Tipp can use testing campaign to get past Clare

CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter Final Preview

By Joe Scully

TIPPERARY v CLARE

Croke Park

Sunday, 5th July

Throw-in @ 1.30pm (E.T.)

Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin)

Live on RTE2

Tipperary face off against Clare in the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship quarter final on Sunday afternoon in the curtain-raiser to the Clare Limerick senior hurling semi-final at Croke Park.

For Tipp, who come into the game off the back of losing all three games in the group stage, culminating and suffering a very disappointing eleven point loss at the hands of Galway last Sunday, this will be a very challenging assignment, against a Clare side who have been in great form this year, having suffered on two defeats in all competitions, as well as winning Division 1B of the National League earlier in the year.

After winning the Munster Championship in impressive fashion, the group stage of the All-Ireland Championship didn’t go to plan for James Heffernan’s charges, as they suffered a three-point defeat against Waterford first time out after a very poor performance. Despite putting in a much better performance in their second outing when they came out on the wrong end of another three-point defeat against Cork, before Sunday’s game against Galway which was their worse performance of the year.

The fact that the new format of the championship this year meant all four teams in Group 1 were assured of a place in the knockout stages, might have played a factor in Tipp’s performance, but the players will know they haven’t hit the level required so far and will know they will have to up their performance massively, starting on Sunday, where Clare will have the majority of the support, with their hurlers also in action.

It promises to be a very exciting game, as Clare continue to look to make the breakthrough, and have lots of quality throughout their side, but the loss of Lorna McNamara to a long term injury earlier in the season has been a big blow to their chances.

However, Tipperary also have injury worries with Karen Kennedy out since the Waterford game and remains a doubt for this quarter final with a calf injury, and her presence has been greatly missed in the middle of the field in the last two games.

Despite Clare coming into the game with all the momentum having won four out of five games in Group 2, their only loss to Kilkenny, the quality of the opposition faced wasn’t as strong as who Tipperary have come up against.

The Premier will start as favourites and one feels a big performance is coming from Tipp as they look to make a ninth semi-final in the last ten years and with the semi-finals fixed for FBD Semple Stadium this year on July 25th, it would have the ideal opportunity to break that glass ceiling and reach a first All-Ireland Final in twenty years.

Tipperary team v Clare: 1 - Laura Leenane (Shannon Rovers ); 2 - Amy Quinlisk (Kilruane MacDonaghs), 3 - Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch), 4 - Eimear Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore); 5 - Caoimhe McCarthy (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams, Capt), 6 - Caoimhe Maher (Burgess/Duharra), 7 - Celine Guinan (Shannon Rovers); 8 - Karin Blair (Cashel King Cormacs), 9 - Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha); 10 - Eimear Heffernan (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams), 11 - Lucy Purcell (Thurles Sarsfields), 12 - Roisin Howard (Cahir); 13 - Caoimhe Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields), 14 - Eimear McGrath (Drom & Inch), 15 - Grace O’Brien (Nenagh Eire Og).

Subs: 16 - Aine Slattery (Shannon Rovers), 17 - Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty/Rossmore), 18 - Emma Carey (Thurles Sarsfields), 19 - Sarah Corcoran (Moycarkey/Borris), 20 - Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch), 21 - Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Kate Ralph (Moycarkey/Borris), 23 - Aoife Dwyer (Thurles Sarsfields) 24 - Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch 6), Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill NR), 26 - Danielle Ryan (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill), 27 - Niamh Cunneen (Silvermines), 28 - Ellen Cunneen (Silvermines), 29 - Mary Burke (Drom & Inch), 30 - Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields).

Extended panel: 31 - Danielle Butler (Eire Og Annacarty/Donohill), 32 - Paula Quirke (Boherlahan-Dualla), 33 - Katie Fitzgerald (Borris-Ileigh), 34 - Nicole Walsh (Borris-Ileigh), 35 - Isobel O'Donnell (Brian Borus).