AIB ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE FINAL HUGH HOGAN INTERVIEW:IT'S BEEN 10 long years since St Mary's College reached their one and only AIB All-Ireland League final and Trevor Brennan became the first and thus far only Leinster player to lift the trophy. Hugh Hogan would quite enjoy being able to take that unique distinction away from the Barnhall Bruiser, although laughs readily that he might not be so quick to boast about it in Brennan's company.

The sense of opportunity which knocks for St Mary’s now is something that their highly-regarded coach Peter Smyth has been reinforcing.

“Peter Smyth has been saying to us over the last couple of weeks that he was on that team at 22 and he kind of expected ‘wow, this is brilliant; it’ll be like this next year and the year after’. It hasn’t been and he’s been saying to us to really cherish it and enjoy it, but also to make sure we get ourselves right and take the opportunity.”

That St Mary’s are in their first final in a decade is the culmination of several years’ hard work, according to Hogan, as opposed to being a one-off.

“I joined the club four years ago and we were building in strength, and over the first two seasons we managed to beat each of the big teams. You get confidence from that and then you realise you can beat them if you get yourselves right.”

Such confidence was particularly useful in this season’s revised and more demanding format, with last season’s top eight pitched into a home-and-away, 15-game format.

“The standard has gone up,” says Hogan emphatically.

“Every aspect. You’ve got to have your prep work done and your game plan is right, but then it’s also the physicality, intensity and pace of the game is up, so you’ve got to be more clinical as well. Your decision makers have got to be spot on.

“If you blow a chance you mightn’t get another one. Leaving points behind is as costly as leaking points.”

Going through a season is now even less likely too. As an example, Hogan points out that they’ve only done the double over two of their seven Division One A rivals (Blackrock and Clontarf).

Having shared a win each with Cork Constitution, Hogan says, “They’re an excellent team. I’m not going to lie to you, and we know that. I’ve a huge amount of respect for them, I’ve played with five or six of them in the club international team and Brian Walsh has coached me at that level as well and I’ve huge respect for him as well. He’s got a great approach to the game.”

St Mary’s are different from Constitution and virtually all the other top-flight teams in that they are pretty much an exclusively amateur set-up, without any contracted players or even academy players save for prop Jack McGrath.

They are almost a throwback and the ability to train on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and play on Saturdays unhindered by provincial demands has its advantages.

“I’ve been playing club rugby nearly 10 years myself,” admits the 27-year-old Hogan, which scarcely seems credible. “The experience the ex-pros or ex-development and academy players have picked up is very beneficial. But we get on well together, we socialise together and we’re a tight group, which I think is probably the main thing.”

It’s encouraging to see there is life after or beyond the professional game for Hogan, son of the actor Bosco, and co.

“I played for Trinity for years and I made some of my best friends playing college rugby, and I think maybe the fresh challenge of changing clubs when I graduated has brought a bit of freshness as well.

“I wanted to keep playing Division One rugby so I moved to Mary’s. You make new friends, take on fresh challenges and I think that’s probably helped.

“I’d miss it hugely if I didn’t play. The bond with the guys is brilliant. The training, while it’s tough at times, is really enjoyable and going out on a Saturday and working hard for a win is class. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I stopped.”

He’s played for the Irish colleges and Leinster A, and he’s captained the Ireland club XV, but lifting the league trophy would be the pinnacle.

“It would, of course. I was involved in Division Three and Two finals with Trinity as we were on the way up, but to imagine a Division One final back then would have been unthinkable, and we’re one game away now.”