Ewan Haire is confident Clogher Valley can secure back-to-back All-Ireland Junior titles when they take on Enniskillen at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.
The 23-year-old full back has been an influential member of a squad that has won 12 of their 13 league games so far this season, and he reckons that if they can play to their potential they will be returning home from Belfast with another trophy for the club.
“Anything can happen on the day but I feel like if we go in and play our game, and play as well as we can, I have no doubt we will come out on top and the result will be good,” he said.
“Everyone is positive. Training is going well and we are still getting numbers out, so preparation has been good.
“We have been going well so far this season, so there is no reason not to go into it with confidence.
“We have only lost one game all year, so confidence is high.”
Ewan started his rugby career at the club playing mini rugby, and progressed through the age groups before playing for Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.
At 18 years of age, he returned to Clogher Valley and was part of the All-Ireland Junior final team that secured a dramatic last-gasp victory over Ballyclare last season.
He believes that cup final experience will be important in how they approach this year’s finale.
“That will definitely help,” he said.
“The majority of the squad have been there before and are experienced, so we don’t have that to worry about, going into the final.
“It would be great to defend our title from last year. It was a massive achievement for the club to win it last year and the boys have done extremely well to get back into the final again this year, but there is no point getting to the final if you don’t win it.”
The two clubs are familiar with the challenge ahead of them, having been regular foes in recent years, and Ewan acknowledged that the fact they are playing their local rivals is an added incentive.
“It’s a final so you are obviously going to be massively up for it anyway, but the fact it is a local derby makes it all that more important that you don’t lose,” he admitted.
“We played them up in Mullaghmeen and had a good result. That was a tough day and conditions didn’t really suit us that well, but we still managed to come out on top and get a good result.
“That won’t have any impact on this game though. The boys will be treating it like any other game.
“You are only as good as your last game,” he added.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here