'Names and history don't faze them': Loughmore Castleiney boss relishing Nemo Rangers challenge

Loughmore Castleiney face one of the most decorated clubs in the history of Gaelic football this weekend, but manager Greg Ramsbottom insists his players will not be overawed by the occasion as they look to extend their remarkable season into the provincial championship.

Fresh from their latest Tipperary senior football triumph, the Mid Tipp outfit travel to Cork to take on a Nemo Rangers side that will undoubtedly be among the favourites to go all the way in this year's competition.

It is a formidable opening assignment for the Tipperary champions, but Ramsbottom believes the wealth of experience within his dressing room, coupled with the players' ability to take each challenge as it comes, will stand to them on Sunday.

"When you hear their name, it kind of points to, you know, they've been a team that won All-Ireland club titles in the past. So, in that respect, they're a mighty challenge we're going to come up against," Ramsbottom said.

"But knowing the lads that we have, they just tend to take things game to game. The impression I get from them is that names and history don't faze them at all.

"They just keep going around and they take what's in front of them.

"But look, there's no doubt about it, they're an enormous challenge and probably many people's favourites for the All-Ireland, you'd have to say, based on their previous history."

While Nemo's pedigree is unquestionable, Ramsbottom is equally confident in the approach that has served Loughmore so well throughout their county championship campaign.

The Tipperary champions have built their success on a tried and trusted formula, and although adjustments will inevitably be required to counter the strengths of the Cork opposition, the Loughmore manager sees little reason to depart significantly from what has already worked.

"You have to try and look at what's worked and be true to that again," he explained.

"You definitely have to make adjustments for certain things in terms of the way they try to maybe limit some facets of their game, improve some facets of our game, and hope you get the combination mixed right on the day.

"There'll have to be adjustments, but we would probably do that from game to game, no matter who we're playing."

Big-game experience a major asset

One considerable advantage for Loughmore is the sheer volume of big-game experience within their ranks.

That experience was particularly evident during the closing stages of their county championship campaign, and Ramsbottom believes it could prove invaluable against opposition of Nemo's calibre.

"From what I've seen, they don't get overwhelmed by the occasion," he said.

"Certainly in the final and semi-final, they stood up when it was needed, so I think that's a real positive coming into the game.

"That's reassuring, that the experience is there with lads who have played at the other stages for Tipperary.

"There's plenty of lads in the team that have played in the county stages for Tipperary footballers as well, so there's quite a lot of experience there.

"It does help when you go into the bigger games to have that bit of experience, that they're not going to get shocked by the occasion or so forth.

"They're all looking forward to going down now and plying their trade in Munster and trying to see where that could take them."

Finding the balance between two codes

Of course, one of the most remarkable aspects of Loughmore Castleiney's continued success is their ability to compete at the highest level in both codes, something which presents its own unique challenges for any management team.

For the Laois native, striking the right balance between the demands of hurling and football was initially something of a learning curve.

With the club chasing a third successive county senior hurling title alongside their football ambitions, careful planning was required to ensure neither code suffered.

"Initially, it was a bit difficult trying to figure out how this was going to work," he admitted.

"You had to respect the fact that they were going to train and do something quite unique and win three county finals in a row in hurling. You had to respect that.

"It wasn't to take away from any of their ambitions in football. They were equally ambitious about football.

"It was just about getting the balance."

That balance was achieved through careful management of the calendar, with challenge games and training opportunities fitted around the demands of the hurling championship.

And rather than viewing the constant switching between codes as a disadvantage, Ramsbottom has come to appreciate the positive effect it can have on the players.

"They don't play in the Football League in February, and we had to see within the calendar what we could do by way of challenge games and the weeks that we could have in the earlier months.

"Then it got closer to the championship, you're kind of week on, week off.

"They seemed to take something from that. From what I can gather in talking to them, it freshens them up for each piece.

"They come off the hurling and they look forward to getting involved in football, and vice versa. Then the football, they come back to hurling.

"It's certainly very new for me. It's quite interesting to see how they can get a bounce from one to the other."

The obvious concern with such a demanding schedule is the risk of injuries, something Loughmore experienced earlier in the championship when several players were unavailable for their opening-round encounter with Moyle Rovers.

However, the situation improved considerably as the campaign progressed, with Ramsbottom having almost a full complement of players available for the county final.

"Obviously, injuries are a concern when you're going that frequent, week to week," he said.

"We probably did have some earlier in the year, where the first round against Moyle Rovers, we were hit with quite a few lads that were out that day.

"But I think we pretty much had everyone to call on for the county final.

"As long as the injuries stay away, you can work around it, and it's something that Loughmore have been dealing with over the years. They've always been able to manage it very well."

Nemo's strength in depth poses major threat

Turning his attention to Sunday's opposition, Ramsbottom has been impressed by the balance and depth within the Nemo Rangers ranks.

The Cork champions overcame a strong St Finbarr's outfit in their county final, and the Loughmore manager believes their ability to produce scores from throughout the field makes them particularly dangerous.

With experienced campaigners such as Alan O'Donovan and Wayne Murphy alongside Cork senior footballer Mark Cronin, Nemo possess a formidable blend of youth and experience.

"I think they look like a team that they're not reliant on only one player," Ramsbottom observed.

"That's the thing that I've seen from them. They're quite a balanced team.

"They've got players all over the park, players that have played for Cork over the years and at underage levels as well, so they're quite an experienced team.

"Players like Alan O'Donovan and Wayne Murphy, certainly Mark Cronin, obviously we know that he's there with the Cork seniors at the minute.

"Even their inside lines are quite strong as well, and have been playing quite well throughout the Cork Championship.

"I think they're a balanced team, just strength all over the field."

Ramsbottom also believes Nemo's spread of scoring threats makes it difficult to identify any particular area that Loughmore can target.

"There's a nice mix of different scorers throughout their team. There's a good blend of youth and experience as well.

"There's many strengths. Probably saying to you one or two is probably not going to do them.

"You have to be around in every area in terms of your preparation.

"They're county champions at the end of the day. You can't turn around and say we're going to target that weakness because there is no weakness in that respect. They're county champions for a reason."

Loughmore determined to extend magical journey

For all their remarkable domestic success, provincial honours have proved more elusive for Loughmore Castleiney, although their journey to a Munster senior football final a couple of years ago remains an important reference point for the current group.

That experience, which included a meeting with Kerry giants Dr Crokes, has given the players a taste of what is possible beyond the confines of Tipperary.

And Ramsbottom senses a genuine appetite within the dressing room to make another significant impact on the provincial stage.

"They got to the Munster final a couple of years ago in football, so that was a huge achievement for the club, and they played themselves very well against Dr Crokes at the time," he said.

"They're quite well aware of that as well, and if they can get up and going and get over the first round, who knows where it could take us?

"These things are not easy to go forward in. It's the same in Leinster. It's the same in Ulster. The first game is always a big one."

Ultimately, the Loughmore manager believes a repeat of the performance that secured their county final victory over Clonmel Commercials would give his side every chance of causing an upset.

And despite the size of the challenge awaiting them at Páirc Uí Rinn, there is no shortage of belief within the Tipperary champions' camp.

"I truly believe if we can get a performance like we've had against Clonmel Commercials in the county final, I think we'll go very close," Ramsbottom concluded.

"Obviously, everything hinges on that performance. They're hoping the same, and I kind of feel that the lads do want more.

"They want this journey, magical journey, to stay going, and we're very hopeful that we can get back onto the field next Tuesday night and be prepared for the Munster semi-final."