Bugler answers Clare’s call to arms

Brendan Bugler is only just reaching his peak as a hurler but when he looks around the Clare dressing room, he’s beginning to feel old, at 27. Why? Because of all the fresh faces filling those saffron-and-blue shirts.

“Pat Donnellan is the same age as myself, a couple who are a year or two older, but then there’s a big gap down to the bulk of the squad — the likes of Tony Kelly and Seadna Morey aren’t long out of minor,” says Bugler.

Because of that, and echoing the sentiments of so many other counties at the development stage, Clare’s game against Cork in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday in the Division 1A relegation final takes on a huge significance.

“We don’t want to be going straight back down. We played well in this league but it was so competitive, bitterly disappointing to lose two games by only a point [Waterford and Kilkenny]. I can’t understand how there aren’t eight or 10 teams in Division 1.

“Dublin and Limerick are as good as us or Cork, they should both be up there too. Whoever is in charge of this should look at it again, come up with something better.”

Every game in Division 1A was cutthroat but this one is do or die. It makes for a good spectacle but, says Brendan, this is definitely one game Clare would rather do without.

“From a spectator point of view, it should be a great game but from a playing viewpoint, you’d prefer not to be there, obviously!

“Winning promotion was so difficult. No disrespect to the teams in Division 1B but we want to have the same calibre games next year. Cork are in the same boat. We’re very similar, two young teams, still building.

“It’s the same with Limerick, who lost out again this year. When you’re building you want to be playing the best teams week in, week out. I’d much prefer to be in Waterford’s situation, no game but safe for next year but this is where we are. It will have a championship feel to it, that’s for certain.”

They’ve met already in the league, a game won by Clare (1-22 to 1-16) albeit in strange circumstances.

“Cork were awesome in the first half, should have been out of sight but hit a load of wides. Colin Ryan’s free-taking kept us in it. We came out then in the second half and played probably our best hurling of the year.

“It was a weird game, when we got the momentum the scores just started to flow. Then you come to the Kilkenny game. We started the second half the same way, we could have had 1-5 but got nothing. You have days when things go for you, days when they don’t. The Kilkenny game was one we could certainly have won, shot ourselves in the foot. No-one’s fault, these things happen.”

There followed the final game, against Tipperary, but by then this young Clare side were exhausted, mentally more than physically, drained from the concentration and effort required in the previous four games.

“Five massive games in six weeks, it’s difficult for any team to keep the intensity up and we had more or less the same 15 every week, all must-win games, while Tipperary were changing their team around.

“They’re back on song after the first game against Cork, have a lot of their big guns back firing again. They’ll have a big say in this year’s championship.”

Big game then for Clare, a major challenge against a side that has the added motivation of revenge for the earlier defeat. Ding-dong battle in prospect from two improving teams.

“The Cork forwards are going well, very fast, slick, good stickmen everywhere, you can’t afford to give them any time at all.

“We have improved from last year ourselves, lads are wiser, we’ve been together that extra year and lads know the system now. They know what’s wanted by the management and lads have bought into it. We’ve worked hard on tackling, harassing, our forwards working really, really hard. As a defender, that’s what we want to see on Sunday also.”