Eamon O’Shea picks Tipperary team for National Hurling Leagure final but changes still likely

They call it Eamon O’Shea’s rotational policy in Tipperary, and there has been plenty of musical chairs during the league campaign, but it’s hard not to wonder if the tenure of Brendan Cummins as the Premier County’s number one is nearing the end.

Thirty-two-year-old Portroe goalkeeper Darren Gleeson will start against Kilkenny in Sunday’s National Hurling League final at Nowlan Park.

Cummins, with 71 championship appearances dating back to 1995, has been sharing the goalkeeping duties with Gleeson this spring. He turns 38 next week.

The experience of being dropped will be nothing new. Babs Keating went with Gerry Kennedy in 2007 after the first round Munster championship draw against Limerick but following the All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Wexford and the arrival of Liam Sheedy, Cummins was reinstated.

He won his fourth All Star award in 2008, his fifth coming in 2010 along with his second All-Ireland medal.

Still, despite the absence of Cummins, possibly due to a rotational policy, but possibly not, O’Shea’s championship team to face Limerick on June 9th is undoubtedly taking shape.

In total, there are four changes from the side that blew Dublin away in the semi-final on April 21st. Paddy Stapleton is unavailable due to a hand injury he suffered playing for Borrisoleigh recently, opening the door for veteran full back Paul Curran to return, unusually at corner back, with Conor O’Mahony retained on the square’s edge.

O’Mahony was named in his usual centre back slot against Dublin, only to play the entire match at full back, while Kilkenny’s favourite hurler Padraic Maher set up shop in front of him.

Surprise
That is the set-up O'Shea has gone for again on Sunday but there's another surprise at right half back as Kieran Bergin darts out of the peloton to make his first start for the Tipperary senior team. In a national final no less.

A nephew of Jack Bergin, a Tipperary selector when they won the All-Ireland in 2001 under Nicky English and captain during the 1980s, Bergin and Conor O’Brien replace wing backs Brendan and Donagh Maher.

Brendan Maher will probably end up at wing back, but he’s named in midfield alongside captain Shane McGrath, while Donagh Maher is dropped along with Pa Bourke, despite the collection of three points against Dublin.

The forward line may possibly change before Sunday’s 3.30pm throw-in but Jason Forde loses his place despite the teenager’s man-of-the- match showing against Dublin, which included four points, one of which was a superb sideline cut.

Lar Corbett and Patrick Maher make up the half-forward line, with Noel McGrath shifted from midfield to corner forward alongside Shane Bourke and the returning Eoin Kelly.

Kelly has recovered from his hamstring problems and O’Shea has elected to start the six-time All Star.

Brendan Maher starts at centrefield with Shane McGrath to create the look of a side that will probably stare down John Allen’s Limerick in five weeks time.

“The flexibility in players and in the team is that on any given day, a player can slot in or if you want to change it tactically,” O’Shea told Tipp Fm yesterday.

“And players are really buying into this. They don’t ask where to play – they just want to play and there’s a really good attitude in the squad.

“Where they’re named to play, they just go out and play and that will be good for the evolution and development of the squad over the next number of years. The modern day player is very flexible and adaptable and Tipp have to be capable of matching that.”

The 2010 All-Ireland winning coach, now wearing the bainisteoir’s bib, could not have asked for better preparation for the Munster championship.

Beneficial
"It's very beneficial to be playing Kilkenny in Kilkenny. It's their home venue, they're the All-Ireland champions, they're the league champions and it's a great test for our teams in terms of where we're at.

“Whether we win or don’t win, we’ll be judging ourselves on how we perform.

“It’s not always possible to say whether you’ll win or not but it’s a great opportunity to the team to go to Nowlan Park and really enjoy the day.

“We’re looking forward to as many Tipp people as possible going down because we need every ounce of support that we can get.”