Galway stay with same 15 for big date with Rebels

Date Published: {J}

CIARAN TIERNEY

THIS is just the acid test the Galway hurlers need. With Tipperary and Kilkenny seemingly way ahead of the chasing posse, a showdown with Cork in phase three of the All-Ireland qualifiers should provide a true benchmark of whether or not Galway deserve to be anywhere near the business end of the championship at Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds on Saturday (4pm).

To put it bluntly, they have little business in the All-Ireland quarter-finals if they cannot overcome a Cork side which is deep in transition and supposedly losing faith in its management team.

A facile win over Antrim, the only other possibility which was open to them at this stage, would have been of absolutely no benefit to the Tribesmen.

If the hurling heartlands are not exactly buzzing with expectation, there has been a feeling of redemption in the air since the 17 point win over Clare last Saturday. The ‘feel good’ factor has extended to the management, who have been quick to announce that they are keeping faith with the 15 men who started against the Banner.

Now the men in maroon have a chance to build up a head of steam and shake off the criticism which stung so deeply before, during, and after their Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin. Plus, it’s always nice to take a scalp from one of the ‘big three’, no matter how much rebuilding Cork are going through.

It is amazing how expectations have shifted after just one game, but Galway are not as bad as they looked against Dublin and certainly not potential All-Ireland champions on the basis of one facile victory over a disjointed and youthful Clare side.

Their true worth is probably somewhere in between the wild extremes of their last two championship outings, but the hope has to be that they can build on the Pearse Stadium performance and quieten the critics who questioned their mettle last month.

“There was a lot of criticism and, undoubtedly, we did leave ourselves open to some of it,” admitted Galway manager John McIntyre on Wednesday. “The key thing is that the players responded in a very positive fashion and they came through a difficult character test with flying colours. I knew Galway were nowhere near as bad as they looked against Dublin, but we are facing a big step up in class against Cork now.”

Suddenly, the injury crisis which has engulfed the panel all year has cleared up. There is hardly a follower in the county who would disagree that the Tribesmen fielded their best team of 2011 so far against Clare, with Ger Farragher and Iarla Tannian both returning from injuries to rejuvenate the half-forward line.

Alan Kerins turned back the clock with a lively perform

ance at corner forward, while Damien Hayes and Joe Canning put their Tullamore troubles behind them. The sight of Shane Kavanagh and Tony Óg Regan taking up their usual roles in the heart of the defence has given a more assured look to the side.

So the management have kept faith with the same 15, with Andy Smith keeping his place alongside David Burke in midfield, although there is still a lingering doubt over Iarla Tannian (ankle) ahead of a late fitness test on Saturday morning.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.