Taggart revels in Down ascension

By Shaun Casey

WITH promotion to Division 1B secured for next year and a league final to look forward to, Down could be excused for taking their foot off the gas ahead of their final round clash with Meath, but Caolan Taggart insists that won’t be the case.

Having stormed through the Division 2A league, picking up six successive victories, Ronan Sheehan’s side can now claim a clean sweep with a victory over Meath at Trim on Saturday afternoon.

Taggart does suggest that some players may be rested if they aren’t at full fitness, but other than that, the Royals will be facing the best that Down have to offer.

“You can probably look at it two ways,” said Taggart.

“We want to keep the momentum going and if you go out and have a bad game against Meath, that could carry over to the league final but on the other hand, you have to protect some boys as well.

“It’s two weeks after this weekend to the league final so you want to keep some match fitness and that sharpness for the final so I’d say we’re going to play as strong as a team as we can from the start.

“Speaking for myself, and I know a lot of the players are the same, you want to play every game. You don’t go to a county team to not play so I’d say all of our boys will want to play this weekend so that’s when it comes down to the decision of the management team.”

A league final in a few weeks’ time is the perfect preparation for a Joe McDonagh Cup campaign that is just around the corner and while Down have ticked one box on their to-do list with promotion, there’s still a lot of hurling to be played this season.

“It’s an amazing achievement to get up there, I think it’s the first time in nearly 20 years that Down are in the top division,” added Taggart of the promotion. “But we still have a championship to play in.

“We’ve been surviving in the Joe McDonagh for the last couple of years and we want to start competing for it so that’ll be our next focus. Once we’re done with the league and the league final, win, lose or draw, our focus will turn solely onto the championship.”