Tipp aim to break through glass ceiling

By Thomas Conway

TIPPERARY v DOWN

Camogie grounds, The Ragg

Saturday 5th February

Throw-in @ 2.00pm

Referee: Andy Larkin

And so it begins! The bedlam of two Covid-cursed seasons behind them, the stars of inter-county camogie will, this weekend, pick up sticks and start at it all again.

Galway are the reigning All-Ireland champions, and based on last year’s form they look, quite frankly, unassailable. But Tipp won’t have to concern themselves with the O’Duffy Cup holders until over one months’ time, when they square off against the Tribeswomen on March 19th.

The main matter of concern at this moment in time, is the visit of newly-promoted Division 1 debutants Down to The Ragg this Saturday. But don’t expect the Mourne-women to be fighting fatigue on their arrival. Derek Dunne’s side topped off promotion to tier 1 of the league last season by retaining their senior championship status. They will be eager to build on those achievements, but Tipperary have plenty to build on as well.

It has been a tricky pre-season for Tipp manager Bill Mullaney and his selectors, who, like most teams the length and breadth of the country, have been forced to grapple with significant Covid disruption, depleting their panel and reducing their preparation time. The world may be emerging from the pandemic, but its impact continues to fester, so anticipate a slightly longer settling in period this spring, as teams gradually return to full strength.

The prospect of capacity crowds and packed matchday promenades is tantalising, and Mullaney feels his side will benefit from the energy those factors generate. Tipp are an energetic team, which thrive in a high-energy atmosphere, but crucially, both players and management have learned to deal with the obvious pressures which that brings.

“And as a group, I’m trying to find the right word for them - they’re a bit more experienced than seasoned at this stage,” Mullaney began.

“But it’s not that they’re completely comfortable - everybody has those few nerves no matter where they’re playing, but I think they can manage them better now. They’re able to cope with their surroundings, and as a management we’re able to deal with it better now as well.”

The 2021 Tipperary club championships were a resounding success, with a renewed emphasis placed on marketing and communications, which helped to increase the profile of the various competitions. The effort made by the Tipperary County Board was replicated by the teams on the field, with a general improvement in standard noticeable across all grades. Mullaney attributes this to a number of factors, but the main driver has been an increasingly sophisticated approach to training and preparation, with a trickle-down effect from inter-county camogie visible.

Along with his five-strong backroom team - which includes Denis Kelly, Dinny Ferncombe, Carmel Bradshaw, Mary Howard, and Alan O’Connor - the Newport/Ballinahinch clubman spent the autumn scouting the club camogie landscape, appraising the talent on show.

“Between us all we saw nearly all of the games,” he said.

“We tried to get a look at all of the grades, and I thought it was a really good club season. I think all the clubs have really bought into the fitness and the coaching side of things. And I think you could see that in the quality of the matches, all the way through from senior to intermediate to junior. Even looking at the professionalism on the side-line, the girls’ preparation for training, and the quality that they’re delivering on the pitch - at all grades.”

It remains to be seen whether some new faces will be drafted into the senior set-up, but newly-appointed Tipperary junior manager Ray Delaney will almost certainly introduce emerging talent into his set-up, as Tipp bid to regain intermediate status following their relegation from the grade in 2021. From a senior perspective, this weekend’s game against Down will be followed by a trip to Offaly in a fortnight’s time, before Tipp welcome Dublin on March 12th, and then round off their Group 1 campaign with a much anticipated away clash with All-Ireland champions Galway. If things go to plan for both sides, that showdown could determine qualification for the League final, with the top team from each group advancing directly into the decider.

For Tipp, it will also resurrect some painful memories of the All-Ireland semi-final defeat last August, a game in which The Premier allowed a string of opportunities to slip away without reward. The performance was promising, the outcome demoralising, but Mullaney and his team have dissected the game in detail and taken lessons from it. Tactical considerations are now a key aspect of inter-county camogie and the Tipp boss, who is now in his fourth year in charge, is well aware of this. He appreciates that context and circumstances are important, that tactics can sometimes become redundant in chaotic games, and while Tipp strive to play a certain way, they also understand that flexibility is crucial.

“We do invest an awful lot of time into tactics,” Mullaney reveals.

“As well as all the basics - the skills training, the fitness, and all that stuff. But yes, we do invest a good bit of time in how we want to play, what style we’re going to play. But you can only play certain ways depending on the type of players you have. And also as well, you have a Plan B, but sometimes Plan A and Plan B go out the window, and you also have to be cognisant of what the other team is trying to do. You don’t want to be reactive all the time, because you want to get your own game going, but sometimes you just have to be reactive and readjust things, then try to get on top from there.”

For now Tipp’s focus is fixed on the league campaign, but regardless of how that materialises, camogie fans across the county will be peering towards the championship horizon, wondering if Mullaney’s side can finally break the semi-final barricade and reach an All-Ireland camogie final for the first time in sixteen years.

That, ultimately, is the objective for Bill Mullaney. He doesn’t obfuscate, digress, or evade the point - Tipperary intend to appear in Croke Park on August 7th 2022. The path there will be difficult. The obstacles will come in the form of several counties, not just the top-three. To justify their growing status, however, Tipp must feature in an All-Ireland final.

“If we can become a bit more composed and make better decisions on the ball, when under pressure - like Kilkenny and Galway - then we should get more return from our chances,” Mullaney feels.