A fresh start for Tipperary hurlers as Allianz National League gets underway

There’s a sense of deja-vu about this weekend’s opening Allianz National Hurling League game for the Tipperary hurlers.

Laois provided the opposition when they began their campaign twelve months ago, and the team from the O’Moore county will be their opponents once again in the first round of this year’s league at FBD Semple Stadium at 5pm on Saturday.

It’s a case of new year, fresh start for Tipperary under new manager Liam Cahill, who will no doubt be hoping for a good performance, as well as a win, to launch the campaign ahead of some stiffer tests, the first of which arrives on the following Sunday, February 12, when his team play Kilkenny at UPMC Nowlan Park at 1.30.

Supporters will be optimistic that their team can be more competitive this season, following last year’s indifferent league campaign, when they failed to reach the semi-finals, not to mention a disastrous championship when all four games were lost. As far as they’re concerned, the only way is up.

The team has already been seen in competitive action in the Co-Op Superstores Munster League, when they beat Clare and lost to Waterford and Cork in the pre-season competition.

They looked set to claim silverware when they led Cork by six points with four minutes remaining of the final at Páirc Uí Rinn, but were reeled in by a late surge by the home team, one that saw them outscore Tipp by 1-5 to 0-1 in the closing stages.

In the wake of the defeat, Liam Cahill stated “It’s a little disappointing to lose the way we did, but at the same time it is another good learning day for us,” he stated, while also claiming that there was a lot to like about his team on the day.

“The three matches have been of big benefit to us - superb really, and we can look forward now to the national league,” he said, adding that quite a few players have been given game-time in the three matches.

While admitting that the intensity levels might be slightly less than in the national league, he was happy that the players coped with the physicality in the Munster League.

He was also pleased with John McGrath’s return to the fray after a long personal journey through injury, after rupturing his Achilles tendon against Clare in last year’s championship.

“We have a few good challenges coming up in the league now as well, and there will be a lot of questions asked throughout that. They will be coming quickly as well so I am sure that will sort itself out by the time the championship comes about in April,” he said.

When the panel returned to training before Christmas it was straight down to business, with reports suggesting that the preparations had been stepped up a gear from the previous year, with all involved buying into the strategy adopted by the manager and his backroom team.

So it’s a case of full steam ahead for the season, starting with Laois in Thurles on Saturday evening.