WHEN GALWAY FINALLY ended their All-Ireland camogie drought two years ago, there was a direct link to the victories.
Back in 1996 Tony Ward was at the helm and 17 years later he was still showing the way on the sideline.
They’re back in the senior decider next Sunday and it’s Ward who is plotting to take down reigning champions Cork.
“He’s a fantastic record,” admits Galway captain Niamh Kilkenny.
“1996 was the first time Galway won the All-Ireland and Tony was manager. And 2013.
“All the different managers we’ve been through, he seems to be the only one to bring a successful team to Croke Park. He just loves camogie.
“He’d be on the phone to you 24 hours a day if you let him. He’s always making sure we have everything and we’re well looked after.
“He eats, sleeps, drinks camogie. He’s a fantastic manager.”
Ward has already enjoyed success this year with Galway. They won the Division 1 league final last May against Cork and also enjoyed a victory over the Rebelettes in the group stages in June.
Facing a team that you have beaten twice already creates a tricky dynamic for Galway.
“We know a lot about them and it will obviously give them great motivation going into the game that we have beaten them twice already,” admits Kilkenny.
“They’ll probably want to get one back on us. We had them in the league final and the first round of the championship. Both games were extremely tight.
“We were up a good few points at half time in the league final and Cork came back again within three.
“In the first round of the championship it was just two points near the end that sealed victory for us.”
Galway enjoyed another close and dramatic victory in their recent semi-final against Wexford.
They chiselled out a slender one-point win but there was a cloud over their progression when Wexford appealed that defeat.
“We didn’t focus in on it at all,” says Kilkenny.
“In our minds we were preparing for an All-Ireland final and we just kept our preparations going.
“We were delighted that it was put to bed though and it was finalised.
“Obviously on the back of your mind you’d be thinking of lifting the O’Duffy and obviously it would be a dream come true.
“I just want to keep my focus on the 60 minutes of camogie and hopefully everything else will fall into place after that.”
If Farrell throws one or two of the newer lads in this week, it changes the whole outlook of this international window. Calls were he was too conservative the first 2 weeks, but after last weeks showing, if he adds say Izzy and Gus McCarthy, Cian prendergast (unsure if Baird is fit) to the squad this week, then that story changes.
We’ll come out of this window with more minutes in Osborne who is growing week on week (he’d be in this week if he wasn’t injured), Sam prendergast got decent minutes, Izzy, gus McCarthy has been catapulted up there and might upset the status quo, clarkson has shone. Frawley was back to his best last week and Crowley has done decent enough and Casey done well. By and large, we’re not in bad shape.
@JamesK: Agreed. Can see Izzy and Gus McCarthy, Cian Prendergast in the 23, hopefully with Izzy starting.
Ive said this before whats with the munster leinster fans hate for each other i just dont get it cant we all just get along i dont care i support all 4 even do im from cork when they play each other i dont mind who wins its all good for ireland
Need a game, had a game. Who the leave out, Ringrose, Henshaw or Aki? dunno what I’d do. Probs Henshaw on the bench. Hard call tho
@Thesaltyurchin: I don’t expect surprises in the XV but I hope he takes the opportunity to freshen the bench a bit.
@Thesaltyurchin: Potential team?
Keenan
Hansen
Henshaw
Aki
Lowe
Prendergast/Crowley
AGP
Porter
Kelleher
Bealham
McCarthy
Beirne
Izzy
JVDF
Doris
BENCH
McCarthy/Herring
Healy
Clarkson
Ryan
C Prendergast
Casey
Frawley
Crowley/Prendergast
@Thesaltyurchin:
1 Porter.
2 kelleher.
3 furlong.
4 joe mc.
5 beirne.
6 baird if available izzy if not.
7 jvdf.
8 Doris.
9 jgp.
10 crowley.
11 lowe.
12 henshaw.
13 ringrose.
14 Hanson.
15 keenan.
16 herring.
17 healy.
18 O’Toole.
19 Ryan.
20 izzy if he starts then prendergast.
21 casey.
22 frawley or prendergast.
23 aki.
@Thesaltyurchin: Aki & Ringrose for me. If Osbourne is OK, he’s on the bench. If not, Henshaw.
@Con Cussed: Would be happy with most of that really. I do like Ringrose at 13 tho. Agree with Paul below in 12/13, Aki’s Fiji performance enough perhaps. I think 10 will be interesting, don’t think he’ll start SP and not sure I’d bench him ahead of say Frawley or Osbourne. But Crowley IS versatile so no probs moving him around, I think Con’s right with the either or approach. Probs Murray comes back in on bench, versatility, etc. I’d want a defensive option from a backup 9. Would also like to see Baird back, but yea Izzy in, otherwise PoM on the bench (i’ve never been a huge fan, but my head says he’ll be in). AF may fancy a bit of bulk with the scrum, wouldn’t be surprised to see Henderson/Ryan in with Bierne at 6. Herring on the bench.
