By Eamonn FitzgeraldIt is a big day for St Brendan’s College tomorrow (Thursday) as they will contest the Hogan Cup final v Naas CBS at Croke Park.

We wish all the players, management team and the parents/supporters the best of luck in this eagerly awaited decider.On the way to the final Naas CBS have been the form team, especially in the recent All-Ireland semi-final where they trounced St Jarlath’s, Tuam, the leading college in Hogan Cup victories.Jarlath’s have been by far the most successful team - winning the Hogan Cup on 12 occasions. Strangely enough Kerry colleges have fared poorly overall since the Cup was introduced in 1946. It is named after Brother Thomas Hogan, not the man who gave his name to the Hogan Stand. That was Michael Hogan and you guessed it, Thomas and Michael were brothers.The Sem won the cup on four occasions, the first in 1969 and later in 1992, 2016 and in 2017.Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Daingean Uí Chúis won in 2014 and again in 2015. Intermediate School Killorglin won their only title in 1996 as did Coláiste na Sceilge (2009).The 2019 winners were St Michael’s College, Enniskillen and the competition was deferred since then due to COVID restrictions.

St Brendan’s are very keen to lift the trophy for 2022. Going back two years they were Munster champions in the Frewen Cup U16 and a half and were due to play St Pat’s, Navan in the All-Ireland semi-final. TV pundit Colm O’Rourke is principal of that school. Cían McMahon was captain of that Frewen team, so he will be hell bent on lifting the Hogan Cup on the Hogan Stand on St Patrick’s Day.

It is really almost the same cohort of players who are now bidding for glory. The only one of the starting 15 eligible for the Kerry minors this year is full forward Alex Hennigan.

Great battlers

Brendan’s have battled very bravely to reach this final. They were pushed to the limit in most games including that late winner especially against Coláiste na Sceilge. They had to dig deep in the semi-final against St Mary’s Magherafelt, Derry.

The sides were level going into time added on. Who would blink, not so the Sem who drove on with two late glorious points and a deserved passage to the final.

Injuries

Luke Crowley has been in and out of the team with a back injury during this campaign. He came on at the three-quarter stage in Mayo and kicked two valuable points.

He is a former Kerry minor in hurling and in football and is a current member of Declan O’Sullivan’s Kerry U20 squad. Team management and supporters will be hoping that all players will be available and fit to start including the versatile Glenflesk man Luke Crowley.

How good are Naas CBS?

I enquired from a friend in Naas very close to the Sem’s opponents. “Naas are very strong, especially down the middle. They just edged out Maynooth by one point in the Leinster final. They have never won the Hogan Cup and were runners up last time out.”

I presume the CBS has a high student enrolment considering the population of Naas, effectively a satellite town of the over populated Dublin.

“They have in the region of 1,000 students (The Sem have up to 800) and what’s more they have head-hunted good players from Eadestown, Straffan, Rajendra, Sallins and Two Mile House, all well outside their catchment area.”

St Flannan’s College, Ennis know all about that strategy. They lead the way with 21 Harty Cup hurling titles strengthened by young good hurlers from neighbouring Tipperary, Limerick and Galway.

It will be a titanic battle for the Sem to bridge that gap since their last Hogan Cup victory in 2017 pitted against a Naas CBS side bidding for their first ever such title. However, spurred on by the pandemic hiatus and their never say die spirit, particularly in the closing stages with the outcome on the balance, this Brendan’s team will battle to the end. Hopefully, they will produce the goods on the day. Good luck.