Fresh outlook for Nenagh Ormond ahead of new league campaign

RUGBY: Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B Season Preview

By Shane Brophy

HIGHFIELD v NENAGH ORMOND

Woodleigh Park, Cork

Saturday, 26th October

Kick-off @ 2.30pm

After enduring a baptism of fire with their first taste of division 1A of the All-Ireland League last season, it hasn’t diminished the ambition of Nenagh Ormond to get back there again as the new league season gets underway this Saturday.

Nenagh Ormond suffered the ignominy of losing all eighteen league games last season, garnering just four points, all from scoring four tries or more as they never came any closer than seven points in defeat in their relegation back to division 1B.

It was a tough campaign but one Nenagh welcomed the experience of still explained Director of Rugby John Long.

“We knew the league we were going into but as well prepared as we were for it, I don’t think anything can prepare you for that level of rugby. It’s a professional league and there is no two ways of looking at it,” he said.

“In all the other divisions if you make five or six mistakes, you’ll get away with half of them but if you make five or six mistakes in division 1A it is five or six tries against you and that is how fast and physical it is.

“While it is a big jump from 1B to 1A, the jump from 1A to pro rugby is another and that is what it is, a professional standard.”

While Nenagh had plenty of experience and indeed success playing the likes of Young Munster and Cork Constitution on route to winning the 2025 Munster Senior Challenge Cup, playing the top teams weekly is a different challenge altogether.

“We prepared well and were happy going into the season but week in week out playing those teams, it’s hard going on the bodies, both mentally and physically,” Long added.

“We scored lots of tries and played well in a lot of the games with just one or two games where we came off the field embarrassed by the performance.

“We had eighteen and nineteen year olds who got a taste of 1A rugby and that experience is incredible and is alone worth the jump.”

Fresh outlook

One of the aspects the Nenagh coaching group would have had to contend in pre-season was the level of hunger of the players to try and get back to playing that level of competition again, and they will have to do it with a changed squad.

“It’s no different to any season in that we’ll go out to try and win every game, we are never going to hold back. We’ll find our level and keep aiming over that,” Long continued.

“We lost a lot of bodies from last year, mainly through work and travel.

“The likes of Dylan Murphy and David Gleeson had been travelling up and down from Dublin for the last couple of years and it was just getting to much for them and they have given all they can give in that respect.

“There was a bit of rejigging to do this year and thankfully we have held the core of the squad that has been there for the last five to seven years and the progression through of the under 21’s is adding bulk every year which is great to see and has been a goal over the last few years to build the under 21 game in Nenagh.”

Following their relegation from division 1A, there has been significant changes, headed up by Derek Corcoran hanging up the boots to focus on his head coaching duties but they hope their latest recruit from Down Under, Jonty Stewart, becomes the latest New Zealander to make his mark at out-half, similar to Clayton Stewart and Ben Pope. Aaron Kelly has opted to go travelling while overseas player’s Angus Blackmore & Tom Croft from Australia and Argentine Mateo Sentous have returned home.

Those moving onto other clubs include young lock Fionn O’Meara who joins Young Munster. Hooker Dylan Murphy was snapped up by Terenure College and so will remain in the top tier, as will scrum-half Luke Kerr who has moved on to Old Wesley.

Ormond will come up against some former players this season in the form of prop Darragh McSweeney who has joined UCC while fellow prop Sean Frawley has linked up with Old Crescent. James Meagher will play in division 2B with Clonmel while club great scrum-half Nicky Irwin has called time on his senior career and moves back to junior rugby with hometown club Thurles.

Despite dropping down a division, Nenagh Ormond will continue to be affiliated with Munster so will continue to have Sean O’Brien, Lee Barron and Michael Milne on their books should they be available for given games. They will be joined by academy prop Emmet Calvey. Roman Salanoa, who has been released from Munster, will remain playing club rugby with Nenagh Ormond in a hope to play injury free and win back a contract.

Nenagh Ormond have also strengthened their developing connection with Cistercian College Roscrea with the addition of Munster under 19 out-half Aaron Moloney and backrow Evan Brophy.

Nenagh have restocked their hooking positions with the signings of Ignacio Failla from Portugal and Taylor Coles from England who was previously part for the IQ (Irish Qualified) program, as well as back row Olly Ailing who have all impress so far.

“We are remarkably lucky this year, they have all settled in well and are really nice guys,” John Long said.

“You can tell straight away they have bought into the club culture and a couple of them already have been out helping the underage teams with a bit of coaching and mixing around the club and being real club men.

“We are still playing a high standard in division 1, in the top 20 teams in the country.

“We do have a good name. Any of the guys that come from abroad to play with Nenagh tend to stay for two or three years and have a great time and a great experience.

“They always stay in touch and the guys that come and play have come on the word of someone that has been here before. That’s generally the reason anyone comes to us.”

“Jonty (Stewart) was a connection through Ben Pope and has come from a high standard of rugby. He plays an exciting brand as we all know New Zealand rugby is a different level but he does have that smartness and we hope to see great things from him this season.

“It is going to be a tough division with good rugby. Just because we had a season of 1A under our belt doesn’t give us any advantage over any of the other teams as they will all be tough opponents.”

Nenagh Ormond Senior squad

Prop: Matt Burke, Emmet Calvey, Mikey Doran, Michael Milne, Sean Nolan Niall O’Gorman, Jack O’Keeffe, Roman Salanoa, Ivan Struzia, Richie Whelan

Hooker: Lee Barron, Taylor Coles, Jack Devanny, Jose Ignacio Failla Del Francese

Lock: Kevin O’Flaherty, Kevin O’Gorman, Jake O’Kelly, Kevin Seymour, Cillian Ryan

Back-row: Oliver Ayling, John Brislane, Evan Brophy, Rob Buckley, Joe Coffey Evan Murphy, John O’Flaherty, Robbie Tynan

Scrum-Half: David Corcoran, Evan Fitzpatrick, Yury Litvin, Aaron Moloney, Charlie O’Doherty, Liam Walsh

Out-Half: James Finn, Darragh Gleeson, Jonty Stewart

Centre: Willie Coffey, Conor McMahon, Sean O’Brien, Brian O’Rourke, Patrick Scully

Winger: Keelan Dunne, Fionn Higgins, Luke Graham, Matthew Hodgins

Full-Back: Matthew Brice, Sam Cusack, Conor O’Brien

Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1B

Round 1: Saturday, September 26th v Highfield (A)

Round 2: Saturday, October 3rd v Naas (H)

Round 3: Saturday, October 10th v Instonians (H)

Round 4: Saturday, October 24th v Dublin University (A)

Round 5: Saturday, October 31st v MU Barnhall (H)

Round 6: Saturday, November 7th v UCC (A)

Round 7: Saturday, November 28th v Blackrock College (H)

Round 8: Saturday, December 5th v City of Armagh (A)

Round 9: Saturday, December 12th v Garryowen (H)

Round 10: Saturday, January 9th v Garryowen (A)

Round 11: Saturday, January 16th v City of Armagh (H)

Round 12: Saturday, January 30th v Blackrock College (A)

Round 13: Saturday, February 6th v UCC (H)

Round 14: Saturday, February 27th v MU Barnhall (A)

Round 15: Saturday, March 6th v Dublin University (H)

Round 16: Saturday, March 20th v Instonians (A)

Round 17: Saturday, March 27th v Naas (A)

Round 18: Saturday, April 3rd v Highfield (H)

Play-Off Semi-Finals: Saturday, April 17th.

Play-Off Finals: Saturday, April 24th.