Munster boys bid to stem the tide

Munster’s boys hockey teams will hope home advantage helps them close the gap on their interprovincial counterparts as the U16 and U18 Interpros get underway at Garryduff tomorrow. The tournament has returned to the provinces after a period of centralisation in Leinster, with Munster first up to take up the hosting reins. A rotation system nonetheless remains in place to decide on which day teams play twice; the hosts’ campaigns are therefore front-loaded as they play twice on Friday.

The U18s are under the tutelage of Andrew Gray for the second year running, with his UCC team-mate Peter Catchpole again joining him as assistant coach. They endured a mixed campaign last year as two very heavy defeats by Leinster were sandwiched by a backs-to-the-wall win over Ulster, the first for Munster at this level for five seasons. Preparations therefore began in February in a bid to knit this year’s squad as early as possible. The U18s’ hopes will be founded on a central spine that boasts three Irish underage internationals; co-captain Gary Wilkinson will lead from the front with Alex Burns and Simon Wolfe providing the midfield magic. The side’s other skipper, Richard Sweetnam, and Colin Kingston will be tasked with distributing from the back, sitting in front of Daniel Moore, whose shot-stopping exploits between the sticks won him an Irish trial last December. Drag-flicker David Whitaker will look to carry over his fine goalscoring form from the Irish Schools while Philip Brownlow, David Cardy and Jonny Powell can all produce the unexpected up front. The 2011 Munster vintage found themselves undone when they were turned over in midfield by fast-breaking Leinster sides, so protecting possession and tight marking will be a minimum requirement. Leinster have suffered a big injury blow with the loss of last year’s Ireland U16 captain Luke Madeley (shoulder) but Lee Cole and Mark Loughrey are also underage internationals and present a formidable leadership unit for the holders. Ulster won’t want a repeat of that shock 1-0 loss to Munster that ended their challenge last time out and have plenty of survivors of that encounter, with Ben Cosgrave and Irish Hockey’s U18 Player of the Year James Lorimer among the side’s go-to men this time around. The Munster U16s’ coaching and management team have also stayed on from last year, with John Hobbs and Eddie Gash hoping to learn the lessons from a 2011 campaign where their charges were unlucky not to get a result.

They had little trouble finding the net with Cork Harlequins drag-flicker Julian Dale playing a starring role, but he misses out this year due to a long-term injury. A sextet of Bandon Grammar starlets – who lit up the Munster minor cup final last year – will be tasked with backing up captain David Lynch of Ashton. He continues a fine Lynch tradition of leadership given his elder brother Richard was U18s skipper last year, while cousin Karl led the Munster U21s earlier this year and Jason is a senior Irish international who captained Ireland U18s in the past. Villiers’ Andrew Tutty is installed as vice-captain while other important figures in the side will be defenders Alex Deane and Brian Stockil and Jack Ryan, a potential game-changer in goal having seen his exploits last year net him a Munster U16 Player of the Year award. Judging the calibre of opposition is always tricky at U16 level given many are making their interpro debuts but Leinster field a side brimful of talent from St Andrew’s – eight players in total – who are one of the most successful schools in the country in the past decade, suggesting they will again be strong. Guy Sarratt of Monkstown is a powerful, skilful player who could prove a particular handful alongside Jordan Larmour, Darragh Walsh and Freddie Morris, whose brother Harry lines out for the U18s in similar fashion to Gary and Darren Wilkinson for Munster’s U18s and U16s. Ulster look to have brought a particularly youthful side this time around with few familiar names, with Regent House’s Peter McKibben captain of a versatile selection that draws from nine schools. MUNSTER U18 2012: Philip Brownlow (Ashton/Cork C of I), Alex Burns (Midleton College/Cork C of I), Clyde Buttimer (Ashton/Cork C of I), David Cardy (Villiers/Limerick), Owen Chambers (Midleton College/Cork C of I), Peter Coulter (GK, Ashton/Cork C of I), Ian Gibson (Villiers/Limerick), Rob Johnston (Midleton College/Cork C of I), Colin Kingston (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Andrew McGregor (Midleton College/Midleton), Daniel Moore (GK, Midleton College/Midleton), Colum O’Byrne (Crescent Comprehensive/Catholic Institute), Ben O’Mahony (Ashton/Cork C of I), Jonathan Powell (Villiers/Limerick), Richard Sweetnam (Ashton/Cork C of I, co-capt), David Whitaker (Ashton/Cork C of I), Gary Wilkinson (Ashton/Cork C of I), Simon Wolfe (Ashton/Cork C of I). Coach: Andrew Gray; Assistant Coach: Peter Catchpole; Manager: Alan Good; GK Coach: Brian Corcoran. Schedule (all at Garryduff): Friday: Munster v Ulster, 3pm; Munster v Leinster, 7pm; Saturday: Munster v Ulster, 5pm; Sunday: Munster v Leinster, 3pm. MUNSTER U16 2012: Alex Deane (Midleton College/Cork C of I), Simon Dring (Ashton/Cork C of I), Simon Garland (Crescent/Catholic Institute), David Jennings (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Matthew Jennings (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Ben Keoghan-O’Keefee (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Ben Kingston (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Luke Kingston (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Matthew Lee (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Robert Locke (GK, Ashton/Cork C of I), David Lynch (Ashton/Cork C of I, capt), Declan Murphy (Midleton College/Midleton), Jack O’Mahony (PBC Cork/Cork C of I), Jack Ryan (GK, Midleton College/Cork Harlequins), Brian Stockil (Ashton/Ashton), Matthew Treacy (Newtown), Andrew Tutty (Villiers/Limerick, vice-capt), Darren Wilkinson (Ashton/Cork C of I). Schedule (all at Garryduff): Friday: Munster v Ulster, 1pm; Munster v Leinster, 5pm; Saturday: Munster v Ulster, 3pm; Sunday: Munster v Leinster, 1pm. FULL DISCLOSURE: Southern Fried Hockey has a vested interest in this tournament, with this writer acting as manager of the Munster U18s. I have attempted to write this account as neutrally as possible in the circumstances, while also focusing primarily on the Munster sides as is generally consistent with the site’s readership.