Toome must be at their peak to tame Athenry

Diarmuid O’Flynn

Toomevara will have to hit the ground running tomorrow afternoon, because this is a big one. They take on Galway powerhouse Athenry in Cusack Park, Ennis, in the All-Ireland club semi-final with a slot in Croker on Paddy’s Day at stake. A chance at history.

“We started back in January, played the usual round of challenge matches, we’ve done our best, but it’s very hard to get it right. Christmas is the silly season, even the challenge matches are a continuation of the silly season, you’re playing in a vacuum. It’s like starting out all over again in a new competition. “You’re playing against teams in the same boat as yourself, getting trials, sort of, trying to make little adjustments,” he says.

Reports from those challenge games suggest that Toomevara have been struggling for consistency, and Sean confirms that view. “The challenge games have gone up and down for us, but I’m not surprised with that. You just use these games to put a shape on things, that’s all.”

John O’Brien, former Tipperary senior star, Bryan Duff, who impressed as a sub in the Munster final win over Mount Sion, and Kevin Cummins impressed in those challenge games, but they’ve lost out.

“The team that played in the Munster final has been named in the programme, and barring unforeseen circumstances, that is the team that will start. That starting 15 has played five matches, won five matches.

“There’s no denying the quality of the three lads, of others that are going well in the panel, but there’s huge pressure on you to stay with the same starting 15 that got you here. That’s what we did.”

Athenry have also been on the challenge circuit.

“Our championship ended with the Connacht final six weeks before Christmas,” said Athenry manager Billy Caulfield, “So we’ve had a big run-in to this game without any real competition. Our challenges then are very important, and they’ve worked out very well, got rid of the ring-rustiness we had.

“We played Limerick, Clare and Cork and we beat the three of them narrowly. Most encouraging, we were hurling fairly well, we weren’t poor in any department, whatever was thrown at us we were able to cope with.”

Both Athenry and Toomevara are well known to hurling followers outside their own counties, Athenry with three All-Ireland club titles won since 1996, Toomevara beaten finalists in 1994 and champions in Tipperary seven times since then.

It promises to be a dinger, sparks guaranteed to fly. “Indeed, it’s going to be a fierce battle,” says Billy Caulfield.

“We’re coming from a background of having won this three times, they’ve never won it. When you’re not hungry it’s difficult to eat, but when you’ve been kept away from the table for a long time, as they have, there will be no question of lack of hunger in Toomevara.

“There’s a great want in their club, they’ve won so much in Tipperary, great record there, but the big one is eluding them. That’s going to be a driving force for them. They have a lot of big players, Tommy Dunne, Benny Dunne at centre-back, driving them forward, the O’Brien brothers Paddy and John, who has been out of the picture through injury up to now.

“Like ourselves, they have a full hand to pick from. Hunger is going to be hugely important, and it’s vital that we match them there.”

The responsibility for that rests with the coach; having played on the breakthrough Athenry team that won the senior championship in Galway in 1987 and on the first All-Ireland-winning side in 1996, Billy Caulfield knows exactly what it takes. His players, young and old, speak highly of his handling of the side to date. They’ll be ready.

Toomevara (v Athenry): J. Cottrell; J. Boland, T. Delaney, P. Shanahan; Terry Dunne, B. Dunne, D. Young; P. Hackett, E. Brislane; K. Dunne, F. Devanney, Tommy Dunne; M. Bevans, P. O’Brien (C), W. Ryan.