Sunday
Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) v De La Salle (Waterford)
Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2pm
(Ref: Shane Hourigan, Limerick)
Clues from the form guide…The potential in the Thurles Sarsfields team is undoubted with the galaxy of inter-county stars that they can parade. And they have managed to scrub away doubts recently about their ability to chisel out a victory from a tight corner.
Against Drom-Inch in the county final, Thurles Sarsfields were trailing by 2-14 to 1-16 with ten minutes left before outscoring their opponents by 0-5 to 0-1 in the finale.
Against Kilmallock in the Munster quarter-final, they withstood a comeback that had trimmed the gap to the minimum and added the last two points to secure a 2-12 to 0-15 victory. And against Sarsfields in the Munster semi-final, it took an injury-time blast of 1-2 to give the Tipperary champions a five-point win.
Their opponents De La Salle know something about winning close games themselves. The five Munster SHC games in the club’s history have seen them win by two points (Sarsfields in 2008), two points (Adare in 2008), one point (Sarsfields in 2010), one point (Thurles Sarsfields in 2010) and three points (Newmarket-on-Fergus in 2012).
Given that there was only a point between these teams in the 2010 final expect a wafer-thin margin to separate the teams in Sunday’s clash.
Checking the odds…Thurles Sarsfields are installed as favourites at 1/2, De La Salle are available at 15/8 while the draw is on offer at 9/1. Having raised two green flags in his last two games, it’s worth considering Lar Corbett at 6/1 for first goalscorer.
A topic for the pub chat…Páirc Uí Chaoimh is not revered as a venue in the southern province and Sunday’s game is only the second provincial senior club hurling decider to be played at the stadium since 1979. With De La Salle not interested in tossing for home advantage, understandably given that could have paved the way for Thurles Sarsfields playing the match in their own back yard, Páirc Uí Chaoimh was the front-runner to host the game.
Yet could Nowlan Park could have been a contender. It was never likely to happen that the provincial body would take the game outside the province but it certainly is more accessible for the two clubs.
For De La Salle it would have been a journey of 58km as opposed to the 120km to the Cork stadium, while Thurles Sarsfields would have had to travel 48km as opposed to 116km. Given only 1,613 patrons attended the battle of the two clubs in 2010, it will be interesting to see what the attendance is next Sunday.
Lar Corbett of Thurles Sarsfields. Pic: INPHO/Ken Sutton
The game breakers are… De La Salle’s impressive provincial winning run has been founded on defensive solidity. For instance only once in their five Munster games to date have they conceded a goal. Trying to maintain that record against a Thurles Sarsfields attack, where Lar Corbett, Pa Bourke and newcomer Aidan McCormack ooze menace, is a challenge.
De La Salle can be guaranteed to be dogged and hard-working with Stephen Daniels, Allstar winner Kevin Moran and Brian Phelan at the core of that effort.
But can they get more out of their attack? John Mullane and John Keane showed up well in their last outing yet if Michael Cahill is manages to place the shackles on Mullane, it will be a pivotal development.
The influence that Padraic Maher exerts is also crucial as he has dictated the flow of recent Thurles Sarsfields games and helped supply an attack which have chalked up 5-55 in their last three games.
Gazing into the crystal ball… Discounting De La Salle in Munster has proved foolish in recent years and they are an experienced, committed bunch. Yet Thurles Sarsfields, with 32 county titles to their name, must be ravenous to claim their first Munster crown. That desire, coupled with the fact that their undoubtedly talented team is now more seasoned, can propel them to a maiden title.
Verdict: Thurles Sarsfields
