Henshaw undecided over future role with Buccs

AFTER watching his Buccaneers' team pull off the great escape and avoid relegation from AIB League Division 1B, caretaker coach David Henshaw was unsure about his future involvement with the club's senior side. Henshaw, who took over the job, along with fellow club man Charlie Couper, when Buccs' looked destined for the drop, steered the Athlone side to four successive victories since mid-February, to ensure Division 1B at Dubarry Park next season. Henshaw and Couper's task looked worse than ominous when they took the reins from Neal Culliton, with Buccaneers seemingly hurtling towards relegation at something approaching break-neck speed. Just two wins from the opening ten league matches left the Athlone men in a very precarious position, but last weekend's 18-8 win over Young Munster (see page 31), which followed similar victories over UCC, Ballynahinch and Dungannon, was enough to secure their status in the second tier of Irish rugby. There will no doubt now be a clamour of support for Henshaw and Couper to retain their roles with the seniors, however, both are heavily involved with the club's underage set-up, an issue which could have a significant impact on their ability to continue to commit to the seniors. Speaking after last weekend's vital win over Young Munster, David Henshaw didn't rule out the possibility of remaining involved with the seniors, but said he needs a break to consider the situation. "Myself and Charlie are Buccaneers club men and couldn't walk away from the situation when asked to take the team for the final four games of the season. The situation looked terrible and the players were very low on confidence. We knew there was plenty of talent in the squad and once we got that vital first win against Dungannon, confidence levels increased, and we did a lot of work of fitness levels and stamina, and I think that stood to us in the end. "It's absolutely great that it's worked out but it wouldn't have been possible if the players didn't buy into what Charlie and I wanted to do. I'm delighted Buccaneers have stayed in Division 1B and the players really brought themselves back from the dead. It looked like they were going nowhere fast, but their reaction over the past few weeks has been fantastic. To avoid relegation in the manner we did was almost like winning the league," Henshaw said. Henshaw was double-jobbing with Buccaneers since mid-February, also coaching the club's under-21s, so was understandably unsure when asked about future involvement with the seniors. "To be honest, myself and Charlie took the job with four games left in the season, and said we'd give it our best shot until then. Thankfully, it's worked out, but it's been a very hard-working and tough two months," said Henshaw. "We took it on because we're Buccaneers club-men and felt we had something to give, but it has been difficult overlapping the seniors with our other club commitments. It's been a heavy work-load and I'm unsure whether we'd be able to continue in the same vein, to be honest. The club hasn't approached us yet on the matter, so it's a bit hypothetical at this stage, but you never know what's going to happen in sport and we'll wait and see," said Henshaw. And although Henshaw plans a couple of weeks away from the game to recharge his batteries, he also said that any approach by the club to continue coaching the seniors would have to be carefully considered.