Tipp camogie team show a maturity which can take them far
ANALYSIS
By Thomas Conway
Something changed last Saturday in Enniscorthy. Tipperary, in recent times a peripheral force in the inter-county game, suddenly announced themselves on the Championship stage. They pummelled Wexford into the ground, stifling the Slaneysiders with two first-half goals and quite simply outplaying them from start to finish.
Denis Kelly’s side now have an aura about them, a spark, a sprinkling of stardust - call it what you like. This a team with high intentions, lofty ambitions, a team capable of doing great things. Alongside Cork, Galway and Kilkenny, Tipp are genuine All-Ireland contenders, and they proved their case last Saturday under the shadow of Vinegar Hill.
Bear in mind that this was a Wexford team that had resurrected themselves spectacularly to hold All-Ireland champions Kilkenny to a draw just a fortnight ago. There was to be no Lazarus-like revival in Enniscorthy. Tipp simply would not have permitted such antics.
The Premier played with a sense of assuredness and a smoothness which suggested a certain maturity. They inflicted their damage early on, pulling ahead into a comfortable lead and effectively leaving Wexford to play catch-up for more or less the entire game. What was the most impressive aspect of Tipp’s play? It’s hard to know. They were superior on so many fronts. They were ruthless on the counter, unsparing at the back, commanding in midfield. Their entire gameplan exhibited a type of military discipline. They knew their objective, they knew how to achieve it, and they did so with stunning effectiveness.
Wexford, in truth, were never really a serious challenge. At times they burst into action, Ciara O’Connor showing the odd flicker of promise, but on the whole, this was a poor showing from a side which would have hoped for better. It felt, to the neutral observer, that Wexford were ill-equipped to manage Tipperary.
To beat Tipp, one has to understand how they operate, how their fifteen players function side by side on any given day. Tipp might be physically imposing, but they play a game which is rooted in intelligent passing and relentless support play. Denis Kelly has taught his players to think, to contemplate every possession and mentally determine how the ball could be put to best use.
When a Tipp player grabs possession, a mental process occurs whereby said player calculates the best possible course of action to take. The entire process is fast and fleeting - it takes seconds, milliseconds even. But the end result is rooted in efficiency. Rather than bounce forward at every opportunity, Tipp look to go sideways, even backwards - whichever direction is most lucrative in terms of retaining possession and carving out space. This was evident on two occasions during the first half.
In the 22nd minute, Karin Blair pinged over her first point following a beautifully weighted diagonal from Casey Hennessy. Then on the cusp of half-time, Eimear McGrath completed a similar move, capitalising on a deviously clever cross-field ball from Róisín Howard. Both episodes illustrated the sheer intellect of this Tipperary team. Everything, every move - from their puckouts to their shots in front of goal - is carefully calibrated and ornately planned.
Tipp rarely waste possession and they rarely play direct. Instead, the Premier work their way through the lines with audacious passing and quick stick work. It’s a model they’ve worked hard to develop over the past several months, but it’s a model that is clearly working.
The big question now is whether or not Tipp can take it to the next level, the level at which All-Ireland contenders truly operate. When they face Kilkenny in Nowlan Park next Saturday evening, they’ll do so in the knowledge that they have already sealed their passage to the knockout stages. That is significant. It should allow them a certain freedom, a chance to express themselves without the pressure of group qualification to worry about.
But make no mistake, they will want to win. Tipp have now built up some serious momentum. They’re flying high, higher than they’ve ever been in recent times, and overcoming the All-Ireland champions would turbocharge that momentum further. When the sides last met in Piltown some months ago, Denise Gaule rescued the Cats with two late frees. Neither Denis Kelly nor his players will have forgotten that trauma, and the fact that it deprived them of a league final berth. Tipp will be seeking vengeance, but Kilkenny will be seeking to seal their place in the knockout stages. They will still enter the game as favourites, even if Tipp are the side most in form.
There is now a sense that Tipp are on the cusp of something special, a sense that maybe, just maybe, an All-Ireland title is within their grasp. Make no mistake, it is still relatively early days. All will truly be revealed in the knockout stages. That is when the situation becomes really serious.
But the way Tipp are playing at the moment, it feels like anything is possible. Róisín Howard is floating about the half forward line concocting moves and slotting scores; Cáit Devane is perhaps sharper than she has ever been - the Clonoulty-Rossmore woman is thriving in the inside line.
And then you have Karen Kennedy, Tipp’s most indispensable asset. The Thurles Sarsfields club woman departed the action early last Saturday with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Tipp can’t afford to lose her. She is, after all, one of the most influential players in inter-county camogie.
For the moment, all thoughts turn to Nowlan Park next Saturday evening. Fortunately, it isn’t a must-win game, but it remains a litmus test which should indicate where this Tipp side is really at. Right now, they appear to be riding the crest of a wave. A note of caution however, that wave could come crashing down against Kilkenny. Momentum is everything. And right now, Tipp have it. They simply mustn't let it go.