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Waterford to be the opponents for both codes


WATERFORD will provide the opposition for Clare in their opening games in both the Munster senior hurling and football championship in 2010.
Last week’s championship draws paired the Banner men with Waterford in a first round in senior football and in a semi-final in senior hurling.
The winners of the football tie, which will be played in Waterford, will proceed to a semi-final date with Limerick, a repeat of this year when the sides clashed at Ennis, where Limerick came out on top.
Clare have home and away arrangements in place with both Waterford and Limerick and they are due to travel to both counties in their next championship meetings. This means that if they overcome Waterford to set up a second successive Munster semi-final clash with Limerick, it will be played at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick next June.
The meeting of Clare and Waterford in the Munster senior hurling semi-final is certain to arouse a lot of interest. When they last met in 2008 it was played in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, something, which didn’t please Waterford. Over the years, championship meetings between Clare and Waterford have taken place in Thurles and the expectation is that Semple Stadium will be the choice for next year’s clash, when officials of the Munster council meet next week to settle on dates and venues for the games.
Interest in this hurling clash is likely to increase if, as is expected, Davy Fitzgeald confirms that he will be remaining at the helm in Waterford. The former Clare star is understood to be in the process of appointing his backroom team for 2010, having been offered the Waterford manager’s post for another term.
To date, he hasn’t found himself in opposition to his beloved Clare at championship time. Ironically, it was Clare’s victory over Waterford in the summer of 2008 that led to Fitzgerald being appointed as Waterford boss.
Following that particular match, the Waterford players were successful in having Justin McCarthy removed from the post of manager and Fitzgerald was appointed in his place. Waterford went on to contest the All-Ireland final, where they were comprehensively beaten by Kllkenny. This year, they reached the semi-final.
“It’s a new challenge and an opportunity for Clare to get back to the Munster final,” Clare boss Mike McNamara said after last week’s draw.
Munster council officials are set to meet next week to decide on dates and venues and also to make the draws for the remaining championships, U-21 and minor. The intermediate hurling and junior football pairings will be the same as the senior.
For the second year in succession Cork and Tipperary will clash in a first-round game in the senior hurling championship, with the winners going on to play Limerick. In football, All-Ireland champions Kerry play Tipperary in round one, with the Munster champions Cork awaiting the winners.

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