The Friday Interview: Rory Jacob
March 22, 2013
Wexford's Rory Jacob
And while Wexford's in-form corner forward Rory Jacob is looking forward to facing what he believes is one of the top teams in the country, he doesn't think Sunday's clash will count for much when the counties renew their rivalry in the championship at Wexford Park.
"It won't have any bearing on the championship," insists the Maths and Business Studies teacher at St. Peter's College in Wexford town.
"It's only a league game in March at the end of the day. Having said that, you try to win every game and Dublin would be a great scalp for us to take. I know they were beaten by Limerick last weekend, but they're still a serious team who I would consider to be among the top three or four in the country.
"They've already turned the corner after a disappointing 2012 by winning the Walsh Cup. There are three or four of us in the hunt for promotion and no-one can afford any slip-ups at this stage. We're looking forward to it."
Limerick - with three wins from three - currently lead the way in Division 1B with Wexford, Dublin and Offaly all snapping at their heels on four points each. After struggling past Carlow in their opening game, Wexford fell to an Offaly comeback in Tullamore before bouncing back last Saturday to defeat Antrim by 2-21 to 1-12 in Wexford Park.
Jacob, who bagged 1-5 from play against the Saffrons, accepts there is no margin for error in the Model County's remaining regulation games against Dublin and Limerick.
"They're the two hardest games on paper, but that's what you want," he says.
"You need to be able to test yourself at this time of the year. There is no easy game in this division, which is the way to have it coming up to the championship. Because of the way the league is structured, there is a fine line between relegation and promotion.
"People were saying we were poor against Carlow, but you have to give Carlow credit. All that you have to do is look at what Mount Leinster Rangers achieved last year (they won the All-Ireland club intermediate title) to see how strong hurling is in Carlow at the moment. John Meyler - who I know well from his time as Wexford manager - is doing a great job with them and they were very unlucky to lose to Offaly last weekend.
"We were obviously disappointed to lose to Offaly ourselves, especially as we had an opportunity to win from a last-minute free. But there has never been much between us over the last few years. It was a similar game to last year's championship match in that we let them back into it in the second half. Thankfully, we got a good response against Antrim last Saturday. They beat us in the league last year, so we were well focused this time."
While acknowledging that Wexford have a lot of ground to make up on the top hurling sides, Rory feels they are heading in the right direction under fellow Oulart-the-Ballagh man and 1996 All-Ireland winning centre back Liam Dunne.
"I can't say if we're good enough to win a Leinster, but it won't be for the lack of trying.
"Training is going very well with everyone putting in a huge effort. Gerry Fitzpatrick, who trained Waterford when Justin McCarthy was over them and trained Carlow last year, has picked up from where Padraig Murphy left off last year.
"We're progressing, but we know we still have a long way to go. Liam (Dunne) is only interested in getting Wexford back up to the level we were at when he was playing. I can assure you he won't leave any stone unturned. He lives and lives and breathes Wexford hurling."
Rory welcomes the involvement of Galway and Antrim in the Leinster SHC, even though it has lessened Wexford's chances of winning the Bob O'Keeffe Cup.
"They have made it a more interesting and exciting championship. The more teams you have in it, the better," he says.
Now in his 12th season as a Wexford senior, Jacob contends that Liam Dunne has young hurlers of a very high standard at his disposal, despite the county's lack of underage success in recent years. A Leinster MHC title hasn't come to Slaneyside since 1985, but that shouldn't be taken as a sign that the work isn't being put in at underage level, according to the Oulart-the-Ballagh forward.
"I've been very impressed with the young players Liam has brought into the panel over the past year. Even though I'm only 29, I'm now the longest-serving player and that tells you something about the age profile of the panel," he explains.
"I wouldn't be too concerned about us not winning Leinster minor and U21 titles. Those grades are all about producing players and preparing them for senior level. The bit of success - if you can get it - is a bonus. There is a huge amount of effort going into the underage in Wexford. JJ Doyle, who won three All-Ireland titles in-a-row as camogie manager, is U21 manager this year and hopefully he'll have success. But it won't be the end of the world if we don't win any underage titles."
Rory is also hoping 2013 will be the year when his beloved Oulart-the-Ballagh finally wins a Leinster club championship. Oulart have dominated the Wexford club scene over the past decade, winning seven of the last nine county championships, but each time they fell short in their quest for provincial honours.
"We've lost the last three Leinster finals. We're still trying to get across the line," he laments.
"Last year Kilcormac/Killoughey beat us and they proved afterwards what a good team they are by reaching the All-Ireland final and almost winning it. We know we're not that far off the mark and hopefully the appointment of Martin Storey as manager will give us the extra push that's needed.
"He has taken over from Pat Herbert, the former Limerick hurler, who was with us last year. Martin is very similar to Liam Dunne in that he has huge experience and enthusiasm. And like Liam, he is an Oulart man through-and-through."
Rory hails from one of the Model County's best-known hurling families. His father Mick was a star centre back for Wexford during the 1970s and 1980s. All four of his children - Michael jnr, Rory, Ursula and Helena have followed in his footsteps by wearing the purple and gold. Michael, who's three years older than Rory and is now retired from inter-county hurling, scored the famous last-minute goal that defeated Kilkenny in the 2004 Leinster SHC semi-final. Wexford subsequently beat Offaly in the Leinster final, but haven't been able to scale the same heights since.
Both Ursula and Helena are the holders of four All-Ireland camogie medals. Ursula was an inspirational figure in Wexford's three-in-a-row of O'Duffy Cup wins in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and is widely regarded as the leading forward in the game at present.
Rory made his senior championship debut for Wexford as a substitute in the 2002 Leinster final against Kilkenny. As well as winning a Leinster championship medal in 2004 and seven county senior championship medals with Oulart, his other honours include two Leinster U21 championships, two Interprovincial championships with Leinster, three Fitzgibbon Cups with Waterford IT, one All-Ireland Freshers with Waterford IT and an All-Ireland Colleges 'B' medal with Enniscorthy CBS.
In addition, he captained Wexford in 2008 and won an Allianz League Division 2 medal in 2010.
Along with Sean Foley and Brian Coughlan, Rory managed this year's St. Peter's College senior hurling team which lost the Leinster Colleges quarter-final to Castlecomer CS. Tweet
