McCann: “If we got to a Towns Cup semi-final we’d be over the moon”
But Director of Rugby Barry McCann insists this is no bad thing: “I think, overall, we had a really good year,” he said.
“We only promoted last year, so I think finishing third in the league was a really positive result. It would’ve been nice to be in a playoff, but it might have been a year or two early.”
Longford are once again the club in Newbridge’s way, this time in the Bank of Ireland Leinster Towns Cup.
Newbridge beat Clondalkin 31-15 in the opening round before a 30-20 victory over Portlaoise in the Last 16 sent them on their way to the quarter-finals.
“We know Longford pretty well,” McCann said.
“We played them in Longford in the first game of the season, we lost that by four points (26-22), and then we played them in Rosetown just before Christmas and we won that by five points (24-19).
“But it came down to the death – we actually held them up over the line with the last play of the game, so that could have gone either way.”
With both games decided by a single score, home advantage appears to be the critical factor between the sides.
The Towns Cup quarter-final is scheduled for Rosetown this coming Sunday, which may suggest that Newbridge will begin as slight favourites.
“Longford are coming into the game in a lot of form,” McCann insisted. “They hammered Mullingar (35-20) in the Towns Cup and then they hammered Coolmine (48-0) in the last league game, so, I think it’s going to be very, very tight.
“We need to be at our best to beat them. I think Longford would be favourites, but we definitely have a chance and we’re hoping home advantage does count for a lot.”
Newbridge have never won the Towns Cup, nor even reached a final, last reaching the semis as far back as 2021. But the past 12 months has been one of the most one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.
“We won the Towns Plate for the first time ever last year and we won the Hosey Cup this year for the first time in 14 years.
“Add to that winning Division 2B of the Leinster League last year and I think you can say we’ve had a really, really good year,” McCann noted.
“We’ve had a brilliant season so far and if we got to a Towns Cup semi-final we’d be over the moon.
“It’s just another step in the progression, because there has been a huge amount of work done within the club, especially at youth level, and we’re beginning to see a good few players coming through.”
