Ennis RFC’s U-16s go in search of just their second ever Pan Munster title at this grade when they face Waterford side Waterpark RFC this Sunday in Musgrave Park (kick off 12.45pm).

Their route to this final has not been a straightforward one. After coming through Phase One of the Pan Munster Championship in good nick, Ennis suffered a 30-15 defeat to Kinsale in the opening round of Phase Two. They then fell to a disappointing North Munster League semi final defeat to Bruff.

With their season in danger of petering out before it had blossomed, U16 Head Coach John Queally sought the advice of U18 men’s managers Padraig Brennan and David Murphy, U18 ladies coach John Cullen and Richard Murphy who has worked with a plethora of teams within the club.

“I got advice from a few coaches as it can be hard when you are on the sideline to assess certain things happening in the game. They had a couple of critiques from the Bruff game and we came up with a plan for the team. With COVID a lot of these guys had never played in a competitive league before.”

“We had to do a lot of learning and figuring out. In fairness to our guys they never made the same mistake twice. Hopefully, they have learnt from their past mistakes and can produce a big performance on Sunday.”

Since that loss to Kinsale in the opening round of Phase Two, Ennis beat Dingle side Rugbaí Chorca Dhuibhne, Kilrush, Kanturk and Cobh twice to reach the semi final stage.

The side, which is sponsored by Cahir & Co. Solicitors, progressed through to the final after their rematch with Rugbaí Chorcha Dhuibhne finished 14-14. The Clare side progressed due to scoring the first try of the game. They trailed 14-7 with three minutes remaining but a Jacob Cassen Rennie try gave them hope.

Odhran Flynn faced an extremely difficult touchline conversion but the out half held his nerve to nail the kick that sent his side through to the final.

“That is his (Flynn’s) second time doing that. He made a tricky kick against Cobh to win it but the kick against Dingle was exceptional. There is hardly a youth or senior 10 that would have been able to kick it.”

Ennis are in their third U16 Pan Munster final and are hoping to win this title for the second time after emerging triumphant in 2018. That squad possessed talented players including Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan and Conor Moloney.

The trio have since earned a cap with Munster while also helping Ireland to their first ever U20 Grand Slam. Queally hopes this side can stay together and continue to represent the club.

“Outside of Ethan, Tony and Conor, the bulk of that team are now playing with our Junior side. They are three highlight reels and it’s amazing what they have done. The other guys played a big role in our Junior team beating Tralee to reach the quarter finals of the Munster Junior Cup. Those guys are now raising the bar within the club.”

Queally, who is joined by Michael Flynn, Paul Phelan, Luke Ryan and Conor Guilfoyle on the management team, knows this group of players have endured no shortage of challenges due to the pandemic.

The team have blooded new players, formed partnerships and changed player’s positions, all while trying to follow the relevant public health advice at the time.

“We lost a few bodies at the start of COVID, mostly due to people committing to GAA. From the U14 final we were in at the start of the pandemic, we lost almost our entire backline bar maybe one.”

“We had to blood in a new set of backs through mainly touch and eight a side games, due to the rules surrounding pods. This meant we were restricted in what we could do. Odhran Flynn was a hooker and now he’s our 10. Players have developed in to their positions but it has taken time.”

Ennis face a daunting challenge when coming up against Waterpark RFC. The Waterford outfit are unbeaten this season and possess a strong underage system with their U18s also in a Munster Cup final in Musgrave Park this Sunday.

Queally saw this Sunday’s opponents beat Bruff in their semi final and believes his side will need their best display of the season to have any hope of upsetting the odds.

“We saw them against Bruff and they like to go after the ball on the ground. They are a really good side. We need to put them under pressure early and put them in an uncomfortable place.”

“Everyone I’ve spoken to has us as underdogs so we need a really big effort from our pack and hopefully we get a nice day so we can put the ball through the hands. We need to win the gain line and if we can do that then we will be in with a shout.”