Munster campaign will give Tipp edge

THE whiff of cordite may have evaporated from this clash compared to the encounters of the late eighties, but Galway-Tipperary tomorrow promises more for the neutral than the game that follows it.

Tipperary face into this quarter-final with most of the aces. They started slowly against Limerick but the benefits of winning the replay were obvious when they beat Clare and discovered a new totem in Micheal Webster. The train came off the tracks when they played Cork in the Munster final, but there were positives to be taken out of the game.

They rediscovered the balance in their defence by relocating Eamonn Corcoran and Paul Kelly was outstanding in midfield, while adding John Devane, Redser O’Grady and John Carroll to the attack helped them whittle away a big Cork lead.

Tipp have priceless experience on which to draw tomorrow: four hard, competitive games; a fair idea of their best configuration; and the return of Eddie Enright and Seamus Butler to training with the panel. About the only black cloud is Lar Corbett, whose pace would be a huge asset in the wide open spaces of Dublin 3.

Galway’s preparation hasn’t been quite as constructive. True, they had vital one-point wins over Laois and Limerick in their qualifying group, but drawing a line of form through the Galway and Tipp performances against Limerick is misleading.

Limerick looked much better equipped to ambush Tipperary earlier in the season, before acrimony erupted on Shannonside, while Galway boss Conor Hayes won’t be happy with his side’s inability to put away the men in green in their qualifier.

It doesn’t get any better for the Tribesmen when their strength in depth is examined. Eugene Cloonan is off the panel, and few outfits could afford to be without the Athenry marksman, back injury notwithstanding. Kevin Broderick is recovering from a groin operation and would only be available if Galway get over tomorrow’s test.

Derek Hardiman and David Collins are expected to start, but both are carrying injuries; Tony Og O’Regan has also been unwell this week.

Expect Tipperary to start as they mean to go on, bombing the ball in high to Webster, with Eoin Kelly drifting outfield to direct operations.

The Munster campaign should make all the difference to Tipp, and Galway’s misery in the knock-out stages should continue.