Don’t pull up Liam at this stage

LIAM SHEEDY says it’s important Tipperary don’t give any ground to Galway ahead of their defence of the All-ireland title.

Galway have been described by some pundits as the team most likely to overcome Tipp this summer due to Kilkenny being in a transitional period. The Tribesmen failed to get out of Division 1B yet have consistently troubled Tipp in big games in recent seasons and are back for another crack at them today.

Former All-ireland winning Tipp boss Sheedy (inset) said: “If you look at where Tipp are, All-ireland champions, everybody wants a piece of you. Galway have proven over the last two years that it has been puck-of-a-ball stuff between them so they’ll fancy their chances. “Both teams would like to get one over on the other – and equally Tipp would like to keep their noses in front.

“That’s what makes this a really good battle.” Both counties play a traditional style of hurling and aren’t afraid to cast off the shackles and go for it, man on man.

It makes for intriguing head-to-heads, with Tipp’s centre-back colossus Ronan Maher sure to line up on Galway talisman Joe Canning for a start.

Sheedy said: “I can’t wait to see how they match up. I think the Tipp half-back line have proven the platform for success. Over the last two years, that’s a line of the field that nobody has managed to break down. So it will be interesting to see how Galway look to take on that half-back line.”