Buccs hope to retain cup form on return to league action
AFTER a month lay-off, Buccaneers return to AIB League Division One action this weekend. And joint-coach Tony Dolan - who operates team affairs along with Jude Lennon - is desperate for Buccaneers to reproduce the spirit and form shown in their most recent competitive outing; a morale-boosting AIB Cup win over current league leaders Clontarf. Prior to the excellent cup victory, Buccaneers had experienced three straight league defeats to Shannon (25-21), UL Bohemians (8-9) and Garryowen (19-8), leaving the Athlone-based club in 12th position in the league standings (the division consists of 16 teams). Now, Buccaneers are hoping for a return to the form that saw them defeat Dolphin on the opening day of the season and Clontarf in the AIB Cup. But Tony Dolan knows a trip to Tyrone to face Dungannon at Stevenson Park will be another stern test of Buccaneers" top flight credentials. Dungannon presently sit ninth in the division and Dolan said: 'We know it"s a big ask going up to Dungannon but our overall aim is to finish in the top eight or above this season and getting something from games like these is important if we"re to achieve that.' So far, Buccaneers have picked up important bonus points from every game they lost - except against Garryowen. Bonus points are awarded for either scoring four tries or losing within seven points. Buccaneers warmed up for this weekend"s clash with a friendly against Corinthians (Galway) last Saturday. They have slight injury worries over Simon Rolleston and Alemou TePou but both are expected to play against Dungannon. Influential scrum-half Conor O"Loughlin also featured in the cup win over Clontarf - his first start for Buccaneers in almost six months - and could also feature this weekend. Dolan added: 'The win over Clontarf in the cup was a big confidence boost - but it was also probably a reaction to the poor home defeat against UL Bohemian. We"ve been very good in all our games except the home defeat to UL Bohemian...we were shocking that day.' Despite the fact Buccaneers currently lie just a couple of places above the relegation zone, Dolan has no fear of dropping back into the second tier of Irish rugby after just a single season back in the top flight. 'I definitely feel we"re strong enough for Division One. Our target is to finish in the top eight and we"re good enough to do that,' said Dolan. Saturday"s visit to Dungannon is the second of three consecutive away league games for Buccaneers, who are also on the road next Saturday week when they play Blackrock College. Buccaneers" trio of away fixtures will then be followed by a couple of home matches against Ballymena (Saturday, December 13, 6.30pm) and Galwegians (Saturday, January 17).