Podge stays calm as he faces hectic schedule

SUCH is the glut of fixtures pending for Cratloe’s dual players, who also happen to be on the Clare U-21 panel, they could do with appointing a personal secretary to tell them when and where they are playing. Although that approach might not work for Podge Collins, who doesn’t dwell on games until match day.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t really think about a match much until the day of the game. I wouldn’t be a great man for reading papers or anything so I don’t really know what’s going on. I won’t be thinking about either of them until the day of the match,” he said of both Friday’s first-round Senior Football Championship showdown with Kilmurry Ibrickane in Cusack Park and next Wednesday’s Munster U-21 hurling final.
Throw in the fact that the Cratloe senior hurlers play Doora-Barefield in the Senior Hurling Championship on Sunday week and it’s clear the Cratloe dual players are facing into a hectic schedule. Plus, the club championship will run every second week from now on, while the U-21 Football Championship has yet to start. If Clare win next Wednesday, fitting in the fixtures will be a monumental task, although Collins isn’t projecting too far ahead.
“I don’t know much about the fixtures. I know nothing really. I just hear when we’re playing but as far as I know, it’s decided among everyone at the start of the year. So it’s everyone’s fault really,” he said of the impending fixture pile-up in the county.
About to enter his third year studying environmental science at UL, Collins isn’t worried about the crowded fixture list. He would prefer to be playing competitive matches rather than training any day. “That’s exactly what someone was saying to me the other day. That we’ve two big matches in five days. He was saying that he isn’t playing any matches but that we are much better off to be like that, rather than not playing, as in his case. You’d much rather be playing than not playing. This is what you train for,” he mused.
The prospect of playing a Munster final against Tipperary, in front of an all-ticket crowd in Cusack Park, might just force Collins to think about it for a moment or two the day before.
“All the players are looking forward to it, especially after three or four years ago and that Tipp match inside in the park. That hurt a lot of Clare people badly. Tipp are a very good side. They’ve been training together since January and they don’t have anyone really on the seniors. They’re after beating Cork and Limerick so they’re going to be very strong,” Collins predicted.
While Tipp have had most of their panel training collectively for several months, Clare have had to contend with having several players on the senior panel.
“It’s only for the last two or three weeks they [U-21 management] have had us. But on the plus side, there’s about 10 who have been on the senior panel since last November. They’ve all been training flat out up to now so they’re all flying fit and their hurling is A1. It’s good to have that as well. Maybe not playing together as a team is not good for us but hopefully we’ll peak against Tipp and we’ll be alright,” Collins said.
When Clare tog next week, Collins will have his Cratloe team-mates and friends, Conor McGrath, Conor Ryan, Cathal McInerney and Enda Boyce, pulling on the Clare jersey alongside him.
“Playing with them since you’re 10 or younger is great and especially playing inter-county together. There’s a good bond there between the three groups of 18 to 21-year-olds on the full panel. We all get on well and it’s a great feeling playing with lads you really get on with,” Collins reflected before parking the hurling and football talk for now. Next Wednesday evening will be time enough for him to think about Tipp again.