GALWAY’S SARAH DERVAN believes that the gap between camogie’s heavyweights Cork and Kilkenny and other counties is getting smaller.
The 2013 All-Ireland winner was also part of the Galway team that lost in the 2015 decider at the hands of the Leesiders, the last time another team outside the top two reached the final.
The Rebels and the Cats have contested three of the last four finals.
The four-time All Star will captain Galway for the first time in the championship against Clare on Saturday and cited Galway’s comeback against Cork in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final as evidence of how close they are to the champions.
“We are close to it (their level), we have been,” she said, speaking at the launch of the Liberty Insurance All Ireland Championships.
“In the (All-Ireland) semi-final last year, Cork took it to us in the first half and I think they were beating us by six points at half time but we came back. We kind of got a new lease of life in the second half and pushed them to a point in the end.
“We are thereabouts but it’s to break that barrier, I think it’s to get over the mental thing of beating Cork and Kilkenny and hopefully we can be strong and physical and get over it.”
The full-back suggested that there was a mental barrier to facing the top two that Galway and other counties have rarely been able to overcome, but she feels that teams are a lot closer to that level this year.
“You always know Cork and Kilkenny are going to bring their ‘A’ game, you’re always going to know that.
“You always have to be at 100% to get the better of them, but I think this year there’s an awful lot more teams putting their hands up.
“You’ve Offaly, you’ve Clare and you’ve Tipperary (that are improving), there’s a lot more tough games this year I think.
“Look, god knows it could be somebody different in the All-Irelands this year. Cork and Kilkenny are very strong, we’ll see how it goes.”
Galway have been drawn in a competitive group alongside Kilkenny, Clare, Limerick and Waterford and will be hoping for a third place finish at the least to see them into an All-Ireland quarter-final. A first-place finish would put Galway straight through to the semi-final stage.
Their opener against Clare in Pearse Stadium on Saturday at 5pm will be part of a double-header with the Galway men’s Leinster SHC clash with Dublin and Dervan insists that her team are not looking beyond Saturday’s clash.
“Clare now is the first round, so that’s Saturday. We won’t really look beyond that game.
“Clare are going to be very strong and physical so we have to bring our ‘A’ game definitely, to try to get the better of them.
“We’ll take it step by step, game by game. We’ll see what we can learn from every game and hopefully progress in the Championship.”
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Kevin Mc should feel very very hard done by.
Kevin McManamon that is.
@Aideen Thornton: Yeah, he had a great year.
John Small was another player who deserves a mention, half back line was very competitive area.
overall decent selection. always one or two debatable picks. Really puts Clarke’s non selection on replay into question. Unlucky were cian o Sullivan, Peter acheson, Kevin mc, Gary Brennan. Then again hard to get everyone in.
@clumley: Cluxton conceded 6, Clarke conceded 6. Cluxton was never dropped and had superior kickouts and Dublin played tougher opposition. Worth noting which teams the goals were conceded against. Comerford conceded 6 in Munster alone and a further 5 in the 4th round, quarters and semi which ruled him out. Kerry goalie only conceded 2 and kept a clean sheet against Dublin. If kickouts were the deciding factor, anyone have the stats?
Tougher opposition!? Have you SEEN Leinster football in the last 10 years???
@Jack Strong: the all-stars are decided on the last couple of games, sad but true. Dublin played Donegal, Kerry and Mayo twice and thats were most goals were conceded out of the six for Cluxton. Mayo did well to pass the mighty Londoners! Leinster is not a great standard at the moment but neither is Munster or Connacht. A semi final against Kerry tends to be a little tougher than meeting Tipp.
So the All Stars are decided in the last 3 games but you just had to throw in your remark about having to play London against London? Good man. Cluxton conceded 3 against Laois who aren’t exactly world beaters.
A Quarter final (where we went in as underdogs) against Tyrone is every bit as tough as Kerry.
By your own logic Cluxton’s meltdown in the semi final is the reason he didn’t win one as that’s far more important than any other game in the season.
Laois scored 2
Reading dubs comments on a lot of these threads makes me cringe. Be a bit more gracious there lads , don’t give them any more reason to dislike us. Congrats to all all star winners
@Cormac O’Gara: It’s not being ungracious, debate about commissions is fairly routine and any fan will focus on their own. Six is a great haul but its not about the number, individual players had a good case for selection and whats being said is just people trying to recognise their input.
