Go on Newmarket-on-Fergus ta fuck!
Ollie Baker interview ahead of Sunday.
Baker: nothing beats the thrill of playing
By Diarmuid OFlynn
Thursday, June 18, 2009
INSIDE or outside the wire which is better? On Sunday afternoon in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, Clare meet Tipperary in the Munster SHC semi-final.
For those most closely involved its a tough few weeks leading up to the match, a stomach-churning couple of hours just before and during the game.
For 10 years Ollie Baker experienced the feeling inside the chalk, a midfield colossus for Clare from 1995 to 2004, winner of three Munster titles and two All-Irelands. Afterwards, his service complete, Ollie could relax and take his place in the stands where he was free to fall in with the fans, cheer or criticise as he pleased.
Within a year, however, Ollie was back in harness, called up for selectorial duties by Anthony Daly, and though he missed out during Tony Considines year in charge, hes back again now under Mike McNamara.
So, which is better, inside or outside? Baker has no doubt: âPlaying is what its all about, when the ball is thrown in youre inside the white lines, and thats the best place to be. The time comes though when you have to listen to what your body is telling you then its time to walk away. Fortunately Ive had the opportunity to get involved again on the management side, and thats the next best thing to playing. Im delighted.â
What about all the abuse thats said to be going with a job in management, especially in counties where expectations are high but achievement is low, as is the case in Clare in recent seasons?
âI dont get any. People say thats all part of the game theyre wrong. With maybe a few individual exceptions, the people who go to GAA matches are fantastic; usually theyre there from a sense of community, a sense of loyalty, and that holds true throughout the 32 counties.â
As they face into this weekend, however, massive underdogs against a Tipperary team thats seen as perhaps the major threat to Kilkennys crusade for a fourth All-Ireland title in-a-row, are Clare on a hiding to nothing? Is there a danger now of hurling slipping back to where it was before the 90s, when Offaly, Limerick, Clare and Wexford all came to the fore?
âI think it might be there already,â reckons Baker. "Kilkenny have gone ahead of the pack, with Tipp and Cork chasing hard. Its debatable as to where Galway are at the moment, probably in a bracket of their own, and then you have the rest of us, the likes of Waterford, Limerick, Clare, Wexford, Offaly and so on.
"Fortunately for us though Munster is an open draw system and Cork and Tipp have already met; its there for any of the five counties to win.
"Growing up, our natural rivalry was with Limerick, they were the neighbours, the team you wanted to beat. Then in the 90s it became Tipperary, they had a great team for a while. Theres great tradition in Munster hurling, great history, and just because youre from one part of the country, it doesnt mean that youre not interested in what is going on elsewhere. I know of many people who come down from the north every year, religiously, to see the Munster championship every year, without fail. They feel an ownership of the Munster championship as much as anyone from Clare or Limerick or Cork.
"The tradition is evident in the rivalry between Tipp and Cork, between ourselves and Limerick, between all the Munster counties. Were lucky to have that, and youll always remain competitive when you have that incentive there.
What of Clares chances Sunday? After all the effort, all the sacrifice by the players and management, will it be celebration time this Sunday evening, or will the critics be having their say?
"We give ourselves a chance in that well be 100% focused, 100% committed, but if you look at Tipperary both last year and this year, the reality is that they are improving rapidly, theyve shown tremendous character, and youd have to say theyre the second best team in the country at the moment, behind Kilkenny.
"Theyre young, hungry, youre not going to take them by surprise like we did Waterford last year theres no question this year of Clare waiting in the long grass. Were under no illusions, everything is going to have to go right for us on the day.
âThe form is good, the lads are very dedicated, fiercely dedicated to training, we couldnt ask for more out of them. We were delighted to finish the league, to step away from that, because it was a disastrous campaign, eroding confidence. Weve had a series of challenge matches but the intensity is way off what it is in championship, and five minutes of championship will tell you that.â
- Ollie Baker was speaking at a Clare Supporters Evening sponsored by Guinness
[quote=âmyboyblueâ]There are three Championship debutants in the Clare side to face Tipperary in Sundayâs Munster SHC semi-final.
James McInerney, Colin Ryan and David Barrett from the Newmarket-on-Fergus club [/QUOTE]
What kind of clown wrote that, Colin Ryan made his championship debut in 2007 when he came on as a sub against Cork and subsequently broke his collarbone while James Macinerney made his debut as a sub V Kilkenny in 2006 and I am nearly sure he started one of the qualifiers in 2007 when we were missing the four semplegate boysâŚ
I think David Barret could have come on against Waterford last year too. Iâm nearly sure he did actually in the last few minutes.
I actually like the look of that team. Griffinâs forward instincts seem to have gone but he surely has the engine for midfield. presume the forwards will all swap around at some stage.
I would say it will be an inside forward line of Ryan and Gilli with clancy drifting out the fieldâŚ
Donât know about Barrett, Tadgh Keogh, Gerry Quinn and Pat Vaughan all definately came on as subs against Waterford last year, Vaughan hit a lovely point over by the sideline when he came on
[quote=âKIB manâ]I think David Barret could have come on against Waterford last year too. Iâm nearly sure he did actually in the last few minutes.
I actually like the look of that team. Griffinâs forward instincts seem to have gone but he surely has the engine for midfield. presume the forwards will all swap around at some stage.[/QUOTE]
Yeah yeâre both right. RTE sure. Werenât they sayin last Sunday that Limerick and Waterford were meeting to decide who would meet Tipp in the munster final, and yesterday they were saying the replay was to decide who would meet Cork.
