Tipperary Hurling Tipperary GAA Premierview

All Ireland Final Preview - Ardan Ui Chinneain


A fairly lacklustre senior intercounty hurling season culminates on September 6 with Tipperary attempting to thwart Kilkenny’s 4-in-a-row efforts. Less than 4 months ago both sides also met in the NHL decider and needed extra-time in that fixture to be separated. That was by far the best match of a substandard competition which saw both sides reach the decider almost by default. Cork’s ‘soi-disant’ intercounty hurlers were embroiled in an “us-versus-them” contretemps with both Gerald McCarthy and the County Board, even resorting to wheeling out Des Bishop, supposedly a bit of a funny bloke, to rally the esoteric “Cork hurling public”. Much at stake as each side refused to buckle. Eventually, when order was restored and soothers distributed, a familiar looking Cork team went to Nowlan Park and was torn asunder. Maybe they’d been listening to Depeche Mode’s classic album “Violator” during their campaign; these few lines from “Halo” spring to mind.
“And when our worlds they fall apart
When the walls come tumbling in
Though we may deserve it
It will be worth it”
Don’t think it was, though, notwithstanding a spirited championship performance against Tipperary, the collective decline of the squad since the zenith of 2004/5 was even more apparent this Summer. Aisake Ó hAilpin may yet provide them with a focus upfront, a Winter spent polishing his hurling touch to compensate for his time away from the hurley when in Australia would be well spent.

Meanwhile, also in mid Spring, Tipp had also travelled to Nowlan Park and suffered a heavy defeat there, yet a few weeks later faced Kilkenny again in the aforementioned closely contested league final. A match of championship-like intensity was served up, prompting predictions of a future meeting in September. And so it has come to pass, it’s been a long while since the same 2 counties contested both national finals in the one year.
Tipp’s 2009 championship draw saw them needing a minimum of 4 wins to reach the final. 1991, 1997 & 2001 also saw them play 4 games en route to a September outing, those years including a draw, a loss and another draw respectively. Those 3 seasons saw Tipperary mentors make some telling structural changes to the team as they progressed through the matches, reaping some serious benefits. In 1997 squad member Liam Sheedy was to benefit from these innovations, making his championship debut at wing back in the All-Ireland Quarter final clash with Down, and retaining his place on the championship first 15 until the end of the 1999 season. Now as Tipp manager, he’s seen fit to adjust his own charges’ lineout as he absorbs the lessons from each big game.
James Woodlock has been restored to midfield for the championship, after spending the league campaign at wing forward, displacing Thomas Stapleton who looked to have made serious progress in the Spring. The Templederry man has yet to feature in this year’s championship, enduring some tough moments against Kilkenny back in May. After lining out at full forward versus Cork, Micheál Webster has given way upfront, with Pat Kerwick the beneficiary in the forward reshuffle. Webster has made substitute appearances in subsequent games though, and provided the final play in the sequence which finished with Larry Corbett getting Tipp’s final goal in August. Benny Dunne has seen regular action from the bench, and contributed handsomely to send Cork into the qualifier route. However, the most notable change has been the resiting of Pádraig Maher at full back after winning Munster, releasing Paul Curran to the corner beside him. Brendan Maher made his first championship start at wing back against Limerick, no doubt more will follow.

The newcomers to the side in 2009 have really blossomed throughout the campaign. Noel McGrath, not yet 19, is playing with great poise and wit upfront, and possesses the composure of a man who’s been doing this all of his life. The aforementioned Pádraig Maher has turned in sterling performances at half back, and now looks like he owns the place at no. 3, something another lad named P. Maher used to do back in the earlier part of this decade. Brendan of the same clan has displayed precocity and tenacity to match his talent. Paddy Stapleton has shown that his cameo in August 2008 against Waterford was a portent of what lay ahead for him, and has blended in well at Brendan Cummins’ right.

Kilkenny in 2009 have not looked as formidable as they did in their final 2 games in 2008, when Cork & Waterford were fairly put to the sword with clinical sang froid. Well, maybe they did against both Tipp & Cork in this year’s league, but that’s hardly a useful benchmark. However, they’ve gotten as far as the final, without ever looking in any serious trouble. Their opening championship game saw them face Galway in the Leinster championship; where a powerful final quarter saw them home after some earlier bother. Dublin were next in the Leinster Final, a game in which Dublin tried to contain the Kilkenny attack to the detriment of the Metropolitans’ own forwards. Martin Comerford was having none of it though, and Dublin did succeed in keeping the margin respectable.
Next up was Waterford, who’d been eviscerated the previous September by a near flawless Kilkenny performance. Henry Shefflin was the main man this time, his virtuoso display compensating for some rare generosity by his defence. Kilkenny won by the usual few points, Waterford went home with heads high, and nobody talked of September 2008.
Injury woes have never been far from Kilkenny’s door in 2009, with Noel Hickey an absentee all year. He was also missing in 2005 when they last lost a championship match, proving just how crucial filling the no. 3 jersey is. Tipperary knew all about it in 2003 when Philip Maher was absent – Paul Curran grew up very fast then. JJ Delaney’s been manning the square for Kilkenny this year, excellent under a high ball but not so comfortable when the ball is directed elsewhere. Further up the pitch their midfield has not been as cohesive as one would expect, a common problem in Tipp this year too, despite the abundance of industry. Cha Fitzpatrick was ill with mumps earlier in the year, like his opponents Shane McGrath & Conor O’Mahoney, and doesn’t seem to have regained his form. However, his colleague Michael Rice has been quietly impressive in the middle of the park all year, finally nailing down a first 15 spot after a few years of hovering on the brink.

Unusually, it seems easy enough to predict both forward lines for the big game. As you were the last day, with the usual queue of suspects champing at the bit on the line. TJ Reid & Richie Hogan seem to be the go-to men down Noreside, whereas Tipp generally look to Webster, Paul Kelly & Willie Ryan. Defensively both panels seem to have greater options – Kilkenny have John Dalton, PJ Delaney, Sean Cummins (plus the Chopper of course!), while Tipp have the likes of Shane Maher, Conor O’Brien, Diarmuid Fitzgerald, Eamonn Buckley, 3 of whom were first-choice in 2008. Kilkenny are reputedly giving Noel Hickey “every chance” of featuring, not quite sure what that actually means. I thought he might have played some part against Waterford, but as we know Brian Cody is no sentimentalist.

It’s been 8 years since Tipp got this far, Lar Corbett & Eoin Kelly were hardly shaving then, now they’re the elder statesmen. Lar has been in very good form these past few years since Ger Hartmann worked his magic, even if he were quiet the last day till the final quarter. Eoin Kelly’s days of compiling huge tallies from play look to be behind him because of his injury-compromised pace, however a stint out in the half forward line might be the way to go, enabling his much faster colleagues upfront to exploit the space. John O’Brien was also there in 2001, a few years passed him by afterwards, plus there was that awful car crash after which he had enough to do to get back walking, never mind hurling. He’s had a fine season thus far, using that big paw of his to fetch and spray ball around. His clash with Tommy Walsh should be crucial to the outcome.

Anyway, “there we were, now here we are”, to quote Noel Gallagher. It’s where all Tipp folk want to be on September 6, a step nearer the Croke Park podium.