Embattled Tipp’s greater need will see them home
Tipperary people like to call Thurles the home of hurling but I think even they now have to admit, the centre may have shifted a few miles east! I would love to see all three of those games but unfortunately I haven’t managed to master tri-location so am headed for Thurles. Is it the biggest game of the weekend? I think so, but we’ll know better after tomorrow.
Still, you’d wonder — surely it could be arranged so that hurling fans could see all three games? There are floodlights in Semple Stadium, that could be on Friday evening, then either of the other games on Saturday afternoon, the other on Sunday.
Just because you’re from Galway or Clare doesn’t mean you have no interest in Tipperary and Kilkenny. Just a thought.
Anyway, three good games ahead in division 1A (no space here to get to 1B, unfortunately) but we’ll focus first on Tipperary/Kilkenny. It’s a big game for both counties but bigger for Tipperary. This is a huge rivalry but last time they met wasn’t a good day for Tipp, walloped in the All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park. It won’t have helped Eamon O’Shea’s cause either that in their league opener against their other great rivals, Cork, Tipperary were again walloped.
The Tipperary public will go to Thurles to find out about this team and as we all know, there are few more demanding supporters in hurling, especially when it comes to games against Kilkenny.
Tipperary need to win this but I’m looking at the 15 they’ve picked and I still don’t see a Donie O’Connell who will take whatever punishment is necessary to break things for the finishers. I’m glad though to see Darren Gleeson being given his chance in goal, I think he’s top class.
A winner? All the players Kilkenny are missing, the pressure on Eamon O’Shea and his players, has to be Tipperary. But there will be blood!
In Ennis Clare have a very good home record against Galway and I expect another humdinger here. We know Clare are building and it was a setback against Waterford but I expect to see changes tomorrow, in the attack especially.
The thing is, this is as good as a home game to Galway also, to south Galway people especially which is where most of the hurling clubs are based — Galway city is almost foreign to them!
Galway have the more experienced players though I don’t go along with the notion that this is a very inexperienced Clare team — quite a few have been there for a few years now. Clare are trying to develop new systems and are hardly likely to change now; this is a big ask for them here, I think Galway will just about do it.
In Dungarvan, a short trip across the border for Cork fans, I’m expecting that we’ll see the biggest crowd of the day, and the best atmosphere, two expectant sets of supporters. Cork had a big win over Tipperary but this is a major test for them. People are still underestimating Waterford, and it’s never easy for a visiting team to come away from Dungarvan with a win.
I particularly like the Waterford defence, a really tough full-back line of Daniels/Lawlor/Connors, and of course they now have an outstanding keeper in Stephen O’Keeffe.
Even with John Mullane retired they still have dangerous forwards, Jake Dillon starting to blossom. Yet again a great game in prospect, another close one, but Cork might have just might have the wind in their sails after the Tipperary game two weeks ago.
