AIB LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE FINAL:Cork Con's Evan Ryan has the world of his feet as he prepares for Saturday's big game, writes Gerry Thornley
THE SHIRT, tie and suit is the giveaway. Evan Ryan has joined the real world. The 24-year-old captain of Cork Constitution has a law degree and three weeks ago joined AL Goodbody Solicitors in Dublin as a trainee solicitor, so realistically this Saturday’s AIB League final in Dubarry Park against St Mary’s will probably be his last game for the club, for three or four years at any rate.
He will, most likely, join a Dublin club. For the moment though, he can’t see beyond Saturday. Con like to be first in, having won the inaugural AIL title and the inaugural AIB Cup (which they won again this season), and regard this season’s revised format and eight-team Division 1A as a chance to make their mark again by completing a double.
“The intensity of the league has gone up no end altogether,” according to Ryan, which would be a widespread view.
“The home and away format is great. You get to know people a lot more. It’s almost gone back to buying your opposite fella a drink. I really enjoyed this season. There’s been no cricket scores and I think that’s good as a spectacle as well and I think it augurs well for the future.”
The Cork club won the first meeting 16-9 in Temple Hill last December, and though they only lost the most recent meeting 24-20 at Temple Hill. Ryan admits: “We were appalling. They destroyed us altogether. It was the first time we conceded four tries all season and we scored two in the last 10 minutes which put a bit of gloss on the scoreboard. They’ve a big pack and good ball-handling backs.”
Like Mary’s, Con have a core of experienced players like Cronan Healy, Richie Lane, Frank Cogan and Merle O’Connell. “You need that coming to the business end of the season, people who know the ethos of Con and have won trophies, and instilling that into the younger fellas like Simon Zebo, Peter O’Mahony Ian Nagle, Stephen Archer, Scott Deasy and all these fellas, who are going to achieve better things.”
He believes the majority of them will go on to represent Ireland as well as Munster, and cutting their teeth in the club is important. “If you read articles with the best players in Ireland, they always refer back to their AIL matches and I think everyone has to ply their trade. It gives you an edge, whether it’s cup mentality or how to win games. You look at players like (Dolphin’s) James Coughlan for example. It’s brilliant that he’s getting his chance, and it does give a bit of impetus to other players.”
Ryan himself, as a former Pres Cork, UCC and Munster schools’ fullback turned footballing inside centre, didn’t progress from the academy to a development contract two years ago in what must have been a tight call.
Even though his ambitions haven’t been fulfilled, he’s thrilled for former team-mates and fellow academy players like Tom Gleeson, one of his best friends, Duncan Williams, Billy Holland and Darragh Hurley. “I’m delighted for those fellas, and it’s a genuine delight when you see fellas like Scott (Deasy) who was a couple of years behind me in school, getting their chance; similarly Ian Nagle and Stephen Archer, guys I trained with in the academy.
“From a personal point of view it was a massive disappointment and you have to turn your hand to something else. Luckily I was studying at the time and I could, but you get a certain amount of satisfaction from seeing people you know achieving things. I remember playing (Irish) under-19s with Rob Kearney and he was pushed into the Leinster set-up, and you’d be delighted for them. Similarly Darren Cave, Fergus McFadden and all these fellas.”
Fate has seen Ryan take a different route, as he calls it. “I love the AIL. I love playing it, the camaraderie more than anything else and the social side of things is very important to me. No cliques in the team and everyone going out together and enjoying it. It’s all the fellas, whether it’s Darragh Hurley coming back and playing for us, Anthony Horgan or John Kelly when he played for us two years ago. It’s almost like a community spirit.”
A bright, articulate lad, he’s enjoying life in the real world. “I don’t know if I’ll be saying this in the winter months but at the moment I’m enjoying it, and the new city, living in Dublin. There’s always new challenges. I don’t know if I could ever give up the rugby. It means too much to me.”
Winning and challenging for trophies helps. In his first year with UCC, a team including Frank Murphy, Darragh Ryan and himself reached Division Two AIL play-off final against Lansdowne, and hence games like Saturday’s thus make it all the more worthwhile.
“It is something small, but I think it’s important for amateur players to have it televised. People do get their shots with Munster, but when you have people at home supporting you it’s great for an amateur player like myself and many other players with Con and Mary’s, who have their day job, train at night to play at the weekend, it’s something that you can aspire to. It’s great that RTÉ are showing it.”
