Galway aiming to repeat semi-final victory over Tipp

BE careful what you wish for. Last August, the Tipperary hurling camp trudged out of Croke Park dejected that they had fallen to Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. The mood wasn’t good as they tried to come to terms with what they perceived had been an avoidable defeat.

Their abject sense of disappointment was compounded by the reality that they had only lost a thriller by a solitary point despite so many of their players under-performing. One man had almost carried them to victory. Full forward Seamus Callanan soared to the clouds that day in scoring 3-9, all bar four points coming from play.

It was a magnificent individual display, but most of Callanan’s team-mates didn’t provide the necessary support against Galway. Ever since, the Tipp squad have been aiming for revenge and that opportunity now presents itself arrives at Croke Park on Sunday (3.30pm).

It’s a prospect that would hardly have fazed them until a couple of weeks ago. Galway’s off-field woes last winter, relegation in the league and their second-half fade out against Kilkenny in the Leinster Final smacked of a team a long way off their summer vitality of 2015.

That level of form wouldn’t be good enough and the Munster champions knew it. But then Galway come out with a revamped and more physical team to spring a minor surprise against Clare in the All-Ireland quarter-final. The Tribesmen got stuck in, hit the Banner hard, while their overall work ethic was beyond reproach.

Put it this way, Galway’s performance gave Tipperary something to think about. They may have a score to settle, but the result is no longer a relative formality if the men in maroon can bring that same level of abrasion and commitment to GAA headquarters on Sunday.

Last year’s semi-final was a high-scoring, epic shoot-out, but given that Tipperary have also being adding some steel to their play this year, it’s doubtful if either team will have the time or space to engage in another swashbuckling, free-flowing battle for supremacy. Instead, we can anticipate a more physical and less open semi-final.

Having had their very manliness questioned in the wake of the Leinster Final, Galway delivered a timely response against Clare. The management tweaked the team – Adrian Tuohy was pulled from nowhere to help shore up the back-line; Johnny Coen was moved to midfield; and Jason Flynn was recalled to the attack – for that game and the players responded with a vigorous and energetic display.

Full coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune