New City of Derry Head Coach Eugene Murnane has taken over a team in transition. (Photos: George Sweeney, nwpresspics)
Junior Cup - City of Derry vs. Ballymoney - Judges Road, Saturday, 2:30pm
New City of Derry Head Coach Eugene Murnane is not panicking despite a difficult start to the new season, as he targets a morale-boosting performance in the Junior Cup this weekend.
Successive Championship 1 defeats have painted a picture of a season of struggle ahead, but Murnane is remaining upbeat despite the challenges currently facing the squad.
“It's learning from each game,” he insisted. “It's trying to identify. I'm not the type of coach as well, either, that if things are going wrong, if the scrums went wrong, for argument's sake, I'm not the type that's going to have scrums all next week.
“I don't coach on just reaction. I coach generally on the areas we've got to improve. Yes, it's going to be tough next game. There's lots of areas where we need to improve.
"Defence is a big one for us now. And our reaction as well; things happening, if we kicked long, our chase is not great. We work hard to get back behind the ball if they kick to us. There's lots of little things, we could be here until tomorrow talking, but, hey, stay positive. You've got to lift their heads, stay positive because that's what it's about. That's the only way we'll improve.”
On a wet and dreary day at Judges Road, Derry struggled against Portadown with key decision-making and key decisions going against his young team.
“It was a tough day, and disappointing,” he acknowledged. “Again, I can't fault that the boys' commitment. They played up to the end. They kept trying until the full 80. In the game previous we made some stupid errors, made a rod for our own downfall again and this time some missed tackles cost us and a bit of naivety.
“Now, I know it's a dirty day, but you can't blame the conditions, because it was the same for them as well. Believe it or not, the line-out was good last time, and the scrum was good. I suppose the scrum's the only thing that kept us in the game, really.
“It was a day for keeping possession, respecting possession, but we'd go three or four phases, and then we'd try to offload, and the fact was, the offload, it wasn't on, but we'd still try and force it.”
City of Derry lost out to Portadown in their last home game.
This City of Derry team is almost unrecognisable from the squad last year, with some bug names departing the club. In their stead, a number of Seconds have been promoted and they will undoubtedly need time to find their feet in new surroundings.
“We got a few young boys there, who are playing in key positions,” Murnane stated. “They're going to get better with experience, but at the moment, we haven't righted the results, really, for want of a better word, for them to gain the experience, and we're having to throw them into positions where perhaps, we shouldn't be having to, but these are the circumstances. This is where we are at the moment.”
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The Head Coach is not one for panic but he knows that results will have to improve along the way if his team are to retain their Championship One status at the end of the season. He certainly has the enthusiasm for the battles ahead.
“There's no cause for panic, but, like I said, but it can't go on,” he agreed. “Come Christmas time, you can't be saying there's no cause for panic. And I know that as well. We will need eventually to win rugby matches whenever they'll be, but we’ll just keep working. I've bought into it, and I'll keep battling to the end. I'm used to that anyway. I think we had a good response off them there as well, I couldn't question the attitude. They played the 80, which they didn't do last time.”
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