'It all comes from within the players themselves'... Skehan relishing rebuilding challenge

One of the biggest challenges facing any manager is to rebuild a team - particularly a successful team. Sean Boylan did it a few times when he was in charge of the Meath footballers. When the team of the 1980s grew old he built from the ground up and put together a side that won the All-Ireland in 1996. Alex Ferguson constructed a few successful outfits in his time at Manchester Utd. Brian Cody the same with Kilkenny.

Brendan Skehan has embarked on that same process with the Meath camogie team. It might be a very different context to the above examples but it is fundamentally the same process. Time consuming in that it can take weeks, months, even years to find the right formula, right blend, although few managers get that much leverage

It's a major challenge requiring a lot of know-how, judgement and time. A central, crucial part of the process is bringing in the 'right' players. Those who are prepared to work and graft, not to be knocked back by the inevitable setbacks.

Invariably there will be setbacks along the way. There is likely to be good days too like Saturday. Meath produced a mature, assured display in overcoming Westmeath - particularly in the opening half when they laid the foundations for success.

They didn't play as well in the second-half as Westmeath mounted something of a mini-revival. The important thing is that they won a contest that evoked a one-word response from manager Skehan at the final whistle. "Relieved," he said before he took a breath and went into explaining what he is seeking to do. He suggested that when it comes to any team, at any stage of the development, it is essential that the players have what it takes within themselves. It all goes back to that notion of getting the 'right' people on board. That they have the right attitude.

"It all comes from within, from the players themselves, there's no point in us screaming or shouting from the sideline, it's the players who have to go out there and do it. They know themselves what needs to be done, our players are being given very good coaching at the moment so it's about the players applying all that themselves.

"It's about application, sticking to what they are being shown in the coaching sessions. It's important too that the younger players feel they are driving this thing on, that they are not thinking 'Oh God I'm playing for the county now'. They have to step up too but the are a great group of players, wonderful."

Among the more experienced players in the Meath camp are Aoife Minogue and Grace Coleman and they certainly showed the way on Saturday, as they have done in previous outings. Others demonstrated the kind of grit and steel you need at inter-county level - Claire Coffey, Maeve Clince, Ellen Burke, Tracy King, Leah Devine for example. They have been doing that for some time.

Among the newcomers goalkeeper Tara Murphy did well as did midfielder Cliodhna O'Riordan. She's one of those players who will always give 110 per cent as the old soccer cliche goes. She has vision too, a perfect foil to Minogue in midfield in that she will win ball and give it to the Dunderry player to unveil her wide repertoire of skills.

Another member of the newcomers' fraternity is Rachel O'Neill from Kilmessan. She started at corner back on Saturday and did well too. She was later joined in the game by her sister Laura O'Neill who appeared as a second-half substitute. Both are the daughters of Anton O'Neill, the former Kilmessan and Meath player who was one of the finest hurlers of his generation.

An arts student at Maynooth University, Rachel was making her third appearance for Meath on Saturday. Playing for her county clearly means a great deal to her as she is following, in a sense, in her father's footsteps.

"It's just great to represent my club on the Meath team and playing the with girls from other clubs," said Rachel who is only 19 but has already won three senior camogie titles with her club.

"We were just brought up to play camogie when I started out I was just three. I just love playing it, it's a great hobby to have. Playing inter-county brings you on a as a player, you have to focus in on what you are doing because you are up against really strong players," she added.

She spoke too about the fact that Meath have Cavan away this weekend and how having two wins from three games played they can go into that game with confidence. Still only at the foothills of her senior career Rachel O'Neill knows the huge benefit a team can derive from winning regularly. Games like Saturday's can really bring teams on, she suggested.

Skehan and his management team have some way to go to fully reconstruct the side fully but Saturday's win at least showed they are well on their way. Another brick in the wall.