Full house expected as arch rivals square up at Nowlan Park
The clash between champions, Kilkenny and great rivals Tipperary is proving a huge hit with the fans and last night the 9,000 seater Grace Stand at Nowlan Park was all but sold out.
“It is looking like we will have a full house,” said Seamus Reade, Events Controller with Kilkenny County Board.
Early suggestions were that the crowd would be in excess of 15,000 but it looks like it will be closer to the 23,000 capacity.
Tipperary manager Eamon O’Shea has issued a rallying call to Premier County supporters ahead of what he believes will be an acid test against Kilkenny next Sunday.
O’Shea admits that the anticipated high levels of intensity in next Sunday’s game will serve as ideal championship preparation.
O’Shea told Tipp FM: “It’s very beneficial to be playing Kilkenny in Kilkenny. It’s their home venue, they’re the All-Ireland champions, they’re the League champions and it’s a great test for our teams in terms of where we’re at.
“Whether we win or don’t win, we’ll be judging ourselves on how we perform. It’s not always possible to say whether you’ll win or not but it’s a great opportunity to the team to go to Nowlan Park and really enjoy the day. And we’re looking forward to as many Tipp people as possible going down because we need every ounce of support that we can get.”
Throughout the league campaign, O’Shea has juggled his squad to good effect, with players tried out in different positions. And the 2010 All-Ireland winning coach insists that his top outfield stars must be flexible enough to operate in more than one position, if required.
O’Shea explained: “The flexibility in players and in the team is that on any given day, a player can slot in or if you want to change it tactically.
“And players are really buying into this. They don’t ask where to play – they just want to play and there’s a really good attitude in the squad.
“Where they’re named to play, they just go out and play.”
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