We are going for the jugular - Bonnar

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary senior hurling manager Colm Bonnar had urged the supporters in the county to get behind the team for this Sunday’s Munster Championship opener against Waterford.

Ticket sales in the county have been sluggish for the Walsh Park clash with Tipperary struggling to distribute their allocation via the clubs of over four thousand tickets for the 11,000 capacity venue and is any remain unsold by tonight (Wednesday), they will be returned to the Munster Council and likely onto Waterford clubs where they will be snapped up.

And facing the form team in the country in such a difficult away venue, Colm Bonnar is hoping a late change of heart will see Tipp fans descend on Waterford city in their numbers.

“I am hoping that we might be slow starters in terms of getting the public behind the team, but it will be hugely important in such an intimidating place to get the support out there and we can hear the supporters supporting us on,” Bonner said.

“It is a difficult place to get into Walsh Park, there are no real car parks near the ground, and it can be a fairly long walk to the venue, you have to be down there early, it is only one stand, and it is small enough and the rest, there are three terraces, and maybe that is putting off a few people.

“Having said that, it is going to be a hell of a game because we all know where Waterford are at the moment, and this has the makings of a kind of a fresh team coming from Tipp so we are hoping that the public will get behind them and I have no doubt they will.”

Expectations going into a Munster Championship have been lower than they have ever been in Tipperary and that is adding to the sense of apathy in terms of ticket demand, but the Tipp boss is confident that his charges can confound the doubters both in and outside the county in the coming weeks.

“Yeah, look there's low expectations out there, whether it's among the general Tipp public or outside the county,” he added.

“Everybody already has it that it's Limerick, Waterford, and Cork coming out of Munster. That's the general expectation but obviously ourselves and Clare will be hugely trying to change that around and we think we have the players to do that. Championship can turn up anything.

“Is it a help to come in under the radar? Yeah, I suppose there's not much pressure on the lads, but we still have to deliver and be able to bring what we're able to bring to be able to compete against your Waterford’s, Limerick’s, and Cork’s.”

“We are going to go for the jugular.”

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