Important for the real Tipp to show up against Waterford

GAA: National Hurling League Division 1A Preview

By Shane Brophy

WATERFORD v TIPPERARY

Azzurri Walsh Park, Waterford

Sunday, 8th March

Throw-in @ 3.15pm

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin)

The Tipperary senior hurlers return to National League action this Sunday away to Waterford in a key game with both league and championship ramifications.

In terms of the league, with Offaly’s relegation already confirmed, there is a four-way battle to join them in dropping to division 1B with All-Ireland champions Tipperary one of them, off the back of successive defeats to both Cork and Limerick.

This Sunday’s game is Waterford’s final match of the league campaign as they have the bye in the final round, and defeat would consign them to the drop as they already lose out on the head to head with both Galway and Kilkenny, regardless of the result of their match-up on Saturday night.

If Tipperary fail to win, they would have a second chance to ensure their survival when they host Kilkenny in the final round on March 21st but they will be keen to get the job done this Sunday.

There has been partial forgiveness for the losses to Cork and Limerick but a third successive defeat at the hands of another Munster rival in advance of the championship, where Tipperary will also play Waterford in Walsh Park in seven weeks time, is unwanted pressure.

However, the pressure this week is an internal one as the players and management aim to right the wrongs of the non performance against Limerick last time out. Many players looked off the pace, with the possibility they were going through a hard training block, but if there is a repeat against Waterford, it would be very concerning.

However, you’d be expecting an extremely focused group of players keen to restore pride in the jersey, particularly going into the old stomping ground of Liam Cahill and Michael Bevans.

In terms of player availability, Willie Connors will miss the game through suspension following his red card against Limerick, but Jason Forde will return after serving his one game ban for his harsh red card against Cork.

In terms of injury, both Robert Doyle (hamstring) and Michael Breen (calf) were targeting this game for their return, but it is still too soon for Alan Tynan who sustained a shoulder injury against Waterford in their Munster League clash in January.

Tipperary played Dublin in a challenge match in the past week where captain Ronan Maher continued his return to full fitness, and after being an unused substitute against Limerick, would appear likely to get competitive game time, either starting or off the bench.

With Tipperary highly unlikely to reach a second consecutive National League final even if they were to win their last two games, these remaining matches are hugely important in terms of fine-tuning the team for championship and getting everyone up to speed for the April 19th meeting with Cork.

Injury permitting, it will be interesting to see how close the Tipperary team that takes to the field on Sunday will be to full strength. Apart from Cathal O’Reilly and Josh Keller, few of the players that have gotten extended game-time in the first four games of the league have made an impression to put last years starting fifteen under pressure.

The hope would have been for the likes of Oisin O’Donoghue to push his way into the conversation to start but the busy college period with UL looks to have taken something out of him but there still is time for him to freshen up and be the impact player he was last year.

Noel McGrath showed the standard of what has to be brought in every game with his six point contribution in a seventy-minute performance against Limerick, and if he sees game time on Sunday, it will be his 175th senior appearance for Tipperary, a notable landmark.