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Scotland Head Coach Drew McNeil Praises Players Commitment | |
19 December 2013 Scotland Head Coach Drew McNeil was full of praise for his players following the Marine Harvest Shinty / Hurling international series defeat to Ireland. McNeil took time out to reflect on how his side had acquitted themselves and he said, “It was a cracking performance. I am really pleased with the players’ commitment, not just in the games but in the preparation sessions which were really competitive.” On his squad selection, McNeil added, “I always said that there were places up for grabs in the squad and that’s the way it turned out. Lee Bain, Liam MacDonald and John MacRae are three players who forced their way into the squad at the competitive sessions and that’s the way it should be.” The view from the Irish camp was positive too as the Scotland boss revealed. “We were chatting to the Irish management team after the game and they felt it was the best match we have given them during their time in charge. I’ve seen these games over many years and I’ve played in them too and I can tell you that the standard of hurling is better now than ever before so that’s quite a complement.” McNeil is fiercely protective of the selection process which he introduced. “Much is said about the fitness sessions that take place ahead of the internationals. I introduced these sessions so that we could benchmark our fitness against the Irish. The Scotland players have improving fitness and we can prove this from our testing. I felt our energy levels were high this year and that is important when you take on the hurlers. We’re all under one umbrella, including the U21s, and I also brought in the current format where clubs complete forms, nominating players and we narrow the pool of players down from there. I see players during games and I have people that I trust around the country who feed back their views.” McNeil added, “There is a level of commitment required to take part in the internationals. I think that is only right and I don’t ask the players to do anything that I don’t do myself. It is up to us to step up to the mark to meet the hurlers. Shinty is not a leisure activity for me – it’s a lifestyle and the whole process is transparent.” Picture courtesy of www.neilgpaterson.com |