Marnitz stays on but some key players leave Buccs

FOLLOWING a topsy-turvy debut season at the helm of Buccaneers, head coach Hendre Marnitz has confirmed he's staying on for another year at Dubarry Park. Buccaneers came flying out of the blocks in last season's Ulster Bank League Division 1B, with the South African coach steering his then new side into second place, and suffering only a single defeat (to then league leaders and eventual winners Clontarf), by the Winter break (late November to early January), and claiming an impressive seven wins from the opening eight games. Unfortunately, Buccaneers' league campaign then took a turn for the worse, with the Athlone outfit losing their next five matches (twice to Dungannon, against UCC, UL Bohemian and Galwegians), resulting in a winner-takes-all promotion decider between the Buccs' and Lansdowne on the final day of the season, with the Dubliners triumphing. Buccaneers' third placed finish was enough to earn them a promotion-relegation play-off against Division 1A side Garryowen, but again Buccaneers fell short, with the Limerick-men winning 23-9 to maintain their top-flight status. During that game, it was former Buccaneers star and Athlone native Alan Gaughan who did much of the damage to his former team, successfully kicking three penalties and two conversions. It was certainly a commendable first season in charge for Marnitz, in what was his maiden season in Irish rugby, and Buccaneers certainly got value-for-money in terms of maintaining a genuine interest in promotion up until the very end of the season. Injuries to some key men, and both provincial and international commitments for certain players, slightly hampered Buccaneers bid for promotion, but generally, their efforts last season must be applauded. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent this week, Marnitz confirmed he's agreed to stay with Buccaneers for "at least another season", and is looking forward to the upcoming Division 1B campaign, which is due to start in early October. However, the off-season hasn't been kind to Buccaneers so far, with a handful of important players already parting company with the club. Stephen Burke, Conor Higgins and Colin Waters have moved abroad for work reasons, while Marnitz confirmed Aidan Wynne is concentrating on his studies this year, and Shane Monahan, a former Ireland under-20 international centre, has moved to Rotherham Titans in England. Of Monahan's departure, Marnitz said: "It's a great opportunity for Shane, and we look forward to seeing how he develops his career with Rotherham. It's an exciting switch for him and we wish him all the best." To offset the departures, Marnitz has already agreed deals to bring in a trio of players, including a welcome return to the club for local Mark Dolan. Dolan had most recently been playing club rugby for Galway Corinthians, and is the son of Buccaneers coach and long-serving stalwart Tony Dolan. Marnitz said: "It's great to have Mark back. He's an excellent scrum-half and the fact he's local is a massive bonus." Also on the way to Buccaneers are former Clontarf second row Mick Kearney (an Irish under-20 international), and fellow under-20 international star David Heffernan from Lansdowne. Marnitz promised a few more signings in the coming months, but also said the club is proud and excited about it's successful under-19 team, which memorably won the All-Ireland Cup last season. Callum Boland, Jack Carty and Daniel Qualter were some of the stars of the under-19 success-story, and they both picked up crucial first-team experience during the 2010-11 campaign, while others to shine for the under-19s included Conor Fitzgibbon and Robert Henshaw. Buccaneers will continue to plunder its youth ranks for promising players, insisted Marnitz, and despite several departures from last season's squad, the next campaign is one to look forward to, according to the South African. "Our aim for next season is to be as competitive as possible," he said. "If that's good enough to get us into the promotion shake-up again, then great. If you lose a few players then it's important to replace them, so it's vital we make the right choices in that regard over the coming months. I'm very happy with the new signings to date, and hopefully there will be a few more. It was fantastic to see the under-19s do so well last season, and I'll never hesitate bringing young players into the first-team. It's a fine balance between youth and experience though, and it's important we get the blend right. Certain lads need more time in the junior ranks, but if they're ready, I'll certainly look to include them in the first-team," he added. Marnitz said he's enjoying his time in Athlone, and has learned much from his first season in the Midlands. "I always viewed it (coaching Buccaneers) as a two-year project, and last season we were only a single win away from gaining promotion. We never lost a game by more than seven points, so we were always extremely competitive. Unfortunately, we lost the likes of David Connellan, Adam Kennedy and Daniel Qualter for lengthy spells, and that probably impacted greatly upon us. We also didn't get the rub of the green in certain matches, but overall it was a very encouraging season and we're looking to build on it next season," said Marnitz.