Waterford are likely to re-shuffle the pack

THE meeting of Limerick and Waterford in Thurles intrigues me for a number of reasons.

It is the clash of two counties with terrific support and with the massive incentive of a Munster final appearance for the winner, it is going to be a game which I’m finding very hard to call.

Both sides had a poor league campaign (though Limerick did finish strongly). Both sides also had early trouble in camp, but I think we can put all that to one side now. And as the Clare/Tipp game showed, league form doesn’t count for much when it comes to championship.

So to Sunday. I don’t believe for a moment that the Waterford team will line out as announced.

I think Seamus Prendergast will be at full-forward, Andy Moloney will be on the half line or maybe midfield, because I can’t see Dave Bennett playing there, while John Mullane or Eoin McGrath will be corner-forward.

Whatever, there’s a lot of mystery about the way Waterford will actually line out, and surely the GAA will have to do something about that. I mean, how is a pundit to make a prediction if teams are changed at the last minute?

It is terrible carry-on, and it also makes it more difficult for Limerick manager Dave Keane to plan his tactics and negate whatever Justin McCarthy has in mind.

On the Limerick side, I can’t see Ollie Moran starting either as the game comes too soon after he sustained a broken finger, and he will be a big loss.

Whoever Limerick bring in here, perhaps Barry Foley, James Moran, Mike O’Brien, will have a big job to do. After all, the last time these sides met in the championship, two years ago, Moran played a major part in Limerick’s win, his first-half goal setting up their recovery after a bad start.

Of those who are starting for Limerick (and I believe they will line-up very close to the announced side), I note several from the U21 side of last year, and I can’t help thinking this will work against them.

Look at previous teams that won U21 All-Irelands. Galway are the best example, and see how long it takes for that talent to come through, if ever. Then look at Tipperary last Sunday week, they started a few newcomers in the full-back line and see what happened to them.

I accept that winning three consecutive U21 All-Irelands is impressive, and that experience will have steeled those Limerick youngsters for a challenge like this. Dave Keane has to start the process of introducing those lads at some stage, and obviously he’s decided the sooner the better.

He knows them well, knows their capabilities, their weaknesses, and perhaps better the horse you know, even if you don’t know the course.

The problem is, and it’s a huge problem, while U21 is Gowran Park, Munster senior championship is Cheltenham, and the Gold Cup.

Eugene Mulcahy, Niall Moran, Conor Fitzgerald, Donncha Sheehan, Andrew O’Shaughnessy? They will have never experienced anything like the deafening wall of noise coming from a packed Semple Stadium.

Looking also to the bench, Waterford again have all the experience, while Limerick have only a sprinkling, seated alongside another eight from last year’s U21’s.

The champions have Eoin McGrath, Eoin Murphy, Dan Shanahan, Peter Queally, Brian Flannery waiting to be sprung. In fact, I’m very surprised that Flannery isn’t starting. He must have suffered a dramatic loss of form from last year, because he was consistently good through the season.

Limerick have rookies everywhere, on the field and on the line. I’m not saying Dave Keane and his selectors aren’t up to it, of course they are, but this is their first senior championship match, and they’re up against a management team that has the experience of winning the title.

In the recent Clare/Tipp game, that kind of experience made a massive difference.

To the likely winners then. With due respect to Justin McCarthy’s Munster title success, but I think Gerald McCarthy must get a lot of credit for the groundwork which he had put in, in the previous years.

However, in the next game after their provincial success, Waterford were beaten by Clare, in the All-Ireland semi-final. As a result of that fall, the pressure is now on Waterford, and Justin, to bounce back. Not alone do they need to win this game, but I don’t think even another Munster title will be enough for them this year. In this game, you need to progress and build on each crown.

For this young Limerick side, as long as they put up a good performance, the back-door route will be quite acceptable to their fans, but I don’t think the same thing applies for Waterford. If Limerick lose, I think they can bounce back, if Waterford lose, I think they’re gone, and so is Justin.

For that reason then, and because they have the experience, in a very tight contest I go for Waterford.