CAMOGIE PREVIEW: Tipperary seniors have golden opportunity to reach first final since 2006

GLEN DIMPLEX ALL IRELAND SENIOR CAMOGIE CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW

Tipperary V Waterford in UPMC Nowlan Park, Saturday, July 22nd @ 3.30pm

The countdown is on to one of the most eagerly awaited clashes in camogie with the meeting of Tipperary and Waterford in the Glen Dimplex Senior All-Ireland semi-final.

A large crowd is expected in UPMC Nowlan Park for what is sure to be a feast of camogie with Cork and Galway the second game of the day. A titanic encounter is expected between the Premier and the Deise as an intriguing rivalry has emerged in recent years as they often battled it out in a bid to join the top three in the semi-final stages.

Whatever the outcome there will be a new team in the All-Ireland semi-final as either Tipperary or Waterford will be the first team since Wexford in 2012 to reach an All-Ireland final outside of the top three of Cork, Galway and Kilkenny.

Having failed to reach an All-Ireland semi-final since 2007 Tipperary made the top four for four years in a row from 2018 to 2021 at the expense of Waterford beating them in 3 quarter finals in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

While also defeating them in the group stages in 2019. That all changed last year when Waterford came to Semple Stadium and were far superior to Tipperary on the day winning 1-16 to 13 points.

Furthermore, Tipperary failed to reach the semi-finals while Waterford did and proved to be a real match for Cork leading them early in the second half by five points before Cork finished strong to take victory.

The Waterford performance that day showed that their top-four positioning was no fluke and therefore it’s no surprise to most that they are back in a semi-final once again.

However, this time they are joined by Tipperary and it’s All-Ireland champions Kilkenny that slip out of the top four. Waterford qualified for Saturday’s semi-final on the back of 3 comprehensive wins over Offaly, Limerick and Antrim while Tipperary drew in a much tougher group impressing in wins over Dublin and Wexford before a tough draw away to Kilkenny which was enough to top the group.

A quarter final win over Antrim was their fate while Waterford got a direct route to the final. Depending on the outcome one will debate it better to have the extra game or extra break!

And then there’s the important factor of their Munster semi-final meeting this year. Waterford recorded a brilliant win over Cork in the opening round before suffering a heavy defeat to Denis Kelly’s side a week later 4-12 to 1-8. With only a week turnaround from the Cork win, were Waterford suffering from fatigue or did they take the eye of the ball or despite last year’s result do Tipp still have the upper edge over their Munster counterparts. We will have to wait till 5pm on Saturday for the answers.

For Waterford Beth Carton is the star of the show and was un markable in the group stages scoring 2-10 against Antrim in their final group game.

It's far from a one-woman show though with Mairead O’Brien and Niamh Rocket also to the fore in attack while Lorraine Bray pulls the strings at midfield and Brianna O’Regan is a serious keeper.

Cait Devane lit up croker park with a wonder goal in the quarter-final and finished with a total of 2-6. Whichever defence best handles Carton and Devane could likely determine the outcome of the game.

Or perhaps it will come down to another player popping up and taking the lead on the scoring front while Carton or Devane are kept quiet. And then there’s the impact off the bench.

This is where Tipperary will certainly feel they are in a much healthier place than when the sides met last year as without the injured Karen Kennedy, suspended Rosin Howard and the unavailability of Karin Blair and Teresa Ryan the strength and depth weren’t there.

Against Antrim, Denis Kelly could spring Eimear Heffernan, Caoimhe McCarthy, Mary Ryan, Cairdha Maher and Courtney Ryan with other options also existing. A place in the All-Ireland final beckons for the winner, let’s hope it’s the blue and gold that make it.