Hurling fervour reaches fever pitch

(From previous page)

Whether we can expect elemental epics like last year's Limerick-Clare semi-final is open to question, but the rivalry between the counties is as mad as ever, a point fully illustrated by their thunderous League encounter in March.

They are on course to meet in the final on July 6th but beforehand Limerick will have to overcome both Waterford and Tipperary. The first-round match with Waterford will be approached warily because Limerick doesn't have a comfortable record against these opponents.

Limerick's tightest match in the victorious 1994 Munster campaign was against Waterford, who with Gerald McCarthy at the helm and their injuries healed can maintain last year's rate of improvement. Sceptics will point to a mixed league campaign to make the point that the county is still off the pace at the highest level.

Tipperary are also under new management, but appear to be still subject to old failings. Getting caught by Limerick after blowing another big lead in last month's league encounter will have done little to ease Tipperary's nerves. However, just as constant repetition of this behaviour is depressing, being constantly overwhelmed in the first half by Tipperary is some day going to end in tears for Limerick as their rivals can't be counted on to surrender big leads indefinitely.

Under Tom Ryan, Limerick have been transformed from no-hopers into regular contenders, a turn-around that hasn't resulted in tumultuous acclaim from the county board who, as last year's act of recognition, hounded his trainer Dave Mahedy from his involvement with the team. A scattering of new faces has given hope for the future, but the attack needs strengthening. The return to the panel of a slimline Pat Heffernan will improve matters among the forwards.

The big losers of last year's campaign were Cork, whose 70-year plus unbeaten home record was shattered by Limerick a year ago. The despair of the result and performance left the county at rock bottom. There is uncertainty in the county about the current team, seen as too light and inexperienced for the likes of Limerick and Clare. Jimmy Barry Murphy and his selectors have nonetheless decided to persevere with the younger generation.

They await the winners of Kerry and Clare await the match rather than the revelation of their opponents' identity, as Kerry will struggle to compete against Clare. But the All-Ireland champions of 1995 have troubles of their own as the defence that bedrocked an All-Ireland is showing signs of creaking at present, whereas the attack hasn't significantly improved in the last two years.

In their favour is the fact that the management team of Ger Loughnane, Michael McNamara and Tony Considine are obsessively aware of the requirements of peaking physically, and whatever about temporary oscillations in form, the underlying talent is there to mount a strong challenge to regain their title.

The open nature of the Leinster championship can be underlined by the credentials of Dublin who are a match with Westmeath away from a semi-final against Kilkenny. Under Michael O'Grady, Dublin have found rhythm and discipline. Their defence has been excellent, the attack less so, and they are unfortunate that Kilkenny appear to have turned a corner and look less vulnerable.

Newcomers are blending in nicely and the form of established players has improved compared to last year. How they will cope with the morel intense demands of the championship will pass final judgement on Nicky Brennan's team rebuilding, but the summer looks more promising than last year.

Wexford are in unfamiliar territory, coping with the after-effects of an All-Ireland win. It isn't so much the lack of success in the League that must worry manager Rory Kinsella as the difficulty in raising performance levels when needed.

The status of All-Ireland champions will help the team resist the impulse to self-destruct, but there are balancing dangers in the possible loss of appetite. Only Wexford know how far they're willing to go to hold on to what they have.

The players are still there with an even spread of hurling throughout the field. If they are to face Offaly, it will be at the disadvantage of taking on opponents with two matches under their belts.

Next week, Offaly start out with at rematch of last year's embarrassingly close-run encounter against, Meath which, assuming they win, leads to another rematch, this time of the embarrassingly one-sided win over Laois.

Laois are capable of launching themselves at a championship match and shouldn't be dismissed as easily as their league form suggests. Babs Keating will know what switches to throw and if their casualty list clears up, they'll be fresh for the challenge.

Offaly have a new manager, John McIntyre, who has had a useful league campaign, turning up one or two new players to help break the monotony of a team which looks much the same heading into a fourth successive championship.

They will be hoping to secure their third rematch from last year by qualifying for the semi-final against. Wexford, with whom they shared a glorious Leinster final last July. If motivation springs from the unhappy memories of that day, Offaly would be arriving at a fourth successive provincial final with Kilkenny - and all that pairing evokes - their likely opponents.