Tipp’s best chance yet of getting back to an All-Ireland Final
CAMOGIE: Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final Preview
By Shane Brophy
TIPPERARY v WATERFORD
UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
Saturday 22nd July
Throw-in @ 3.30pm (E.T.)
Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)
For the fifth time in six years, Tipperary are one step away from a first All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final appearance in seventeen years and they will hope to push their foot through the door finally in this Saturday’s semi-final against Waterford.
Unlike the semi-final disappointments from 2018 through 2021 when one of the so-called Big 3 of Kilkenny, Cork and Galway ended their hopes of being part of finals day at Croke Park, this Saturday is Tipp’s best opportunity of ending that wait which stretches back to 2006.
However, Waterford will be thinking the exact same following the draw which pitted the Munster rivals together, with Cork and Galway in the other semi-final which also takes place at Nowlan Park on Saturday at 5.30pm in a mouth-watering double-header.
All the pressure is on Tipp which is the ideal position for Waterford to be in as they are as hungry to get to a first final in their history, plus they have semi-final disappointment of their own to overcome having fallen short to Cork last year despite leading for long stages.
Tipperary’s record against Waterford is particularly good, including this years Munster semi-final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh which the Premier won 4-11 to 1-9. However, the final margin was misleading as Waterford were a constant threat, particularly in attack which is their strongest part of their team with Beth Carton and Niamh Rockett potential match-winners while Lorraine Bray is a superb leader in the middle of the field which he was in Waterford’s most recent win over Tipperary which came in last years round-robin All-Ireland Championship game at FBD Semple Stadium where they ran out comfortable 1-16 to 0-13 winners so Tipp are forewarned.
How Tipperary compete in defence and midfield will so along way to determining the outcome as if they can get control through the half backline of Karin Blair, Karen Kennedy and Aoife McGrath, it can lay the platform for good service to the forwards where Cait Devane, Grace O’Brien and Roisin Howard have been in great form, Tipp do look to have the greater scoring spread, with the added impact of young Caoimhe McCarthy and Eimear Heffernan off the bench.
The only disappointing note for Tipperary is that it was confirmed last week that previous first choice goalkeeper Caoimhe Bourke sustained a cruciate knee injury against Kilkenny and will miss the rest of the campaign. Tipp are fortunate to be able to call on 2021 All-Star Aine Slattery to slot in seamlessly between the posts with Clonoulty/Rossmore’s Cora Hennessy called up to the squad as sub-keeper.
Semi-finals are pressure occasions as the prize of getting to an All-Ireland Final in Croke Park is so tantalisingly close. Tipperary have hurled well in the championship so far, winning Munster for the first time in thirteen years, comfortably beating all-comers, apart from Kilkenny whom they drew with in Nowlan Park three weeks ago so the familiarity with the venue is another little benefit to Denis Kelly’s charges.
Waterford progressed straight to the semi-final from their group where they recorded big wins over Offaly, Limerick, and Antrim. However, they haven’t been tested since the Munster semi-final loss to Tipp and one wonders if they will come in a little undercooked so a fast start by the Premier girls could go along way to getting the win.
Tipperary have been the nearly women of camogie over the last six years, unable to break through the glass ceiling to rejoin the big 3 and return to the final they did so annually between 1999 and 2006, winning five out of the eight finals competed in. Not many would have thought then that Tipp would go so long without getting back to a final. Tipp have the ability and quality to end that wait on Saturday, they just need to perform.