[tps_header]The Balls.ie GAA Nerds preview the Munster Hurling Championship quarter-final between Waterford and Clare, the Leinster Football Championship quarter-final double header at Croke Park and the Ulster Football Championship quarter-final between Derry and Down.[/tps_header]
[tps_title]Waterford vs Clare Munster Hurling Championship Quarter-Final 4pm Sunday[/tps_title]
Davy Fitz faces his old team for the second consecutive year, but this is far from the grudge match some are anticipating, John Mullane’s animated celebration last year aside. It’s hard to imagine Michael Ryan extracting more from this Waterford team simply on the basis that they are up against their former mentor. It might provide some motivation over the winter months for those that may have felt slighted by Davy during his tenure, but come 4pm Sunday this sub plot will be rendered an irrelevance. This attitude was confirmed by Paudie Mahony during the week, ‘a lot of people are thinking the Davy and Michael Ryan thing could play a part, but once the ball is thrown in that'll be long forgotten about.’.
Waterford are now written off on an annual basis, in fact, it seemed as though they had been consigned to Division 2 hurling next year before a ball was even pucked in the national league. Clare on the other hand are seen as an emerging force on the back of their Under-21 success in 2009 & 2012. Clare named 8 of the team that defeated Kilkenny in the Under-21 All Ireland hurling final last September. However, Mayo’s annihilation of Galway 2 weeks ago provides further proof, if it were needed, that underage success is not necessarily a guarantee of success when it comes to senior level.
The Deise went from one extreme of playing style under Justin McCarthy, going toe to toe with the opposition, to another under Davy, a rigid game plan with an emphasis on curtailing the opposition. Michael Ryan has spoken in the past about striking a balance between the two and this is evidenced by the quick, skilful forward line Waterford have selected. The reckless abandon which endeared Waterford to the general public is rightly, no longer seen as a recipe for success.
The Waterford players will be all too familiar with the Davy Fitz style of ‘hurling by numbers’, which places an emphasis on restricting the space of the opposing forwards by dropping the half forward line back towards midfield and supplementing the half back line with the help of two deep lying midfielders. In addition to this, Davy has utilised a two man full forward line with Clare and it is anticipated that Podge Collins will drop into midfield this Sunday, as he has done for much of the league, forming the Banner equivalent of the blanket defence seen in football. Shane O’ Donnell & Conor McGrath who will likely form a two man full forward line are both lightning quick and will provide a severe test for the Waterford full back line if the short passing game of Clare is crisp and effective further out the field.
Much of Clare’s focus will be on Seamus Prendergast, the only recognised ball winner in the Waterford forward line. Prendergast was targeted time and again from the Waterford puck out last year and it will be interesting to see how Clare restrict the space on the Waterford puck out and indeed that of Prendergast’s. This will place a massive responsibility on Ian O’ Regan in the Waterford goal to play short puck outs, wherever possible. The absence of Shane Walsh on the edge of the square for Waterford could prove vital, as he provides some much needed physicality in the Deise attack. Waterford, and indeed the game of hurling, has lost some greats over the past few years, Flynn, McGrath & Shanahan to name a few. The further loss of Mullane might just tip this one in favour of the Banner men.
Mark Fives - @MFives86
[tps_title]Kildare vs Offaly Leinster Football Championship 5pm Saturday/tps_title]
The chasm between Division Four and Division One was exposed in shocking fashion last weekend with Cork and Kerry running up massive totals against the Limerick and Tipperary respectively. Given that Treaty men edged past Offaly in the Division Four league final in April, it’s clear that Kildare, with hopes of Leinster and All Ireland glory in their sights, should be looking at a stroll in the Park tomorrow evening.
However, this is Kildare and things don’t always go as planned. For a start this is not the Offaly team that capitulated in shocking fashion against the Lilywhites in Portlaoise last year. Under new manager Emmet McDonnell they have shown greater hunger, desire and direction.
The Westmeath native, who guided St Mary’s Edenderry to the Hogan Cup last year, has brought a sense of balance to the Offaly set-up since his appointment last Autumn. (McDonnell was the third man at the helm of the senior team in 2012 shows the state of disarray that the 1997 Leinster champions were in before his arrival.)
One upside of that league final defeat was that it was a first visit to Croke Park for Offaly since 2007 and will have given some much needed experience to his young side.
That being said they face a team that, bar Dublin, know Headquarters as well as any team in the country. Rightly or wrongly Kildare have already trotted out in Croker three times this year and the venue is a home away from home for them at this stage.
Kildare in the opening round of Leinster under Kieran McGeeney have had their slip ups though. The 2008 loss to Wicklow and 2010’s defeat to Louth still send bring shivers to the loyal Lilywhite fans who are pining for an end to 13 years of provincial heartbreak this time around.
The loss of the iconic Dermot Earley will not have a huge impact in real terms given his previous injury woes, but how McGeeney balances the introduction his talented under 21 Leinster champions alongside his more established stars will have a big bearing on how Kildare fare this year. The former All-Ireland winning captain has stated that he has no problem blooding young guns Paddy Brophy, Daniel Flynn and Niall Kelly who all starred in the NFL campaign.
With a potential showdown with Dublin on the cards in the semi-final don’t be surprised to see several new faces in the Lilywhite line-up as the manager prepares for what could be a make-or-break season for his managerial reputation.
Dublin vs Westmeath Leinster Football Championship Quarter-Final Saturday 7pm
Roll up, roll up, the Boys in Blue are back in town! Yes, this Saturday evening Dublin make their bow in the 2013 Leinster Senior Football Championship. For the first time in twenty years they head into a championship campaign with the National League trophy already in their possession but will that help or hinder Jim Gavin’s men in the coming year? Only twice in their history have the Dubs managed to do the League and Championship double, in 1958 and 1976, and it will be extremely tough for this new look Dublin side to maintain their early season form until September.
