The big GAME ON SUNDAY
THIS time last year, it looked like the old order were going nowhere. There were Kilkenny and Tipperary sharing centre stage in a national final, just as they did in the All-Irelands of 2009, ’10 and ’11.
If there was an obvious pretender to the crown, it was Galway. Yet by July, hurling’s three leading fancies were out of the Championship.
So, don’t read too much into this afternoon’s events. Clare’s indifference in the League semifinal against Tipperary was a throwback to the Ger Loughnane era and Davy Fitzgerald’s men are custommade for the fast ground of the summer.
The worry for the rest of the country is that Kilkenny have experimented wildly and still find themselves within a shot of the title. Pádraig Walsh has blossomed at a rate of knots that is reminiscent of his brother’s arrival on the scene and Brian Kennedy, Mark Kelly and John Power have also made their bold claims for inclusion.
But Tipperary have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. Seamus Callanan is in matchwinning form and the team has tightened up at the back hugely since the early spring goal rush. With momentum and in the familiar environs of Semple Stadium, it’s time to reverse the trend of losing national finals to Kilkenny.
Tipperary’s character was questioned after squandering a big lead in Nowlan Park. What better way to respond.
VERDICT: Tipperary