Clare to win but it will take a huge effort

HAVING failed to justify favouritism in each of their last two meetings, it is surprising to find Clare again carry the favourites’ tag on Sunday when they face Waterford at Thurles in the opening round of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.
When the sides met in last year’s semi-final at the same venue, Waterford scored a two-point win. Everyone who saw the game will know Clare had enough chances to come out on top. It was a similar situation in the opening round of the league in February, with just the minimum separating the sides at the final whistle that time and Waterford getting the winning point in injury time.
Those results will ensure Clare won’t get carried away with the pundits’ views this week as they complete their preparations for Sunday’s game, which throws in at 4pm in Semple Stadium.
Clare aren’t expected to name their starting line-up until later in the week but the expectation is that the team will be along similar lines to that which accounted for Cork in the Division 1 League relegation play-off two months ago.
There has been concern about Seadna Morey’s fitness but he took part in a challenge game among the panel played at Quilty on Sunday. The squad moved west to Quilty and Doonbeg for the weekend to complete their preparations.
It remains to be seen if the management team will give Cian Dillon a place in the starting line-up. Last year’s full-back recently returned to competitive action following surgery on a leg injury, resulting in his absence for the league campaign. He played for his club in their last Clare Champion Cup league tie and also lined out in the county championship. Since then, he has played for Clare against Dublin in a challenge game and took part in the weekend’s squad match, lining out at corner-back.
If Dillon gets the nod at corner-back, it will see Seadna Morey move to midfield with Cratloe’s Conor Ryan losing out.
All-star Brendan Bugler is struggling to shake off an injury but the expectation is that he will take up his regular place at wing-back on Sunday.
Waterford will have at least four changes in personnel from last summer’s championship team, which faced Clare. Stephen Mollumphy, John Mullane, Eoin Kelly and Stephen Daniels won’t be involved on Sunday. The first three didn’t join the panel this year, while Daniels suffered a serious injury recently, which has ruled him out.
Noel Connors, Kevin Moran (team captain), Liam Lawlor, Michael Walsh, Seamus Prendergast, Brian and Shane O’Sullivan are experienced members of Michael Ryan’s squad and it will take a huge effort on Clare’s behalf to get the upperhand against these players.
Ger Cunningham, who coached Newtownshandrum to the All-Ireland club title a few years ago, joined the Waterford management team earlier this year. He is an experienced coach and will know a lot about the Clare players, having served as a team mentor with UL in the Fitzgibbon Cup in recent seasons.
Concern has been expressed in some quarters about Clare’s ability to score goals. While they have run up some impressive point totals, the belief is that goals will be required if progress is to be made in the championship.
After last week’s club championship first-round games in Clare, there was concern that many of the county senior panellists didn’t produce their best form.
If Clare are to score their first championship win over Waterford since 2008, they will need to dominate in the half-back and midfield areas. In the most recent meeting of the teams, back in February, the Déise outfit troubled the Clare half-backs and the Waterford trio on that day scored 1-8 between them.
Waterford look to have an edge on experience with the presence of Seamus Prendergast, Michael Walsh, Liam Lawlor and Kevin Moran in their line-up. If Clare can succeed in preventing these from dominating, they have an excellent chance of scoring their first championship win over Waterford since 2008, when the Banner men won a high-scoring tie, 2-26 to 0-23.
Clare have the ability to win this one but it will take a huge effort and they will have to be at their best to book a date against Cork in the semi-final on June 23.