However, before thoughts stray as far as whether or not Stephen Cluxton will break into a rendition of “Molly Malone” on the steps of the Hogan Stand with Sam Maguire in tow, Dublin have a Leinster title to retain. In recent years it has been an almost annual event, bar 2010 when Meath (literally) snuck over the line to take the Delaney Cup. Seven of the last eight provincial campaigns have ended with Dublin adding to their roll of honour and despite Westmeath’s excellent start to the year it is difficult to see Pat Flanaghan’s men pulling off a shock win.
The blossoming of the likes of Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and Jonny Cooper has added to the Dublin artillery while they have the bonus of Ciarán Kilkenny at centre-forward on Saturday. Kilkenny started their last championship outing in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo last August, and his return to the fold following a brief AFL break will ease the loss of Alan Brogan somewhat.
It is in the forward line that Dublin look so dangerous with the front six of Kilkenny, Mannion, Paul Flynn, Diarmuid Connolly, Paddy Andrews and former Footballer of the Year Bernard Brogan forming a forward unit that is potentially on a par with any in the country.
Westmeath for their part have been in sparkling form this year so far and with promotion to Division One under their belts and a comprehensive victory over Carlow in the previous round, this might be their best chance of beating the Dubs since 2004. Dessie Dolan is back in harness alongside Ger Egan and Denis Glennon in an exciting full forward line. John Heslin is one of the most exciting midfielders in the country at the moment and alongside David Duffy they have a midfield duo that have the potential to at least bloody the nose of the swaggering Jacks.
Cormac O'Malley - @CormacPro
Derry vs Down Ulster Football Championship Quarter-Final 2pm Sunday
The showpiece game of the Ulster Championship may have come and gone without major incident last weekend, but there is still plenty of football to be played in the province.
Derry welcome Down to Celtic Park on Sunday with the coveted prize of a shot at Donegal awaiting the winner. These are two teams headed in opposite directions, literally. Down were relegated from Division 1 after an underwhelming campaign which saw them win only two of their seven games. Those wins came against Mayo and Kildare, the latter being on the final day of the league when their fate was all but sealed. Derry on the other hand were promoted to Division One, while also picking up some confidence boosting silverware in the Division Two final against Westmeath.
The constant trend throughout Down’s league campaign was their failure to build on solid first half performances. They led at half time against Tyrone, Donegal and Cork, losing all three after stagnant second half displays. Another worry was their inability to win away from Pairc Esler during the league, something they will have to do on Sunday if they are to progress. Their away league form shows losses against Donegal, Kerry and Dublin averaging a tame 0-8 points per game in the process.
For championship openers league is the only yardstick of progression and while results would suggest Down are sailing into the wind, individual performances have offered some hope for the coming summer. Benny Coulter, Conor Laverty and Mark Poland have all been reliable attackers for the Mourne men over the past number of years, but another threat has developed this year in the shape of Dónal O’Hare. He was the second highest scorer in Division One, scoring 2-35 over seven games, an average of 6.4 points per game. But what is most important about his development is that it gives defenders another thing to think about. Often teams playing against Down could double up on Coulter but now they must have numerous plans in place to counteract the dual threat of Coulter and O’Hare.
They can take solace from fellow relegated side Donegal who proved last Sunday that while league can be a yardstick, it can also be an inconsequential step on a much more important trail. Down played the majority of the league without the experienced trio of Ambrose Rogers, Danny Hughes and Dan Gordon. Rogers returns to the team this Sunday and if they can get a victory then things may just well begin to fall into place over the coming weeks.
Derry’s last Championship win came back in 2011 when they beat Armagh in the Ulster Championship semi-final. Since then they have lost four games in a row, twice to Donegal, once to Kildare and once to Longford. However, as clichéd as clichés go, winning is a habit, and Derry are certainly in the habit at the moment. Their last competitive defeat came on the first day of the league against Galway in Pearse Stadium and since then they have played seven games, winning six and drawing one.
They were the second highest scoring team in Ireland over the seven division games. Averaging over 18 points a game, their total of 127 points was only bettered by Dubln’s tally of 129. Momentum is a dangerous beast and all the momentum is with Derry. What was most noticeable about their league final win over Westmeath was the reserves of fitness displayed in the closing five minutes to blow the Leinster side away. That day they scored 1-3 in injury time to run out six point winners. Compare this to Down’s failure to build on good first half displays, and we may be looking at two contradicting patterns on Sunday.
If O’Hare has been the shining light for Down this season, then James Kielt fills that role for the Oak Leafers. The Derry attacker has been mapped as a future star since leading the county to an All Ireland Minor Final in 2007. Numerous injuries and Derry’s failure to threaten the latter stages of the Championship have meant that Kielt’s notoriety maybe isn’t what it should be. His league campaign went some way to changing that, scoring 3-27 in seven games, an average of over five points per game.
Kielt is part of a very competent team whose spine of Chrissy McKaigue, Mark Lynch, Patsy Bradley, Ryan Bell and Eoin Bradley is among the best in the country. Paddy Bradley, so often the go-to man for Derry, is still unavailable shifting much of the attacking responsibility onto the likes of Kielt, Enda Lynn and Benny Heron.
A defeat for either team on Sunday would not be terminal but with the likes of Tyrone, Galway, Sligo, Laois and Armagh already waiting in the qualifiers, knocking on the front door looks a lot more appealing then taking your chances through the back.
Hugh Gallagher - @HughGallySport