Griffin midfield is the strange one alright. He played unreal there I remember in the 2002 semi-final against Waterford but thatâs hardly relevant now. I hadnât heard any reports of him playing there in the challenges or anything so Iâd be suspicious enough. Itâs one thing putting a lad in there when his confidence is up, but if confidence is low you could spend the day watching the ball flying back and forward over your head.
[quote=âWatch The Breakâ]Yeah yeâre both right. RTE sure. Werenât they sayin last Sunday that Limerick and Waterford were meeting to decide who would meet Tipp in the munster final, and yesterday they were saying the replay was to decide who would meet Cork.
Griffin midfield is the strange one alright. He played unreal there I remember in the 2002 semi-final against Waterford but thatâs hardly relevant now. I hadnât heard any reports of him playing there in the challenges or anything so Iâd be suspicious enough. Itâs one thing putting a lad in there when his confidence is up, but if confidence is low you could spend the day watching the ball flying back and forward over your head.[/QUOTE]
There is always a danger of that happening playing midfield in hurling. I used to play there fad fad and a few handy handpasses from your half back line would get you into the game quick enough. Heâll get a lot more space in midfield and hopefully get on the ball quick and early. Iâd far prefer him to play there than corner forward or full forward where you could be waiting 15 minutes for a decent ball.
Suppose he is worth a start there, if he isnât going well Gary OâConnell will come on and wonât weaken us too muchâŚ
Presume the subs to be used will be
Fullback line: Conor McMahon/Conor Cooney(if fit)
Halfback line: Conor McMahon/Gary OâConnell
Midfield: Gary OâConnell
Half Forward: John Conlon
Full forward: Barry Nugent
shame the likes of Damien Browne, Domhniall OâDonovan and Martin Og Murphy werenât involved during the league as they all would be decent impact subs to bring off the bench
Ladies I have to ask
Just how seriously are Clare taking this years Championship if the challenge games (thus far) were against fellow Division 2âs?
Think about it
[quote=âMairegangaireâ]Ladies I have to ask
Just how seriously are Clare taking this years Championship if the challenge games (thus far) were against fellow Division 2âs?
Think about it[/QUOTE]
come again
Since the league has ended Clare have played Limerick, Wexford, Waterford, Offaly, Laois and Antirm in challenge matchesâŚSecond string sides played against Laois and AntrimâŚ
[quote=âThe Pukeâ]come again
Since the league has ended Clare have played Limerick, Wexford, Waterford, Offaly, Laois and Antirm in challenge matchesâŚSecond string sides played against Laois and AntrimâŚ[/QUOTE]
With respect Puke, and to others btw. But Wexford Laois & Antrim?
Give over
[quote=âMairegangaireâ]With respect Puke, and to others btw. But Wexford Laois & Antrim?
Give over[/QUOTE]
who were they supposed to play maire, they could hardly play cork or tipp given that they were going to face one of them in the Munster ChampionshipâŚKilkenny donât play that many challenge matches eitherâŚtheir hands were fairly tiedâŚ
[quote=âMairegangaireâ]Ladies I have to ask
Just how seriously are Clare taking this years Championship if the challenge games (thus far) were against fellow Division 2âs?
Think about it[/QUOTE]
Depends on your attitude and your tactics for them. There is 2 ways i would look at challenge games in relation to preparing for championship.
If Mike Mac was of the attitude, âLook weâre playing our own game and our own style and fuck Tippâ then playing slightly weaker opposition is the way to go, let players get used to a plan etc.
If they went and played Galway and Killkenny they could get a hiding depending on their attitude and it would be a waste of a game and confidence would be shot.
The other way is if your going out just to fuck up a good team and hassle them out of the game then playing the better teams and getting used to the pace and houdning them, and forgetting about the score may be the way to go.
Iâm guessing Mike went with the former, and fair play to him for it.
Its from RT who are renowned for getting things wrong.
However if a guy came on as a sub, its not a full debut and a qualifier game would mean heâs making a Munster Cship debut to be fair.
Have a feeling Tipp could put up a big score here, extra game will help no end. Clare to rally a bit in 2nd half as usual but a Tipp goal to take the wind out of their sails.
Still dont think Tipp have the cut required to beat KK though.
Tipp team
Cummins
Stapleton Curran O Brien
Fanning O Mahony P Maher
McGrath Woodlock
Kerwick Callinan Corbett
Kelly OâBrien McGrath
Kerwick for Webster the only change
[quote=âThe Pukeâ]Tipp team
Cummins
Stapleton Curran O Brien
Fanning O Mahony P Maher
McGrath Woodlock
Kerwick Callinan Corbett
Kelly OâBrien McGrath
Kerwick for Webster the only change[/QUOTE]
Weâll have some job to win much ball of that half-back line. Some aerial ability there, we might need Conlon very early yet but either way it means the midfield battle is crucial. The upside there is that Woodlock is average enough and doesnât have much form either. Boc better have his fightin shoes on 'cos thereâs no Lynch to scrap for us anymore.
[quote=âmyboyblueâ]
P Brennan; P Vaughan, J McInerney, G OâGrady; P Donnellan, B Bugler, A Markham; B OâConnell, T Griffin; T Carmody, D McMahon, C Ryan; N Gilligan, D Barrett, J Clancy.[/QUOTE]
Any chance of a run down on the ages of these lads?
Brennan 26
Vaughan 27
James Mac 22
GOG 26
Markham 32
Bugler 23
Donnellan 23
BOC 25
Griffin 28
Carmody 28
Diarmuid 28
Ryan 21
Gilli 33
Barrett 23
Clancy 23
Cheers Puke. A few young fellows in there in fairness.