Premier won’t pull their punches

GIVEN Davy Fitzgerald’s well-flagged attention to detail, chances are five Wexford players have been practising their 65s this week, just in case. Richie Power of Kilkenny took umbrage at the fact that a deadball contest, in theory, could decide a semi-final of a national competition in the event that extra time can’t produce a winner – but the odds are against it reaching that stage. Tipperary manager Michael Ryan appears to be working off the Brian Cody playbook with his foot-to-the-floor approach in trying to win every game. Consider how the All-Ireland champions are approaching the latter stages of the League to possible Munster semi-final opponents Waterford, who fielded an experimental team against Galway in the play-off and almost won the thing by accident. If it were a horse race, Waterford would have been accused of pulling up. At least both teams here have no reason to pull their punches. While Tipp have had their game face on since last September in terms of trying to handle the pressure of back-toback All-Irelands, it’s almost escaped attention that it’s 2008 since the county last won a National League. With Shaun Murphy excelling against Kilkenny in the sweeper role and Conor McDonald and Lee Chin so important as primary ball winners from midfield up, Wexford’s set-up is designed to frustrate an inside line such as Tipp’s, where Séamus Callanan almost casually hit 2-11 against Offaly. Wexford, though, simply can’t afford to let Pádraic and Ronan Maher hoover up ball as the free defender at the back because their angled deliveries is what the likes of Callanan and John McGrath thrive off. What stacks in Tipp’s favour, too, is the repeated battles of recent times against a defensive system like Waterford, ensuring they won’t look as confused as Kilkenny did last time out.

VERDICT: Tipperary