PREVIEWS: Three Tipperary schools in Harty Cup quarter final action next Wednesday

The Dr Harty Cup quarter finals take place next Wednesday January 11th, with three Tipperary schools in the thick of the action, with times and venues to be confirmed this week. See full previews below.

Thurles CBS vs St Colemans College, Fermoy

Thurles CBS face a tough assignment against a strong St Colmans Fermoy team in the quarter final next Wednesday.

The Tipperary school come into this stage of the competition in terrific form, having breezed through their group which began with a comprehensive win over St Francis College Rochestown before recording two more easy wins over Our Ladys Templemore and a final round dismantling of Pobail Scoil Na Trionide, Youghal.

Whether or not this will be beneficial going into a knockout game having not really been tested will be up for debate, but they certainly have put their best foot forward so far, particularly in the attacking areas as they have averaged just under 30 points a game in their group matches.

Their young and pacey full forward line has done serious damage in the competition so far, with Holycross Ballycahill duo Robbie Ryan and Jimmie Lahart, along with Thurles Sarsfields’ Robbie Stapleton running amok and racking up big totals.

However, they do have talent all over the field as usual with minor All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Eoin Horgan in the goals, along with the likes of Tommy Maher of Thurles Sarsfields, and Joe Egan of Moycarkey Borris to name but a few.

They face a Colmans who had a somewhat trickier run to the last eight, starting the campaign with a very hard fough draw with fellow Cork school CBS Midleton before qaulifying after a big win over reigning champions St Josephs Tulla.

The big danger man for the Cork school comes in the shape of corner forward Jamie Magner who bagged a hat trick in that win over Tulla, so Thurles will need to be cognizant of his threat if they are to book a place in the final four.

Cashel Community School vs Christians Brothers College

A school who are beginning to really make their mark at Harty Cup level find themselves in the knockout stages for the second time against a tricky Cork opposition next Wednesday, Cashel Community School will be quietly confident of making it to a semi-final.

They have had a hugely eventful campaign to date, recording a big win in a pulsating opener against St Flannans College of Ennis, in a game where they scored five goals to win by a single point.

Ben Currivan of Golden Kilfeacle was the star of the show that day, scoring four of those five goals, and he, along with newcomer and minor All-Ireland winner Adam Daly from Knockavilla Kickhams have been the standout performers.

They have plenty of ability elsewhere to add to they aforementioned pair, with Éanna Ormond, Ronan Connolly, and David McGrath all impressing too.
They lost out in their last game against Ard Scoil Rís in a tight contest, but they will be delighted to come out of a group with two of the aristocrats of Harty Cup hurling.

They face an impressive looking Christian Brothers Cork team though, and they have been one of the standout teams of this year’s competition, qualifying top of a tricky group which included an easy win over Nenagh CBS along the way.

Their main men are David Cremin and Michael Finn who scored 1-13 between them in that win over Nenagh CBS, so Cashel will need to be on top of their game to win here.

Our Ladys Templemore vs Árdscoil Rís

Our Ladys have had a very mixed bag this campaign, but they will be delighted to have reached this point, especially after a chastening group loss to Thurles CBS back in November.

However, wins over Pobail Scoil Na Trionide Youghal, along with a knockout stage clinching win over Rochestown in their final game sent the Templemore school to a clash against Ard Scoil Rís next week.

Jamie Ormond pulled out all the stops in that big win over the Cork school, scoring nine points with four of them coming from play, while the likes of Ciaran O’Shea contributed handsomely, along with minor All-Ireland winner Paddy Phelan who has been an industrious infleunce around midfield.

Ard Scoil Rís are a seasoned school at this level, and with a huge pick between the Limerick City and surrounding clubs, along with a sizeable east Clare contingent, they are always competitive.

It’s not their most talented bunch in recent times, and it took a tight two point win over St Flannans to see them through, but it will be a tough ask for Our Ladys, although, in knockout winter hurling, anything is possible.