@Frainc Ó Broin: *Omissions not commissions
No cluxton what the f¥ck is going on. Clarke wouldn’t lace his boots
@The metropolitans: Ah Cluxton has plenty and 3 Celtic Crosses so far on his mantel piece with Sam tucked up safely in the captial for the winter will help soften the blow for us Dubs too :)
Mantle*
4 Celtic crosses
@The metropolitans: All Stars are for the best players this year, not the best players in general. Going by your logic, should Bernard Brogan, Colm Cooper and Sean Cavanagh win All Stars every year?
@The metropolitans: Clarke is a top goalkeeper, both conceded the same number of goals, I think he was unlucky.
Kev mc deserved an all star , cluxton had 8 mins of a meltdown and they give it to Clarke who his own manager didn’t even have faith in him haha . Just shows how high cluxton has set his standards that a few mins cost him over a keeper who was dropped .
Cluxton is running out of room on the mantle piece so they gave it to a lad dropped for the replay and made no difference when brought on. When you think about it long and hard it makes perfect sense.
Harsh Ned. Clarke should never have been dropped for the replay, that’s a known fact at this stage.
What about Cluxton in the semi final against Kerry? His misplaced kick outs and indecisiveness simply invited Kerry back into that game.
As mentioned above Gavin it was short spell in the first half of a match. He didnt miss one kick out after. In the replay he had a fantastic game. He was the only keeper to have a good game that day.
Thought Evan Comerford was very unlucky
Future looks bright for Mayo. 2 of the young additions to Mayo this year, one got an All Star and one will feel hard done by who didn’t get one in Durcan. Add that’s with DOC who will likely get young player of the year and the general age profile of the team Mayo are well placed to put in a big championship next season. Former all star Caff coming back from injury also for next season. Rochford needs get the most of a talented forward line who were generally average this year and it could be a strong year next year. Just to add re Durcan- it was an excellent season of performances from him especially taking his Mitchels performances into consideration. He was unbelievable against Crossmaglen in club semi final. A definite all star in my book.
Yeah all that is true, but you seem to be forgetting about the curse……
Cluxton has had two spells now of ten minutes each where he lost his way a little, that’s 20 minutes in 15 years. One player, 15 years, 20 minutes. It’s cringeworthy that he’s not in the team.
This is not some sort of life time achievement Award. It’s based on this year and this year alone. Cluxton has been below his own high standards and made som big mistakes in crucial games
Because of ten minutes ? And your point that he was below his own high standards is vacuous, the only standard that matters is that set by his peers.
@gary sheehan: He is not rated on his own high standards, is rated against the others in contention. Fair play to Clarke, he is a top goalie, which be interesting to find out why one player was selected over another.
You clearly didn’t see him play early in his career if you think that
@Stíofán Mac Piarais: are you referring to Clarke or Cluxton?
Clarke ahead of Cluxton. Holy god where do they get this stuff from.
A complete and utter sympathy selection. If Clarke hadn’t been dropped for the replay, he wouldn’t be getting an All Star. Crazy.
It’s funny that the player who most pundits say has changed the game most in the past decade and most others keepers try copy but can’t match,not forgetting he has four all Ireland winners medals. Two are back to back. Doesn’t get an all star in the last two years. He is the one players dublin have not been able to replace. Take a bow me cluxton
On the Button ! Every team that takes on Dublin looks at Cluxtons kick outs to try and stop his delivery’s ! The reason Fenton is so good is his mobility and Cluxtons ability to hit him with balls 50 yards from Goal ! The reason why Clarke was dropped in the 1st place was to get a better delivery ala Cluxton like to Mayos midfield etc ! I think it’s fair to say that if anyone was picking a team to win a game Cluxton would be No 1 ! He had a fantastic season and although kerry picked his pockets for a few minutes he had the balls to regroup and deliver pin point delivery’s thereafter !
So with the exception of a few tokens to pretend its not all a farce they really just wanted the rest of the Dublin and mayo teams….. Its the reason 90% of the country could give a rats a$$ about Allstars. Usually you can tell by and large who they will be once squads are announced at the beginning of the campaign…..