TIPPERARY ARE SET to have to plan without Kieran Bergin for this summer’s championship campaign after the Killenaule club man has departed the panel.
The42 understands that work commitments were a factor in Bergin’s decision.
The 31-year-old was an unused substitute in last Sunday’s Division 1 hurling league final loss to Galway and the semi-final win over Wexford on 16 April in Nowlan Park.
His last appearance came in late March when he started in the narrow defeat to Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn.
Earlier in the league campaign he had started in the victories over Dublin and Waterford in February before coming on as a substitute in the draw against Kilkenny.
Bergin was part of the Tipperary squad that lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup last September with a thrilling final victory over Kilkenny.
He was brought on as a substitute in the second half of that success in Croke Park.
Bergin was a latecomer to inter-county senior hurling. He won a Munster minor medal in 2003 with victory over Cork and then came on in the 2005 Munster U21 final loss to the Rebels.
The Killenaule man then moved to the USA for a few years and didn’t join the Tipperary senior hurling panel until April 2013.
Remarkably it was in a league final against Kilkenny that he made his debut in May 2013 in Nowlan Park before his championship debut came a month later against Limerick in a Munster semi-final defeat.
In 2014 Bergin started at wing-back in the All-Ireland drawn final and replay loss against Kilkenny, claiming an All-Star nomination at the end of that season for his performances.
He won his first Munster senior hurling medal in June 2015, starting in that final win over Waterford, and claimed his second last July when coming on as a substitute in the victory over the Deise at the Gaelic Grounds.
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Its a good team, much more attacking based then most thought and Deans at last looks like he is rewarding players on form and not solely on name
Lealifiano at 12 is a superb player who offer much more than the direct pat maccabe. Like Barnes he can also change to 10 so that gives good interchanging options on who will be the first receiver. Folau has been a sensation and due to his state of origin experience shouldnt be too fazed in his debut. Lions will do well not to kick often to the former AFL man. With Digby recovered from injury and Beale on the bench the backline is dangerous. Ben Mowen is the leading lineout taker in the super comp and has been outstanding captaining the Brumbies this year. Young Hooper at seven dominated the end of year tour last autumn and is supported from the bench by another outstanding young fletcher in Gill.
However questions still remaining over JOC ten and the headspace of Beale…
One in 4 year event, one in 12 for the wallabies, should be an absolute belter
I think joc is starting ten rather than fb or wing due to his defensive ability as the lions tactics have been to vash it down the ten chanel and then spread it wide o putting joc there means it wont be as successful. Also with barnes and lealifano there i’d say they’ll kick for territory before giving it to ashly-cooper,folau,ioane and they’ll probably kick to north and cuthbert z lot seeing as how neither plyer kicks the ball much and there for win the kicking battle giving them the territory they need to get ioane and folau into the game and that will be where they are most dangerous. The pack also has the ability to play a tight game. Everyone is saying that the lions have great strength in depth but so do the wallabies and they have a much superior bench. So seeing as the first match is at suncorp which is historically a good hunting ground for the aussies that coupled with how much we underestimate them and they’re better gench means, its set up for a 2-1 series win for the wallabies