Nugent back from the brink to help raise Banner fortunes

YOU can take it that other than being taken off in a major game, either at provincial level or in the All-Ireland series, the worst thing that can happen to any player is not to be selected in the first place.

Barry Nugent has sampled it on both fronts, but it still doesn’t lessen his enthusiasm to give his very best to the Clare hurlers. For him, it’s all about ‘the bigger picture.’

When he met with representatives of the national media a week ago, in the company of other players, he would have had no idea of the thinking of the management team in regard to the team formation. But, even with the recognition that Clare are in transition — and that he has been involved for the best part of six years since Cyril Lyons included him among an extended panel — he reckoned that there were up to nine players competing for positions in the attack alone.