Corcoran remains the link to Junior Cup glory days

By Shane Brophy

The last time Nenagh Ormond’s first team lined out in a Munster Cup final at Thomond Park, it was in 2004 when they defeated Bruff to win their second Junior Cup title in five seasons.

You wouldn’t think that in such an attritional game such as rugby there would by any survivors from a final nineteen years ago, but there looks set to be one as Nenagh Ormond player/head coach Derek Corcoran gets set to don the cherry and white jersey at Thomond Park once more.

Corcoran was a young cub of a full back on that great Nenagh side but down at the age of 39, he is very much the elder statesman, and while it wasn’t his intention to be still playing so frequently this season, he is cherishing every moment.

“I think I have been retired three times now,” he chuckled.

“I came back to Nenagh as I wanted to finish my career here,” he added after a spell on the coaching staff with Munster final opponents Young Munster a couple of years ago.

“The body feels okay, so I just keep going. The players keep me going as well. The ambition is there to push the club further along. People always say you are long enough looking in from the side-line so that is some of the drive as well.

“It’s nice also to have my kids coming out to the games on a Saturday and seeing me play is a big driver as well because they come into the dressing room after and interact with the lads.”

When Derek took up the role of Player/Head Coach at the start of this season, his playing ability was still good enough to start every game, but that was no good for the long term development of the Nenagh side with Fionn McGibney and Conor McMahon getting the bulk of the games so far this season in the position, but injuries recently have seen Corcoran feature more and more, so how does he make it work being a player, as well as being the head coach.

“I do my own work away from training to keep up to speed with the lads in terms of fitness and then during the sessions I would pop in and out of the things I need to be part of,” he revealed.

“Then I guess at the age I am at there are only parts of the session I am going anyway.

“It isn’t easy, but I am lucky to have Dan Fogarty, James Hickey and John Long who run the side-line when I am on the field.

“It does have advantages as well as guys can get messages into me, and I can get them across to the players.

He added: “The plan at the start wasn’t for me to be the out-half. I was planning to be utility cover, if needed but Fionn (McGibney) has had a lot of injuries this season so we haven’t had him much.

“We have played Nicky (Irwin) at ten and Conor McMahon at ten. We do have a narrow enough backs squad and when we get a few injuries, I have to step in and when you are older, playing at out-half is easier than any other position as it is not as demanding physically or fitness wise so that was the natural position to step into.”

There are strong links between Nenagh Ormond and Young Munster, not just with Corcoran and forward coach James Hickey, but also strength & conditioning coach Colm Skehan who played with the cookies in last years final win over Garryowen, and whose involvement with Nenagh has been central to their upturn in fortunes this season.

“Getting him on board was really important,” Corcoran revealed.

“He is a really good S&C coach. He has put foundations in place for the players.

“A lot of this is driven from the players as well. You can only give them the template to use, it is up to them to drive it from there and they have been exceptional in terms of that.

“That is the big difference with the squad as we haven’t added too many players from what we had last year when we were in relegation trouble so it was about keeping players fresh and we have tailored our training towards that so we haven’t gone gung-ho every Tuesday and Thursday night, we have had pool sessions, and mobility sessions.”

Nenagh is abuzz with the progress of the senior rugby team this year and of what might be yet to come with promotion in the AIL still firmly in their focus, but they are enjoying every minute of their run at the moment.

“It is exciting for the group and I am delighted for the lads as they have worked hard all year,” added Corcoran.

“To have that opportunity to play in a Senior Cup final, it doesn’t happen too often.

“For us it is just going to be one game at a time. Some people have asked me are we going to prioritise the league over the Senior Cup, but we just take it each week as it comes.

“We set our goals at the start of the season and we are on our way to achieving some of them. We’ll take Young Munster first and then we’ll get ready for Cashel, and then we’ll get ready for Barnhall and then Boh’s to finish, plus a Charity Cup final (v Shannon) but it will be one game at a time.”