Jez, The Tipp lads are really getting their clits tickled this week… even a few heavy hitters have come on board to contribute to these sticky fumblings.
I hope ye’ll all be around to pick up the pieces in 2 weeks time. It could get mighty ugly…
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The fingal clique and their pets are seething. It’s some laugh.
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Tipperary is a marvellous county and they’re well respected by other counties who’ve won an All Ireland senior hurling title since 1990.
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I’m on record as predicting Tipperary to win this year’s All Ireland but I wouldn’t be staking too much on it. If they are to fall, I reckon its more likely at the semi final stage than the final. I was working in Tipperary for most of last week and one thing that struck me was the absolute confidence amongst the natives that Tipperary have nothing to fear against Galway. The consensus seems to be along the lines that Tipperary only lost by a point last year with one forward functioning and an improvement on that is all but guaranteed. Conversely if Anthony Cunningham had spotted before the hour mark that he had a problem at full back, Tipperary could have suffered a right hiding. If I was a Tipperary supporter I’d be very wary for a number of reasons.
Firstly, not too much can be read into the form lines from the Munster Championship. Tipperary did everything that was asked of them, but Cork and Limerick are utterly dismal, as was borne out by how tamely they both exited the championship to Wexford and Clare who in turn were both well beaten by Waterford and Galway. The new found confidence in Tipperary essentially seems to be based on the Waterford demolition. Granted, Tipperary were good on the day, but they’ve been down that road before of beating (2009, 2011, 2012 & 2015) and indeed demolishing (2011) Waterford in the Munster Final. Things didn’t work out too well after that for Tipperary in each of those four years. I wouldn’t discount the possibility of Tipperary kicking on, but I’d actually be more confident in Tipperary if they had squeaked home in a tight finish against Waterford in a nip and tuck game. Apart from the one point win over Galway in the 2010 quarter final, I’m struggling to recall any championship game in the last decade that went to the wire, which Tipperary won.
Second reason to be wary is Tipperary’s record in semi finals as Munster Champions after a 5 week lay off. They lost to Waterford in 2008, hammered by Kilkenny in 2012 and beaten by Galway in 2015. They were really bad against Dublin in 2011 but squeezed through, hammered Limerick admittedly in 2009, but that was a Limerick camp at an advanced stage of open mutiny over Justin McCarthy. Tipperary’s two really good semi final performances were against Waterford in 2010 and Cork 2014 when they exited the Munster championships before the Munster Final and had a sequence of qualifying games every two weeks or so, which kept them sharp.
More generally, there’s question marks over the graduates from the 2006/07 minor winning teams - Brendan, Padraic & Patrick Maher, Mickey Cahill, Seamus Callinan and Noel McGrath have repeatedly been found wanting and have come up short at senior level all the way back to 2008. Some of the newer players like Seamus Kennedy, Ronan Maher, Michael Breen and John McGrath do look the real deal. They’ll all probably have to stand up and show real leadership on 14 August. You wouldn’t want to be relying too much on the minor class of 2006/07.
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Clare detest Tipp as do Kilkenny.
The Heavy hitters here will be going for the tribes
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Interesting point. Some truth to that alright. But I think Brendan & Bonnar Maher have by and large delivered for Tipp. And ultimately those younger players haven’t had that responsibility placed on their shoulders yet. We won’t know how real they are until that happens.
And off with ye. This one will go to the wire. It’ll be the best game of this year’s championship. I can’t call it at this stage
Michael Breen looks an absolutely fantastic hurler. He, more than anyone, makes me wary, as he seems to be one of the great areas of tipp improvement this year.
If both teams play well, I would expect tipp to shade a game for the ages, but tipp will have to be very near their best to beat this galway team, who I am delighted to support. They are a really good side.
The snappers first big game of anything. My little one has her t shirt already laid out.
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your not getting scared
No Joe, I’m getting excited. Excited about seeing two proper teams giving a quality game after the dross we’ve witnessed in recent weeks. Can’t wait to see two fine rivals go into a terrific battle, despite the fact that victor will probably lose the all Ireland. It’s great to have three teams who’ll feature on all Ireland semi final day in Croker this year. I’m very excited about what August will bring and delighted to be still able to follow teams this month. Perhaps a lucky break or two and I’ll get a day out in September as well
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Perhaps a lucky break or two and I’ll get a day out in September as well
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Or maybe two
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I hope you and the nipper enjoy the occasion. While I may be supporting the opposition, it always warms my heart to hear of new Gaels who will witness such a fantastic spectacle. Hurling in August is one of the finer things in life. Would be lovely to see either team go on and win the all Ireland for the sake of hurling
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Incorrect
Agree 100%. I’ll be rooting for whoever wins this in the final. IMHO, the tipp side of 2009-10 were up there with the best hurling teams to ever play the game.
If they get through galway, I think and expect it will be hard earned, and they’d have every chance of beating kk. Neither team would be well served by a facile win, as both can be prone to overconfidence unlike the archly pragmatic stripeymen who I expect will win this weekend, even though I think Waterford have the quality of hurler to beat them.
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What a cunt of a thing to say. Did someone say that prick is from Carlow?
Question for the board. How do GAA.ie release the tickets? All I can buy is hogan or cusack lower. I’d like the middle tier of else seated behind the goals. Do these go on general release, and is there any way of selecting where you sit? I don’t mind but I Have two smallies and possibly by boat pal and his wife.
My guess is that for the moment only lower tiers are open. It’s only if ticket sales go above a certain number that other parts of the ground will be open. Having said that it’s unusual for Davin Stand lower not to be open. Are you on the GAA website?
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If I could pick only one Tipp hurler to transfer across to Galway, I’d pick someone from fucking Mayo instead. Only kidding…lolz. Bonnar Maher every time. The man is a machine, and pretty much everything you’d want in a hurler. Great engine, doesn’t know when he’s beaten, playmaker, etc. 