin. Then, other times, we’ve flattered to deceive.

“We’re just trying to make sure on Thursday that we turn up and give a real and proper account of ourselves. That’s really what we’re striving to do. To show what we’re about and how good we really are.

“In the two cup games so far, we’ve underperformed, if I’m being honest, in comparison to the heights we’ve hit other parts of the year.

“We’ve got through some good work and we're feeling in a good place now.

“Our challenge on Thursday will be being comfortable in that arena and that occasion. Nothing replicates what it's like to be in the cauldron that is Musgrave Park on Senior Cup final day.” 

Last year was a 33-31 classic. Can this year live up to that billing?

“We want to be attacking at full throttle and keep the tempo of the game high, as I think they will,” says Burke. “It should hopefully feed into a very good game.”