1. John Kiely (Limerick)
Midway through the second half in Ennis last Sunday, Kiely would have had cause for alarm. His worry was illustrated by his vocal promptings to encourage Limerick players around the middle third. They were nine points down and looked on the brink of an opening loss. Instead Diarmaid Byrnes fortuitous goal, at a time when they were starting to turn things around, ignited a revival that seemed improbable.
A goalscoring spree rattled Clare and paved the way for Limerick’s three-point success. The sight of Sean Finn and Cian Lynch thundering into the game, the strong form of Gearoid Hegarty, and the consistency of Cathal O’Neill will have pleased Kiely.
He lost Mike Casey to injury but has gained Peter Casey, free from suspension. The success over a keen rival represents an ideal start to Limerick’s season before they host Tipperary today. Still the joy over the result will be tempered by the shortcomings in their play for a vast stretch of the Cusack Park action. Limerick were off-colour, their shooting particularly poor in the first half, and Kiely will appreciate there is scale for improvement in a few key players.
2. Liam Cahill (Tipperary)
The last team to step out in Munster, Tipperary will have observed last Sunday’s events with a keen interest. They saw Limerick, today’s opponents, squeeze out a win, and will be mindful of next Saturday’s looming assignment against a Waterford team that already look a different proposition to last year. Liam Cahill will be mindful how his team bounded on from a strong start twelve months ago, crashing home five goals en route to their victory over Clare.
This is a step up in challenge, taking on the heavyweight champions in their backyard. Optimism for Tipperary lies in the manner in which they pushed Limerick to the limit in their draw last May. It’s a month since we saw Tipperary misfiring in the league semi-final against Clare. Where has Cahill sought to improve matters?
His team selection contains fresh options he hopes can impact. Eoghan Connolly and Alan Tynan additions around the middle, Mark Kehoe restored to attack alongside Jake Morris – a pair that got a lot out of joy in taking the Limerick defence for eight points last year. Newcomer Sean Hayes is also named to start.
Tipperary’s round-robin record is patchy, five wins from 16 games. This is the start of a pivotal week for Cahill’s charges.
3. Pat Ryan (Cork)
The pressure has been ramped up considerably on Pat Ryan and his team ahead of their first taste of championship on home soil. They drew some praise for contributing to classics in 2023 without the tangible reward of qualification from Munster. Failure to emerge from the group in 2024 will sharpen the criticism and their hopes were hit by last Sunday’s defeat, stuck in chase mode from early against Waterford.
The need to deliver against Clare is pressing. Ryan has reacted by shifting around his starting fifteen, six changes in the team he has announced. Altering half his defence is striking, he’ll know Cork need to clamp down on the space they afforded a Waterford team that amassed 2-25.
Declan Dalton and Brian Hayes provide significant focal points in attack. Improving the frequency of supply to Alan Connolliy will be a key target, he impressed on the scraps he was fed last Sunday.
The crowd on Leeside will be sizeable and expectant, for a fixture that is loaded with significance in shaping Ryan’s second season in charge. Lose and the outlook is grim ahead of facing Limerick in round three, a win and they are back in the hunt.
4. Brian Lohan (Clare)
Of all the losses Clare have suffered to Limerick under Lohan’s watch, the Round 1 defeat must have been the hardest to fathom. They hurled with such authority and conviction early on that they were full value for their nine-point advantage at the three-quarter mark, before their form nosedived. Not for the first time the concession of a preventable goal hurt them – think of the opener against Tipperary last year or the crucial strike Kilkenny bagged in the All-Ireland semi-final – proved costly for Clare.
Shutting up shop at the back will have been at the forefront of his mind this week and settling goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan down. Cork put three goals past them last year in Ennis, a repeat must be avoided for Clare in this away trip. At the other end Aidan McCarthy’s goal came after a terriic team move but Clare were not clinical enough when another few goal chances presented themselves. Will Lohan’s hand be forced into pushing Tony Kelly in action from the off today?
The stakes are huge for Clare, they have three weeks off after this game and Lohan knows two early defeats would be a hammer blow for their 2024 aspirations.
5. Davy Fitzgerald (Waterford)
Has the luxury of sitting back this weekend and watching the action unfold as the only manager who has an inactive team. It’s a more pleasing situation because Waterford already had points in the bag, the victory over Cork restoring confidence for a side that have often looked beleagured in the Munster round-robin series. Waterford now finally have a jumping off point for their campaign, irrespective of what unfolds this afternoon.
Waterford’s primary interest will be on matters at the Gaelic Grounds and principally how Tipperary fare, they welcome Liam Cahill’s team to Walsh Park next Saturday night. The schedule should favour Waterford as they have a weekend off to freshen up, with Tipperary in comparisoin facing two away games in six days. After that Fitzgerald will be focused this weekend on resting his charges and getting set to unleash them next Saturday night, where he will aim to tap into strong performances once more from the likes of Tadhg de Búrca, Jamie Barron and Dessie Hutchinson.
