McIntyre forced to be patient in recovery from injury
By Thomas Conway
It has been a long road back for Clodagh McIntyre, but she is back, right here, right now. And she’s readying herself for what will arguably be the biggest game of her life, certainly of her Tipperary career. There is perhaps no other player in inter-county camogie quite as unique and eye-catching as McIntyre. Watching her in full flight, ball glued to bás, is like watching Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce tearing down the final leg of a 4x100 metre Olympic relay. Fraser-Pryce grabs the baton, steps on the accelerator, and bolts. McIntyre grabs the ball and does much the same.
But the past year hasn’t been so straightforward for the Lorrha physiotherapist. She could write a book on her recent injury saga; such is the level of trauma and frustration it created.
McIntyre outlines the entire process in detail. She recalls every last twist and turn with exact precision. How could she forget? The last twelve months have felt like travelling along a long, winding road with no real destination in sight. Thankfully, she arrived back just in time for championship, but only just.
“Towards the end of last year’s championship, I started to get just a little niggle in my foot. And then I played the entire club championship on it, and it wasn’t getting any better, so I kind of knew myself, even from just being a physio, that there was something serious going on,” she revealed.
“I had tried a few things myself trying to get it right, but it just wasn’t happening, so eventually I got a scan on it which revealed a stress fracture. And as a result of that I had to wear a boot for about twelve weeks, and I ended up missing the whole college campaign with UCD, which was very disappointing because I would have loved to have been properly involved.
“I got the boot off in January I was told that I couldn’t go back training for another three months, that I needed another three months of rest. So, as you can imagine, I was devastated by that, just devastated.”
McIntyre admits that, on an emotional level, the entire saga was painstakingly difficult. And you couldn’t help but have sympathy for her. Here was a player, young and ambitious, at the top of her game, having just landed a cathartic county title with her club. Her career was blossoming, at both club, college, and county level. And then everything came to a halt. She was stopped in her tracks by an injury which initially seemed innocuous, but quickly escalated into something far more serious. McIntyre has now bounced back, but she's learned lessons along the way.
“Psychologically it was very difficult,” she added.
“I suppose what it teaches you is just to have a lot of patience, that’s the main thing. But I used my time well when I was out - I did a few different courses and I actually became a yoga instructor. And that just helped me to deal with it, to deal with the frustration. So, you know, there’s always a silver lining, and thankfully I came back right in time for championship, which was my goal.”
There is a sense, palpable from speaking with and listening to McIntyre, that the Lorrha clubwoman has matured over the course of the past year. She has always been a high intensity player, an electric force which zips through opposition backlines with mercurial bursts of pace. She has retained that physical speed, but her mind has slowed down. The Tipp corner-forward now has a hint of 'zen' about her. She's calmer, more composed, more present in the moment. And she's using that mindset to prepare her for this All-Ireland semi-final.
“If you start thinking too far ahead into the future, that’s when you’re really going to trip yourself up,” she stressed.
“We’re going into this game focused. It’s our biggest match of the year and we’re definitely not underestimating the challenge which Waterford will bring. We know exactly what they’re like. We played them in the Munster semi-final earlier this year and the only difference was we put away our goal chances and they didn’t. So, there’s nothing between us.
“But we’re preparing well - we’re doing everything that we’ve done before every game this year, and we’re trusting in the process.”
That process has served Tipperary well so far this year, but to prevail over Waterford, it will require more than just rhythm and routine. The Déise are a physically imposing and robust outfit. They'll challenge Tipp in a variety of ways, and McIntyre will be one of their primary targets. Negating her influence could prove crucial in terms of reducing Tipp's goal threat.
The Premier do, however, have one advantage: they've played a game in Nowlan Park already this year. They're accustomed to the surrounds, and as comfortable as any Tipp side could be in the Kilkenny cauldron. But this time it's different. This isn't just an All-Ireland semi-final, it's a golden opportunity for either side. McIntyre is well aware of this. It has been a tough year for the Lorrha attacker, but it could yet prove to be the best year of her career if Tipp emerge victorious next Saturday. There's an All-Ireland final ticket up for grabs, and Tipp are well poised to snatch it.