Only the best will do for Tipp to break their semi-final duck

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

By Joe Scully

CORK v TIPPERARY

FBD Semple Stadium

Saturday, 25th July

Throw-in @ 6.00pm (E.T.)

Referee: Barry Nea (Westmeath)

The venue - FBD Semple Stadium Thurles, on Saturday at 6.00pm. The teams - Tipperary and Cork. The competition - the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship semi-final.

It promises to be a thriller of a game, in what will be the fourth meeting of these two sides this year, and it has been pretty even this far, with one win each and a draw.

For Tipperary, they will be seeking to end the heartbreak of seven loses in semi-finals in a row over the last eight years, while for Cork they are looking to make it to a fourth final in a row, as they continue their quest to make up for last years final defeat at the hands of Galway which ended their three-in-a-row-hopes.

The Rebelettes will go into the game as favourites, and the Premier Ladies know they face a massive challenge if they are to end their recent semi-final hoodoo and reach a first All-Ireland final since 2006.

The quality is certainly there within the Tipperary team but they will have to up their game tenfold from where they have been at so far in the championship if they are to overcome a Cork side which have come alive in the All-Ireland Championship following an iffy start to the year in both the league and Munster Championship, including defeat in the Munster quarter final by Tipperary at FBD Semple Stadium on April 19th last.

It was one of Tipperary’s best performances of the year, winning by six points, in particular the full forward line of Grace O’Brien, Eimear McGrath and Caoimhe Stakelum on fire, scoring 1-9 of Tipp’s total.

If Tipperary are to overcome Cork, they are going to have to stop the supply of ball into their full-forward line, as when the sides met in the group stages in Thurles last month the Cork full-forward line wreaked havoc, particularly Amy O’Connor.

Cork also used the wide-open spaces of Semple Stadium to good effect and their off the ball running posed massive problems for the Tipp defence which is what allowed the likes of O’Connor to be isolated one-on-one and was essentially the winning of the game, 0-21 to 0-18 in a high quality contest.

Tipperary will need to get fast ball into their own forwards and try and get Eimear McGrath on the ball as much as possible with the Drom & Inch star back to her very best this year following a year out with an injury.

Her ability to win any type of ball is second to none, and she is so good at finding space, and when in possession, she can either fire over her own scores, or bring the rest of the forwards into the game.

However, it will depend on the type and quality of ball going in as, at times in the past, especially in the big games, Tipperary have tended to panic in possession, and have been guilty of hitting aimless ball into the forwards.

They will also have to be very clinical in front of goal, and can’t afford to be hitting silly wides, against a Cork outfit who will punish any mistakes that are made.

One feels this current crop of Tipperary players are just one big win away from pushing on and they will hope this Saturday will be that game. However, for that to happen they will need to put in a performance for the hour and every player will have to play to their best of their ability, and if they can do that, a trip to Croke Park may just be on the cards on August 9th.