CORK CON LOCK Evan Mintern has three overriding objectives for the coming season: win every trophy available, secure a degree and earn a crack at professional rugby.
The powerful 23-year-old second row progressed as far as Munster’s A team last year. But was unable to force a breakthrough into Johann van Graan’s side.
A product of the Temple Hill club and CBC, he is currently studying nutrition and health science in Cork IT. His eyes light up at the mention of playing rugby at any level, however, and once he completes his third level education next year he is intent on testing his limits and find out how far he can go in the game.
“At the moment, I’m just focusing on Con,” says Mintern after carrying the trophy on the champions’ behalf as the new Energia AIL season was launched in Dublin yesterday.
“Playing as well as I can, doing as much as I can for the club. In the back of mind, I’m thinking ‘I would like to just over and see what it’s like’.
“Take a chance, go over for a few years. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. If it does, it does.”
Nothing ventured, nothing gained after all.
“If I got old and I didn’t even try it, it’s something that would really annoy me.
“Whereas if you try and fail, what’s the big deal? At least you tried.
“But I feel there is more in me and I could move on and give it a crack. Because there’s nothing to lose really. As long as I’ve a college degree to fall back on, you may as well.”
The former U20 international is far from done with domestic competition, of course. His personal ambitions will come into view after the team goals. The reigning All-Ireland League champions go into a new season with Jonny Holland installed as backs coach and will hope to go one better than their treble trophy haul last term.
“We have the Charity Cup, Munster Senior Cup and the League,” Mintern says after a journalist tries to account for their haul of silverware, “but we don’t have the Bateman Cup… no matter the amount of silverware we have, we still want to get more.
“That’s the good thing about the club, everyone is hungry. Everyone wants to do better. Winning the League is perfect, it’s great craic, but there’s still that thing of, ‘we won the league… but we lost a game against Garryowen that didn’t put us in contention for the Bateman Cup.
“It niggles at you, thinking ‘are we really?’ You really want to nail the point home that you are the best.”
He adds: “I love playing with Con. It’s not that I want to get out of there or anything, but I’m 23. Obviously that’s not old, but for pro clubs looking at you, they want to get bang for their buck. You have to young, so they can get five, six years out of you.”
Will there be betting on it?
I’m going to back against mayo every final just a hunch.
@OhToBeARossie: from the sixties onwards.
@Tom kenny: it’d be difficult to find footage pre 1960, so did it even happen of there’s no tape?
@OhToBeARossie: Be safe enough to say no Roscommon team will be participating in the rte classics.
@OhToBeARossie: so pessimistic
@Damien:You’re dead right,if you’re going to consistently lose finals you might as well be entertaining when you’re at it.
@Ciaran: The GAA would be a lesser place without Mayo.
Only doing it coz TG4 are showing classic GAA games for the last month #lazybroadcasting
@Denis Motherway: I was about to reply the same. Some excellent programming on TG4, they should be allowed advertising/programme announcements on RTE
RTE to show repeats. Well there is a surprise.
@D walsh: let’s hope they have plenty of black and white footage from the 60s. Can’t wait.
@D walsh: tell me all your brilliant ideas for what original content they are supposed to produce during a lockdown then
They’d be better off shutting it down – and saving a few bob…
@Ale Ceaser: Christ on a bike above, Ale Ale Ale! Are you still here spreading your positivity? Fantastic to see, keep it up, good boy. Great stuff from RTE, looking forward to it.
@Ale Ceaser: are you a troll or just an constant angry individual?
@Alex Kemp: A very happy chap, who doesn’t like repeats.
@Gavin Mckenna: I’m with Ale. RTE sport re-runs, 3am TG4 viewing! Netflix haven’t a hope!
@Alex Kemp: But then again – some people, like Gav – find repeats exciting…
@NotMyIreland: They’ll be showing replays of Masses next¡!
@Ale Ceaser: Get used to repeats! Gonna be all we have in 6 months time
The journal comments section has turned into the biggest cesspit of negativity there is. No matter what story is published. There are people chomping at the bit to write something negative about it. Maybe it’s just social media in general.
@Damien: Couldn’t agree more! The comments and replies seem to be getting more and more aggressive also (in my opinion)
@KeenOnKeem: son
@KeenOnKeem: some sad people out there who seem to have nothing better to do than complain and be negative about every topic. I worry about there mental health.
Apres Match – excellent!
RTE showing repeats!!!! OMG!
Something they should be doing for years instead of some of the rubbish that is constantly on repeat.
Am I paying my TV licence to watch repeats? I have all of these on VCR. Freeze my TV licence until this pandemic is over.
@Martin McFly: You recorded Ireland Vs All Black’s 2018 on your VCR – That’s Hipster level 3000!
What a snooze fest
Some showjumping please. Wouldn’t mind watching some of the classic Puissance competitions!
Good old rte repeat repeat repeat.
@Colin Mcgahon: yea we are a bit stuck for the aul LIVE Sport these days if you wernt aware. FFS
Rugby is when?
How about they slash the TV licence in half or at least try to come up with an original idea instead of copying TG4…….but ssssshhh nobody can be negative during this crisis cos we are “all in this together”
Ireland V England in Croke Park surely?
@Johnsinker: I agree
And don’t call me Shirley..
MORE REPEATS
Meh!
Still won’t watch those money grabbing…….
And we have des Cahill and marty morrisey tweeting about great job rte are doing.
“Classic hockey matches”.
That’s surely an oxymoron.
About time
Why the hell would they show such a god-awful game like Ireland vs All Blacks in 2013? There’s a pandemic going on, no need to torture us even more!
Just more repeats, same as usual.
RTE having to showing repeats…who’d have thought things were that bad
They should show the Tyrone vs. Down games from 2003. Those games were absolutely bonkers and show how good that Tyrone team were as an attacking force.
Pity they’re not showing any tennis in June. Pat Rafter v Goran ivanisevic 2001 is a classic.