@Thesaltyurchin: Maybe Prendergast 22 and Frawley 23 if Osbourne is out. Frawley offers more flexibility than Henshaw. I think Farrell wants to get as much rugby into SP as possible. Don’t be surprised if he starts CC next month – Leo’s decision of course!! I hope he goes with Beirne and McCarthy at Lock, Izzy at 6 with Ryan & POM on the bench. There’s a good balance to it. Australia won’t be as much of a threat at scrum time as NZ or Argentina.
@Paul Ennis: Very interested to see what Cullen does here. After the drop goal Frawley maybe got more of a look in but the Byrnes aren’t chopped liver either, RB knows how to run a game, he may not be as abrasive as Crowley or as calculated as Sam but he’s still in the game, an injury here or there like. If the lads in Ulster do something we might need a minibus for our options. Need to consider that in these arrangements Henshaw falls out of contention completely!
@Thesaltyurchin: As regards 10, I’d like to see Sam Pendergast released by Ireland and start for Leinster v Ulster on Friday night. Crowley to start at outhalf with Frawley on bench for IRL.
@Paul Ennis: Are we getting an update on Osborne/Stockdale today from Irish rugby? From the news on Saturday it didn’t look good for either, which is really disappointing as they both played really well.
I think Henshaw and Aki have been playing well together and Saturday was the best seen from both of them in a while. Actually, so many players excelled on Saturday, in spite of some mistakes.
Frawley on the bench instead of Ringrose only due to versatility of Frawley. Frawley also redeemed himself on Saturday. Very exciting for Irish rugby.
@D Farrell: Similarly, if Izzy isn’t starting v the Aussies then he should be playing for Ulster.
@Thesaltyurchin: And as a Westmeath man (I know I know – provincial rivalries are bad enough without introducing county one’s too) I would be gutted to see Robbie miss out. Aki just offers that ball carrying threat. Against NZ his head was elsewhere and the knock ons were out of character. Robbie offers a big boot but there are so many big boots in the team now, it is no longer a USP.
@Con Cussed: It is strange there has been no update
@D Farrell: Would like Casey back for Munster too. I reckon AF has Murray on bench. Most of the Connacht lads are staying which makes me wonder is CPrendergast in the mix. Ulster could use Hendi, would imagine Timony will be back.
I’d be happy to see Crowley play with Aki and Henshaw. Ringrose on a 5:3 bench.
Give Izzy another go at 6. Baird and Ryan on the bench.
@Nicholas Farrar: PO’M, Henderson, Healy, Murray – fit, they would have been constant in a Farrell 23. How many of them will make the 23 for this weekend?
@Michael Corkery: Hopefully, none of them will start with the exception of Healy as he’s still playing well and we don’t have a workable replacement yet. The rest need a rest.
Izzy and Ryan instead of POM and Henderson (neither played exceptionally well in the series). AGP starting and Casey on the bench. Might even see Sam start with Crowley on the bench, but both playing irrespective of which starts. Aki and Henshaw starting with Frawley on the bench for cover 12-15. With potential injuries to Stockdale and Osborne (both of whom played excellently), then Lowe and Keenan starting. Kelleher and Gus on the bench, Herring might be unfortunate to miss out.
It’s a great headache for AF. The young lads really had a good time on the weekend and I hope many of them will be in the match 23.
@Con Cussed: I agree but the important person is Farrell. Age is just a number and Aki seems to still be in tip top shape, Healy is not a dynamic player like he once was but at least he can hold his side of the scrum up. I expect those 2 to be in 23 for Oz but the others I mentioned, maybe not. Let’s see.
@Michael Corkery: Murray takes a bit of abuse these days, but when he came on he covered the wing well and when the chips are down defending the line at the death he can put in the big tackles.
@Michael Corkery: Indeed, it nothing else it’s quite exciting selection time. May also be the possible 23 for the 6Ns.
@Nicholas Farrar: Agree that Murray had a good game on the wing.
@Nicholas Farrar: agree with you and that’s the edge he probably has on Casey in that he can fill in other positions in emergency. He has to balance that with giving Casey game time as most probable long term successor to JGP
Start Casey and Prendergast with JGP and Crowley on the bench. Last chance to test these guys against a tier 1 given our focus on 6N and our summer tour is tier 2
Porter,kelleher,bealham,
Ryan, mc carthy,
Beirne, vdf, Doris
Jgp, crowley
Lowe, aki, ringrose, Hanson
Keenan
Put your mortgage on it
What’s going on with Calvin Nash
The big tests were NZ and Arg. I’m sure that Farrell and co looked at the Fiji and Aus games as where they’d try a couple of new things in.
I’d have thought that this game was ear-marked for Frawley to start at 10. Given he played more than expected last weekend, and got the rough treatment, perhaps this is not going to happen anymore.
I hope that he does get the start, not as any slight on Crowley, who our first choice, but because we need to see him leading a week for Ireland ahead of the 6 Nations if he’s to be called upon. We already know Crowley can do it and against much better opposition than Australia.
I’d love to see more of Prendergast too, but again he played more than expected last week. So I expect Crowley will start, which probably wasn’t Farrell’s plan for this series