AS WARREN DEUTROM returns to his desk at Cricket Ireland’s headquarters this week, he’ll do so facing more dilemmas than solutions, more questions than answers and an ever-lengthening shopping list.
The excitement and giddiness which surrounded Thursday’s elevation to Test cricket certainly won’t have faded, but Deutrom and his staff know the hard work really does only start now.
With a two-fold increase in funding (from €2.7 million annually to a reported figure of over €5 million) from the International Cricket Council set to flow into Cricket Ireland’s accounts, the organisation now has a semblance of financial muscle to invest much-needed resources as the transition into being a full member nation begins.
Among the areas Deutrom needs to address as a matter of urgency is an under-performing men’s senior team, an under-pressure head coach and an under-funded and under-resourced development structure which also includes a lack of world class playing and training facilities.
“Over the next six months we have to think about the transition to full membership,” Deutrom says.
“We’re going to have to think about our priorities and one of those has to be when are we going to start playing Test cricket?
“Let’s assume it’s going to be 2018 or 2019 but it takes a long time for facilities, funding, planning permission and then the bedding in of the pitch to happen. You’re looking at a three-year process so facilities are such an urgent priority.”
It remains to be seen when the development of a new €600,000 outdoor training complex in Abbotstown will be complete and available for use, but already attention has switched to securing the funding for a new national cricket stadium.
At the moment, the facilities at Malahide aren’t up to international standard with temporary infrastructure, including portacabin changing rooms, installed for every match.
It cost Cricket Ireland €1 million to host last month’s tri-series tournament involving New Zealand and Bangladesh and Deutrom has identified the development of a suitable home venue as of huge importance.
With the new Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin in attendance at Friday’s celebratory event, Deutrom didn’t miss a trick by strongly suggesting that Cricket Ireland now need the support of the government for this project to go ahead.
Any plans to upgrade Malahide into an international-standard venue would include the construction of a new pavillion with television and media facilities, as well as permanent seating for 1,500 spectators, at a cost of €6 million with Cricket Ireland in a position to half fund it.
“Currently it’s extremely expensive for us to keep putting in temporary infrastructure only to have to pull it down again,” the Cricket Ireland CEO says of the current situation.
“It is important for us to put the money we’re making back into the sport and not spending it on putting up a temporary structure each time we play at home.
“We want a new venue to be scaleable so it looks full if there’s 1,000 people at a game and then we can add more seats to it if the demand is there.”
With the cricket club in Malahide located inside the Castle grounds and owned by Fingal County Council, there are certainly many hurdles to overcome but Cricket Ireland see it is an ideal location with the setting very much akin to that of the grassy-bank style venues used in New Zealand.
While Deutrom and Cricket Ireland will begin to draw up a shopping list on the back of last week’s announcement, there is still uncertainty over when that extra funding will come through and be available for spending.
“I don’t know if it will be 1 January or 1 July 2018,” he added.
“There’s part of me that’s thinking great bring on all the cash and we can start throwing it around to all these various things and then there’s another part of me thinking you know what it may not be such a bad thing if it doesn’t flow until January 2018 because it gives us time to work out how we could marshal our resources best rather than ticking off a shopping list which would be inappropriate.”
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Excellent analysis of all the pieces of the jigsaw of moves leading to great tries
Great analysis as always. What an atmosphere yesterday. Delighted for Sexton and Healy!!! What a Six Nations send off
@Kenneth O Connor: Healy not getting a run was disappointing and strange
@Noel Lynn: He did… only about 4 minutes but he did play.
Yesterday(and last week) should put to bed any doubt about Conan’s value. Every bit as effective as Doris imo.
@Gary Donlan: doris level ahead
@Gary Donlan: I’m a big, big fan of Conan – he’s an outstanding player – but I’d have to acknowledge that Doris is at the very top of the global tree. And he has so much more to grow, being so young. Arguably a future World Player of the Year nominee, if not winner.
I see lots of people saying how England really used line speed yesterday to get in Irelands face, that’s not what happened at all. England played a soft drift defence, not putting too much pressure on the first carrier / passer, and not committing too many men to the breakdown, opting to be more disruptive and messy rather than look for turnovers. It was an interesting tactic and one that threw a lot of the Irish players off, particularly Furlong who takes the first pivot option quite often. Ireland will need to learn how to adapt to it by World Cup, I can’t imagine South Africa or France would try it, they would trust their line speed, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Scotland or even New Zealand thought about using it.
Great analysis there. It shows really how intelligent this group are. Dorris, JVF,, Aki, Sexton, Hansen running subplots and dummies lines and how they build a try 3 phases out. To have so many on the same page is extraordinary and as Farrell said, they will get a lot better over the next few months with more time collectively in camp.
Roll on the WC
It was squeaky bum time for much of the game. England gave it everything. Ireland found a way to win. Work done with decoy runners is magnificent. Enjoy, upwards and onwards to France
That was some offload by Conan for sheehans try.
Sheehan is a pure speed merchant
@Gary Galligan: He’s a 4×4 at full speed.
On the strike plays which Ireland use we have seen a few of these in this 6 nations I believe they have only used a small number of these in this 6 nations and there are many more which they had no need to use and they are been reserved for the later stages of the world Cup.
I would imagine when Farrell and his team review this game they will be a little concerned. Obviously the short term gain here, winning a grand slam, is brilliant. But there was a lot of pressure going into the game and we did not handle it well. Ultimately a red card may have won it for Ireland and whether you agree or disagree with the card the nature of it shows it can how easily happen under current rules. (There was at least 1 red card possibility for us that was missed by the ref and TMO). This team will ultimately be judged on how it performs in the World Cup. When they meet Scotland on the 7th of October it will more than likely be a knock out game. The pressure on them will easily be as intense as yesterday, probably more so. They will need to be a lot better. If we don’t make it out of the group, this Grand Slam will lose a lot of it’s shine. Of course hopefully by the time we meet Scotland SA will have 2 losses so it won’t matter :)
@Pud: OTOH, the experience of yesterday, a real pressure cooker, will stand to them. Plus, those guys played a lot of intense rugby over a short period of time. Some were definitely not at their best, following injuries (Furlong, for example, looked rusty; Henshaw wasn’t fully up to speed; Ringrose in and out). Farrell took some risks, playing guys like Porter, VDF, Keenan, Hansen and others to their limits (Keenan looked tired yesterday, as did others). The player management plan for the RWC needs to cater for the interactive effects of physical endurance and how it affects mental/emotional resilience. I’m pretty confident they’re on top of that. And again, all the players will be better for the experience of this 6N.
@Pud: South Africa then Scotland…followed by France or New Zealand…three massive banana skins….I don’t think if we are stopped before semi final, yesterday’s outstanding achievement will be diminished….cruel world cup draw.
Herring sealed victory over the All Blacks with a similar try in the third test .. hooker is definitely a position we don’t need to worry about… bench again made the difference yesterday
Murray Kinsella, single handedly helping other teams work out Ireland!!