Kavanagh: Elusive Win ‘Lifted Spirits Hugely’ For Ballincollig

As she takes a phone call in her car after finishing a busy day of work at Pfizer in Ringaskiddy, attention turns to Saturday’s round 14 trip to title challengers Old Belvedere (kick-off 5pm).

Playing All-Ireland League rugby is still quite new to the Skibbereen native, who first picked up the sport at 17. She lined out for her hometown club for the last number of years, and also played with UCD where she balanced her rugby commitments with studying Chemistry.

Kavanagh was one of a host of debutants that joined Ballincollig this season. Coming up against provincial players and Ireland internationals has been daunting, but she told IrishRugby.ie that she has really embraced making the step up from junior rugby.

“I would’ve been probably 17 playing underage, it started in Skibbereen. Then I would’ve played in college as well, with the college team in UCD, and then back to Skibbereen last year and then Ballincollig this year,” she explained.

“I wouldn’t have been necessarily that late starting. For women, I don’t think it actually is that late. There wouldn’t have been a team in Skibbereen before kind of that year, but I find it grand.

“Obviously, the girls that start at 12 or so would have a big advantage, just in terms of how to fall and all that stuff. That would have been drilled into them at a much younger age.

“I’ve liked it from the minute I started playing it, so it’s probably easy when you like something to keep going. I’ve found it very good. The girls are lovely, and obviously, the coaches are great.

“It’s a big step up from junior as well, playing against Ireland players some weeks. But definitely the set-up, you know we’ve the gym, strength and conditioning, training, coaching, video analysis, GPS, all that stuff is really a big step up from where I would’ve played before.

“It’s a great learning curve. It’s almost a privilege as well to be able to play at somewhere near the level that those players are at.

“You know, even on our own team, obviously, Michelle O’Driscoll would have been involved in the Munster set-up as well last year.

“So even to be training with those people is definitely a big step up, but it’s good. It’s good to see how they play. Obviously now when you’re playing against them, it’s not as pleasant!”

Living in Cork city makes travelling to work a lot easier for Kavanagh, however when it came to rugby last year she was having to commute down to Skibbereen for training.

Playing in the All-Ireland League has been something that has appealed to the former Munster Under-18 player, who has grown into her role in the forwards. She has made a dozen starts already in the Ballincollig pack this season, either in the second row or back row.

Also selected as the team’s vice-captain, Kavanagh had wanted to join a team in Cork, and with Skibbereen links already at Tanner Park in the form of O’Driscoll, Emma Connolly, and Kate O’Sullivan, ‘Collig was a very good fit for the 24-year-old.

“I’m living in the city and for the second half of last season, I would have been travelling down to Skibbereen to go training. So I knew I wanted to join a team up here.

I would have played with Emma Connolly and Kate O’Sullivan in Skibbereen, and Michelle O’Driscoll for a while as well. So I just said it to them, and they said, ‘Yeah, come with us to training’. Got there and just loved it.

“Even when I was in Dublin, I’d always wanted to go down and train with the teams, but I just never kind of got around to it with college work. When we were playing college, I never did commit.

“So it was really great to get the AIL debut this year, get the experience to kind of see how people at this level operate.”

To have gotten over the line and picked up a 24-12 bonus point win over Cooke last Saturday was a big one for Ballincollig. After ten straight defeats, morale certainly was low with the previous round seeing them lose 66-0 to reigning champions UL Bohemian.

Despite those disappointing losses for Helen Brosnan’s charges, large numbers continue to attend training. The hard work continued on the training pitch going into match weekends, and their reward came in that twice-rescheduled encounter with the Belfast side.

Losing ten games in a row can have quite a negative impact, admits Kavanagh, but the infectious team spirit in the squad has kept them on track. While they have delivered some promising performances, the aim now is to remain consistent in these final four rounds.

“I think it’s always hard when you have a run of losses in a row, especially when we felt like we left a few of those games after us,” acknowledged Kavanagh.

“We all know it’s a challenge to compete with the top four teams, but we are just trying to focus on improving our own performances week-to-week and build layers on in training.

“We have shown some really positive and promising periods but it is just a matter of being consistent, and trying to get (in) those 80-minute performances.

“Ten losses in a row would wear any team down but to still see 25, 30 people at training every week is a testament to the team spirit and bond between us, as well as the never ending support and hard work of our coaches.”

That well-earned result against Cooke has moved Ballincollig into eighth place, with 14 points separating them from bottom side Tullow. They took their scores well, with Ellie Cournane, captain O’Driscoll, Aoibheann McGrath, and Laurileigh Baker all touching down.

To do so at home made it extra special it was their first victory of the season at Tanner Park, with family, friends, and club members all lending their voices to help them over the line.

Kavanagh agreed it was a relief to finally get back to winning ways, saying: “The win last weekend was a massive boost to our morale. We were delighted to come away with not only a win but a solid performance.

“I also felt a sense of relief after all the months of hard work on the pitch and off the pitch. To get a good performance was so important. It was even better to get a win like that at home.

“I know a lot of the girls, myself included, had their family come to see them and different people in the club so it was great to put on a good performance.

“Having played Cooke so recently we went into the game with a clear idea of how we wanted to play and what to execute, and I think we did that. It has lifted the spirits hugely, and hopefully will give us good momentum going forward.”

Ballincollig still have a chance to match last season’s sixth place finish. They picked up eight points in the opening three rounds last autumn, and those return fixtures – at home to Tullow and Galwegians, either side of paying seventh-placed Suttonians a visit – are fast approaching.

First things first, Brosnan’s side are targeting another encouraging display against Old Belvedere at Ollie Campbell Park. There will be a big onus on their defence when coming up against the division’s fourth-placed team.

“We are really excited to close out the season on a high. We set our goals at the start of the year and we want to achieve as many of these as possible which includes finishing as high on the table as we can.

“We have some momentum now going into this weekend and lots to be positive about, so we’re aiming for a good performance against ‘Belvo.

“We feel that the remaining games against Tullow, Suttonians, and Galwegians will all be competitive games, and we’re looking to come away with as many points as possible from these,” added Kavanagh.

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