CLARE begin the defence of their Allianz league title on Sunday at Cusack Park when they take on Kilkenny in what will be a repeat of last year’s final.
They will do so without almost half of the team which helped the county to both league and All-Ireland senior honours last year.
“Our approach will be game by game and right now we are not looking psst the Kilkenny match. We have a lot of injuries but this presents an opportunity for members of the panel to get game time”, according to selector Tommy Corbett.
Conor Cleary, Diarmuid Ryan, Peter Duggan and Mark Rodgers are all out at present due to injury while John Conlon and Shane O’Donnell will be rested in the early games in the league.
In addition up to nine members of the Clare panel are involved with Limerick colleges, Mary I,, University of Limerick and LIT in the Fitzgibbon cup (Third Level colleges championship) which is taking place at present.
“The load is big for these players and we must take cognisance of that but our S and C coaches and physios will take care of that”, according to Clooney-Quin clubman Corbett.
While the team to face Kilkenny won’t be named until later in the week, it is expected that Cian Galvin, Shane Meehan, John Conneely, Darragh Lohan, Robyn Mounsey, Colm O’Meara and Patrick Crotty are just some of those who are likely to feature over the coming weeks.
“Any time you play the All-Ireland champions it’s a step up and that’s how all the teams that will be facing us will see it. We have our own plans and, as I said, we are not looking past Kilkenny at the moment. Kilkenny don’t ever go to games just to turn up, they always go out to win. They will put their best foot forward so it will be a huge challenge as always”, the Eire Og native told The Clare Echo.
Noting that the Leinster side “beat us three times last year”, the Clare mentor said “they will be trying to put down a marker. They have won four Leinster titles in a row, they were in the league final last year, they are never too long out of the limelight”.
In Tommy’s view “we can’t switch off at any stage as we will be playing division 1 teams all through and its going to be tough.. Only two (Seadna Morey and Paul Flanagan have retired) have gone. We have a strong panel and the players wouldn’t be there if we didn’t feel they are good enough. We had a decent club championship with plenty of good hurling. The injuries give an opportunity to players and it also gives us an opportunity to see the players in action”, he concluded.
