Many positives for young team
SLIGO RFC Head Coach Ross Mannion said that although the result wasn’t theirs on Saturday, there are many proud moments to look back on this season. “Overall, it is still raw it’s difficult to get your head around. Everyone has put so much in since training started back in July.
“To finish second in the League but you have nothing to show but saying that this is a very young team with huge potential.
“They have achieved a huge amount and broken so many records, finishing in the highest position ever in the club’s history and also having ten wins in a row. That shows so much consistency and I am very proud of them,” Mannion admitted.
He said many of the players he has coached since they were playing schools rugby and seeing them progress to senior level is fantastic.
“I have gotten to know some of the players from when they were playing first year rugby with Summerhill and it’s magnificent what they have done this season.
“Also seeing Graham Kerr and Kuba come in from the Grammar was great, they brought a new lease of life.
“I am immensely proud of the whole team and what they have achieved in a short space of time, particularly looking back to last year.” Mannion said he hopes the team will stay together now and come back to achieve even more next season. “I hope they will keep together and go again next year.” Back to the 21- 30 defeated to Rainey, the coach said a few things didn’t go their way on the day. “It’s disappointing, particularly when it was our objective and goal to go and win the League and achieve promotion. “A certain few things didn’t go our way, two lads had viruses, Conor Mitchell was unable to play and Mark Rooney had a virus and tried to play but his body was wrecked. Shane O’Hehir had damaged his ankle against Navan and was out but all the lads stepped up and done the work.” He said they were not as good defensively in the first half, despite Jack Keegan kicking some crucial penalties. “I think we played too much in our own half and they were capitalising on our mistakes. “In the second half, we didn’t get the break unfortunately,” he added. Another positive was the announcement yesterday that New Zealand’s Michael Wells is one of three players in the running for Connacht Club Senior Player of the Year. “Michael is a fantastic guy. He’s only 24 and a great player with a great attitude and huge for us all season.”