Waterford hurlers can secure rare win in Ennis
Waterford’s Darragh Lyons making a great catch over Clare's Tony Kelly during their 2023 Munster SHC clash in Thurles. Photo: Inpho.
Despite having failed to clinch at least a place in the All Ireland qualifiers with outright victory over Tipperary in Walsh Park Waterford’s championship fate remains firmly in their own hands as they face into two vital, but difficult, away games from which they must obtain at least one draw to stay in the All-Ireland series.
Cork’s dramatic win over Limerick last Saturday has added to the pressure on Waterford ahead of next Sunday’s game in Ennis but the mission remains the same and that is to come away from Ennis with a victory.
Waterford’s track record against Clare in the ‘Round Robin’ series has been less than impressive, losing all four meetings, two decisively in Ennis, one in Thurles and one by a single point in Walsh Park. It is Waterford’s recent track record against Clare in Cusack Park that will see the home side installed as favourites to continue their winning way on Sunday next but, under closer scrutiny, recent results suggest a very close game.
While all the attention on Sunday next is focussed on whether or not Waterford can do enough to ensure championship progress few seem to realise that this is very much a pressure game for Clare. A win for the visitors would be enough to see Waterford into a Munster final while defeat for The Banner would see Brian Lohan’s side under huge pressure on them going to Thurles for their final game Tipperary the following Sunday needing a win to stay in the championship. The stakes then could not be higher for both sides going into this game and the well noted fall out between the respective managers adds bite to the occasion.
The teams have met earlier this year in the Allianz League at Walsh Park with Clare coming away with a one point win. On that occasion Clare fielded much closer to a full strength side than did Waterford. Brian Lohan fielded as close as he could to his championship side throughout the league despite many of his players being involved in Fitzgibbon Cup action.
Twelve of the side that started against Cork last week played against Waterford in Walsh Park with Mark Rodgers, Shane O’Donnell and Peter Duggan added to the starting fifteen. Waterford fielded just six of the players who started against Tipperary in Shaun O’Brien, Mark Fitzgerald, Neil Montgomery, Jack Prendergast Michael Kiely and Stephen Bennett. With Tadhg de Burca, Iarlaith Daly, Calum Lyons Jamie Barron, Dessie Hutchinson and Darragh Lyons all on board since then and back up off the bench in such as Jack Fagan, Shane Bennett and Patrick Curran it must be said that Clare will face a more formidable Déise fifteen from the start on Sunday next.
It would appear that that Waterford’s only injury concern ahead of Sunday’s game centres on Conor Prunty who was forced off after just seven minutes against Tipperary with what seemed to be a recurrence of the quad injury that kept him out of the league games. It looked serious as he left the pitch in Walsh Park and if he is ruled out we can only assume that Mark Fitzgerald will continue in the fullback position as he did against Tipperary with Jack Fagan starting at wing back.
It is unlikely that there will be any other change in Waterford’s lime up in the middle third where skill and physicality had the better of Cork and Tipperary in the tight exchanges. With Tadhg de Burca and Calum Lyons in top form and Darragh Lyons and Neil Montgomery battling tenaciously in midfield, Jack Prendergast, Michael Kiely and Jamie Barron have the pace and the power to get on to breaking balls and puck outs and so set up scoring chances for Stephen Bennett and Dessie Hutchinson up front.
What has been impressive in both games was the impact of Patrick Curran off the bench with crucial points to his name in each game. Likewise, Shane Bennett was also impressive off the bench against Tipperary and looked fully fit. Kevin Mahony did his job as a battling ball winner up front in both games but it might be that a little more fire power is needed on Sunday.
While Waterford will have welcomed the two week break since the Tipperary game Clare will have been even more glad to have had a three week rest after what was a taxing seventy minutes against Cork. There has been no word of injuries coming out of the camp and if that is the case Lohan is likely to stick with the tried and trusted side that came good against Cork when the chips were down.
The back line has been virtually unchanged since the league with Eibher Quilligan in goal fronted by Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary and Rory Hayes. As is the case with Limerick the Clare halfback line of Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon and David McInerney is the sheet anchor of the team, all big men and good hurlers. Getting the ball though to Stephen Bennett and Dessie Hutchinson must be a big part of Waterford’s game plan.
Against Cork, Aidan McCarthy and Mark Rodgers between them accounted for 1-16 of Clare’s 3-26 but the big playmaker in the Clare attack is Shane O’Donnell. He is the man who makes things happen and is always good for at least one goal as is David Fitzgerald breaking forward from outfield.
All things considered these appear to be two well matched sides and with both in dire need of something from this game we can expect a championship game in keeping with what we have seen in Munster in recent weeks. Waterford will not leave Ennis as they have on recent visits.
This preview was written before the teams were named. Here is the Waterford team:
