Greystones plan fitting send off for Murphy

All Ireland League finals: John O'Beirne clasps the plaster cast behind his back for the photo shoot.

Along with Liam Murphy, he has shared the captaincy duties for Greystones this season. O'Beirne's broken scaifoid and damaged wrist, sustained a few weeks ago, means that he won't line out on Saturday. Murphy will instead lead the Greystones team out for the AIB All-Ireland League Division Three final against Instonians.

It'll be a fitting swansong for Murphy who epitomises the community spirit and club ethos of Greystones. By O'Beirne's estimation Murphy made his senior debut back in 1988 when Reggie Corrigan would still have been at school and confirmed at the recent annual club dinner that he won't grace the 'Stones front row for another season.

Removing O'Beirne and Murphy from the equation the average age of the Greystones team is a callow 23. This season the Wicklow club have swept all bar Queen's University before them, a class apart in their league. They have scored more points (546) and tries (74) than any other club in all three divisions.

Their hallmark is not alone offering winning rugby but including a high entertainment quotient. It's been a long if productive season and the club are determined to defend the title they won in beating Ards last season. To do so they will have to buck a statistical trend that no team promoted from Division Three has gone on to win that year's final.

O'Beirne smiles: "It's been a long hard season and a bit of a slog in Division Three with the amount of games that we play. Greg (Lynch) the coach has been thoroughly professional. I don't know exactly how many players have been used but it has certainly been over 30. I think we'll be able to get up for one more game. The boys are tired and there are a few lads out injured but we want to finish the season the right way."

In the league fixture between the teams Greystones endured a thorough examination before emerging 24-12 victors.

O'Beirne explained: "We played them at Shaws Bridge just after Christmas and it was a tough game. We were comprehensively beaten in the first half but then came through strongly (after the restart) and were unlucky not to come away with a bonus point. It was certainly one of our more competitive matches this season.

"History doesn't bode well in terms of the statistics. It's a young team with a lot of quality. Rob Connolly has had an absolute blinder (of a season). Our outhalf Warren Edwards, a South African, has been smashing for us all season. He's been a real gem. To be involved with them is brilliant.

"They're young, fit and really keen and they want to use possession, spin it wide. They're a bunch of players that if the progress is maintained and, without wishing to sound arrogant, could go on and achieve even better things.

"Everything has been put in place in Greystones over the past few seasons through Greg and Hendrik Kruger and through the management staff. It 's a really professional set up even though we're amateur.

"We have video sessions that break down the opposition in minute detail. A massive amount of credit has to go to our Junior 1 side that have provided opposition to us on Tuesday nights. We'd be playing say Connemara and Greg, our coach, would get the Junior 1 side to play Connemara's patterns in training and that was a huge help."

Sitting not far away is Mike McKeever, the Instonians captain and second youngest member of the team. The Belfast club are delighted to have made the final especially given the context of their superb semi-final victory over Clonakilty at Shannonvale.

Four of the team were scheduled to fly down on the day of the match. As the team coach waited for their compatriots at a fog-bound Cork airport, word came through that the Aer Arann flight had been diverted to Farranfore in Kerry.

A 100-mile taxi ride ensued for the four players while their team-mates waited nervously for their arrival in west Cork.

McKeever pointed out: "We owe a debt of gratitude to Clonakilty to postpone the match for 45 minutes. I think we had three props on that plane so we probably couldn't have played but their gesture in delaying the match was very much appreciated."

Clonakilty led 14-3 at the interval but the visitors came back to pip them 16-14. "It showed a lot of character despite the fact that it's a young team," added McKeever. "They (Greystones) are the team and we are the underdogs.

"We had a bad run at the start of the season but even when we were losing we managed to get a bonus point. That kept us in touch and we ended up third (in the league). The club will enjoy the occasion and we'll bring a crowd down. It'd be nice to give our coach Bruce Cornelius a good send off. This is his last game with the club as Clem Boyd steps in next year.

"Bruce has done a lot from his playing days through to the coaching and has come close on a couple of occasions. We've been unlucky in the two years so it would be nice to do it for him."

A team very much hoping to be flying high come Saturday afternoon.

SATURDAY

Celtic Cup: semi-final: Llanelli Scarlets v Neath Swansea Ospreys, Stradey Park (5.30)

All-Ireland League: Division One Final: Shannon v Belfast Harlequins, Lansdowne Road (4.0).

Division Two Final: St Mary's v UL Bohemian, Lansdowne Road (2.0).

Division Three Final: Greystones v Instonians, Lansdowne Road (12.0).

SUNDAY

Celtic Cup semi-final: Leinster v Munster, Lansdowne Road (5.30).