GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 28 – June 20, 2015 | Page 54

KILKENNY AND TIPPERARY
START CHAMPIONSHIP
BY DENIS O’BRIEN
JUNE 18, 2015
The two front runners for this year’s All Ireland title hit the
championship road this weekend with defending champions
Kilkenny at home to Wexford in a Leinster semi-final and last
year’s runners-up Tipperary visiting Limerick for a chance
to make a Munster final. Both teams are the bookmakers’
favourites to make a repeat return to Croke Park for the All
Ireland final and their performances this weekend should
confirm if such predictions can come true. This scribe for one
believes that they will.

improvement in this area, and defense usually wins one titles.
Galway - so far so good, but with more work to be done.
An improving Laois had a famous victory over neighbours
Offaly and now meet Galway this weekend also. Galway on
their prowess upfront should have too much for an unknown
Laois but the latter have given the Tribesmen plenty to worry
about in recent championships and can do again.
LIMERICK QUESTION MARKS

GALWAY STRONG ATTACK
To date we have seen a high powered Galway offense take
a woeful Dublin to the cleaners in a Leinster quarter final
replay – the result tells more about a Dublin side that has
gone backward after new management than an improving
Galway midfield and attack. Galway impressed in that replay
with championship debutant 20 year old Cathal Mannion – a
fine forward – in blistering form with three goals. Mannion
was also prominent in the drawn game that Dublin should
have finished when leading but didn’t and his skill range adds
greatly to Galway’s overall package. Ditto for Aidan Harte’s
positioning at midfield, another plus. Yet a limp and unbalanced Dublin team made life easy for Galway in the replay.
Galway ‘s work rate has upped to 2012 levels when they overturned Kilkenny in a Leinster decider but later fell to the
same opposition in the All Ireland final. Defense in the 2012
All Ireland replayed game was an issue and Galway still need

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We have seen Limerick just about get past a battling Clare. It
was very close in the end and either side could have won that
Munster semi in May. Clare’s team selection and setup would
have to be questioned as they finished much stronger than
they started while Limerick didn’t actually set the world on fire
in a game that only came to life in the final quarter. Limerick’s
young Cian Lynch, just out of minor, excelled with his pace
and guile though one suspects he will be more severely tested
when coming up against battle hardened Tipperary defenders
on Sunday.
Though Tipp have lost to Limerick in Munster over the past
two years the bookies have them favourites ahead of this match.
The reasoning – Limerick have question marks over them after
an uninspiring win over Clare, and it should be Tipp’s time
this summer. Tipperary have injury doubts over ace attacker
John O’Dwyer and Lar Corbett – the latter perhaps past his