Costigan stresses the positives

TOMORROW in Semple Stadium, Robbie Costigan finds himself leading the Tipperary football fight from the back.

Manager John Evans has taken the scalpel to his team line-up for their All-Ireland qualifier tie against Laois and when he completed his surgery, Costigan found himself installed at full-back. That’s a change from his natural berth of centre-back but one borne out of necessity after Tipperary have been shorn of four players since the Munster championship exit against Kerry last month.

Costigan though is not the sort to complain about being moved around the park and he does not criticise the decision either of Ciarán McDonald, Chris Aylward and Alan Moloney to head to the United States for the summer, or Sean Carey for concentrating solely on the Tipperary U21 hurlers.

Costigan said: “The four lads left the panel, but they all had their reasons. You couldn’t begrudge the three lads going away to America, they’re young lads, students and it’s a great thing to do. Alan is in UL while Ciarán is doing medicine in Galway, and this is his last free summer as he’ll be on placement the next couple years. Christy then has finished up in college and is on the lookout for a job. It’s Sean’s last year U21 hurling and fair play that’s what he’s gone for. You’d definitely wish them all the best and they’re going to give a lot to Tipperary football in the future. Now other lads that have been showing well in training, are going to be rewarded with a start. That’s a positive thing.”

Costigan embodies the positive outlook that Tipperary football continues to radiate. They have endured their share of setbacks in 2010 as they dropped down to Division 3 of the National League, shipped a 12-point loss in their opening provincial assignment against Kerry and then lost some of the brightest young talents in their squad. But Costigan has toiled for enough years in the inter-county football wilderness to apply a some perspective.

He first broke onto the senior panel in 2002, a year where Declan Browne’s attacking magnificence nearly brought Tipperary a coveted provincial crown. But Cork broke their resistance after a replay and rather than being a precursor for greater things, Tipperary found themselves languishing in the doldrums.

“I guess I thought it would be like that every year,” muses Costigan of their near miss eight years ago.

“We were so close in 2002 but things didn’t really work out after that.”

Yet after a few seasons of mediocrity, Tipperary have enjoyed a wonderful revival in recent times. The successive league promotions in 2008 and 2009 were the highlights, and while the relegation this spring dampened their optimism, there was still cause for unbridled joy with the U21’s Munster triumph in March.

Costigan works as a fund accountant with Citibank in Waterford and commitments there precluded him from travelling down to Tralee for that famous win. But he was present for their All-Ireland semi-final bout with Donegal in Parnell Park. Their national dreams may have been scuppered that night but Costigan still takes pride in the feat which represents further progress for football in the county. The culture of preparation has improved notably in recent years. In past winters Costigan played soccer for Cahir Park and Clonmel Town as they went on extended runs in the FAI Junior Cup, but this year he opted to devote more time to gym work and getting ready to clash with elite teams in Division 2 of the league. Costigan lavishes praise on the chief architect of that uprising, John Evans.

“John has had a fantastic influence since he came on board. I think in the past if Tipperary teams got knocked out of the provincial championship, they went through the motions for the qualifiers. It’s different now. John has drummed into us that it’s no disgrace to be knocked out by Kerry. We want to go on a run this year and the first step is Laois.”