This is real championship hurling.
While the only complaint about the new hurling structure so far has been based on the fact that the round-robin structure doesn’t lend itself to real win-or-bust championship clashes every week, a lack of consequence is a shortcoming that won’t be associated with the Munster Championship this weekend.
Tipperary’s clash with Clare is win-or-bust for the Premier and it’s not far off that for Clare either. About 40 miles over the road from Thurles to Limerick, Waterford and the Treaty County will do battle in a game that could spell the end of the Déise’s summer.
The Gaelic Grounds showpiece isn’t without importance for the home side either, because should they lose, they will be under ferocious pressure going into that dangerous final round clash against neighbours Clare in Cusack Park the following weekend.
Attention turned to this Sunday’s meeting of Derek McGrath’s and John Kiely’s troops on Thursday’s GAA Hour Show and Damien Hayes, Cheddar Plunkett and Colm Parkinson were all in agreement that the individual battle between Waterford full forward Tom Devine and Limerick house minder Michael Casey will be of both titanic and of significant proportions.
Former Galway inside man Damien Hayes is a big fan of this sunny south east side’s answer to Dan Shanahan, and he claims that stopping him will require a trojan effort from Limerick’s last line.
“Tom Devine, he’s the one full forward who has caused the likes of Daithí Burke problems. He just runs at the heart of defences, straight down the middle. He did it to Tipperary the last day and he did it to Galway last year.”
“I thought he was excellent the last day. He scored goals, points, he laid off points for scores. He was a real target man, a real presence up there.
“The Waterford management will say to their players, ‘hit the all route one into Devine,'” assured the Portumna club man.
Limerick are lucky then they’ve a mammoth of their own to take on Waterford’s gargantuan gorilla, with Cheddar Plunkett outlining the credentials of their combative full back Michael Casey.
“Mike Casey will be hurling full back for Limerick next Sunday. He goes for everything, he’s a very physical player and that’ll be a really interesting confrontation. He’s an established full back, he’s physical, he’s no nonsense and that’ll be some physical confrontation.”
It’s set to be some battle, and the Na Piarsaigh club man will certainly have his hands full trying to curb the influence of the Déise’s bronco.
Devine, of Ireland’s Fittest Family fame is one of the leanest, strongest men in hurling, according to Damien Hayes.
“He’ll win it, if he doesn’t there will be a break off it and they’ll live off the breaks.”
“He’s an athlete. He’s a big man, but he’s a big man of all muscle and power, there’s no body fat and he deserves a lot of praise now. He can cause Limerick huge problems in the full back line,” he concluded.
There will be thrills and spills aplenty in the Gaelic Grounds.
You can listen to Damien waxing lyrical about Tom Devine and much more from Thursday’s GAA Hour Show.
