Will Waterford’s experience prove decisive?

WHEN the Munster Senior Hurling Championship draw was made last autumn, there was no surprise when Clare and Waterford were drawn to meet. A few weeks earlier, Clare’s Davy Fitzgerald had stepped down after three years at the helm in Waterford during which time he had led them to provincial honours and to a place in the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny.

Unanimously appointed as Clare boss in succession to his All-Ireland winning team mate Ger O’Loughlin, Fitzgerald then found himself plotting the downfall of the outfit he had coached for three years. On Sunday he will learn if his work over the last eight months will be successful.

There is no doubt but that Fitzgerald’s role has added to the interest in the tie. Whether as a player or mentor, Fitzgerald is passionate about hurling. He never hid his desire to manage the Clare senior side and if he has succeeded in transferring his passion for Clare hurling to the players, a very committed Clare side will take to the field at Semple Stadium on Sunday.

The Clare line-up won’t be made public until close to match time but it will be very close to that which lined out in the concluding stages of the team’s league involvement.

Defence and midfield are expected to be unchanged but a change is expected in the forward line, with Clarecastle’s Jonathon Clancy likely to be in the starting line-up. John Conlon, Conor McGrath, Colin Ryan and Sean Collins, if passed fit, will all start. It remains to be seen who will fill the remaining position. Fergal Lynch and Enda Barrett are believed to be the main contenders.

Speculation is strong that Darach Honan will play some part in the game. He recently returned to training following a long lay-off after surgery on his hip. He played for a while in the B game against Galway and he also made an appearance in last week’s challenge against Cork.

Teenager Tony Kelly also played in the B game against Galway but whether or not he will be called up remains to be seen. Colm Galvin is another who has been impressive in recent times and he is believed to be in contention to play a part. Aaron Cunningham has impressed when introduced during the league and is also believed to be challenging for inclusion at some stage of the game.

On paper, at least, Waterford look to have an edge in experience with team captain, Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh, Tony Browne, Eoin Kelly, John Mullane just some of those Clare will face. After a poor start to the league, they showed considerable improvement and finished strongly to secure their Division 1A status for next season. Midway through the league a couple of manager Michael Ryan’s management team stepped down but former star Ken McGrath accepted an invite to become a selector and reports indicate his involvement has drawn a strong response from players.

They haven’t had a competitive outing in almost two months but they are reported to have impressed in challenge games, including one last week when they beat Limerick.

Clare are not without experience. Brendan Bugler, Pat Donnellan and James McInerney have been part of the squad for a number of seasons, while Nicky O’Connell, Conor McGrath and John Conlon have been in the side for the past three years.

Clare’s success in the league should boost confidence for what promises to be an exciting contest. It is expected that there will be little between the teams at the end of 70 minutes play and if Clare are to succeed and progress to a first Munster final since 2008, they will have to ensure that Michael Walsh, John Mullane and co are not allowed to dominate.