12 teams set out in search of County Final Glory

12 teams set out this week all with one intention, to win the Waterford News and Star Cup and be crowned the JJ Kavanagh and Sons County Senior Hurling Champions for 2015.

As always at this stage with not one ball pucked, its hard to say who exactly who will be the champions. The big three in the city, Ballygunner, De La Salle and Mount Sion will all feel they will be in with a great shout.

In the West Dungarvan may have the biggest chance, but the absence of Kevin Daly for much of the year will be a blow to them.

Cappoquin playing in their first Senior Championship in twenty odd years will feel that they have what it is needed to at least retain their senior status and even qualify for the knockout stages.

Lismore will feel that they can only improve on what they have served up in the last few years. Fourmilewater and Abbeyside will know that they are good enough to make the knockout stages.

Passage will be wanting to show that their championship win in 2013 was no one off, Roanmore having retained their senior status now for a number of years will have to set out to reach at least the quarter finals of the championship.

And the counties two furthest west clubs Tallow and Ballyduff Upper will feel that they too can get to the quarter finals.

The first of this weekends games sees Tallow take on De La Salle this evening in Fraher Field.

The last two meetings of these sides have proven to be unpredictable affairs as Tallow ran out winners in 2013 in the last series of games in the league section of the competition, a win that booked a quarter final place for them and last year in the quarter finals it was the city side that emerged winners.

How will this years game go? To be honest, its only possible to see one winner, but remember, we have said that before and were proven wrong.

For me it’s a De La Salle win here, but I for one would not be surprised if Tallow were to push them all the way. Often the fancied side are often at their most venerable in the opening round of games. We say it happen recently in the football championship when a fancied Nire side lost out to Clashmore. Could the same happen here.

Just one game is down for decision on Saturday evening, again at Fraher Field. Reigning champions Ballygunner take on Ballyduff Upper with the game having a 7-30pm start.

This is a game of two contrasting clubs. One is one of the biggest in the county if not in Munster against one of the smallest senior clubs in the county.

Ballyduff deserve great credit for the way they keep going. Often written off, they keep coming back and have developed the knack of retaining their senior status. When they did loose it about 10 years ago, they won the Intermediate Championship at the first attempt and won the senior championship in 2007.

For a number of years, about a decade ago they found it hard to field underage teams but they have bounced back from that and are now again producing some good young players.

Ballygunner are knocking on the championship door now with years and have won their quota of titles. When the likes of Paul Flynn, Fergal Hartley and Stephen Frampton retired many felt that it would take them a long time to get back to fielding teams like what these three played in, but they have built a team around successful underage teams and now are possibly a better team than they were between ten and twenty years ago.

On paper, Ballygunner should win in Fraher Field on Saturday evening. However, don’t be too surprised if the Village side were to push them all the way or even come out on top by a point or two.

Four games are due to be played on Sunday, three at Fraher Field and one at Walsh Park.

The first of the three games on Sunday see’s Fourmilewater take on Abbeyside.

Little separates these two sides.

When they clashed in 2013 Abbeyside ran out the easiest of winners, but last year when they clashed in the opening round of games, Jamie Barron turned on the style and scored 17 points in a 0-21 to 0-14 win for Fourmilewater.

That win was Fourmilewater’s only win last year and they ended up in a relegation play off with Ardmore, a game they won.

Abbeyside have reached the latter stages of the competition in the last few years and will be looking to do so again this year.

They however have proven to be slow starters in recent years something that could cost many teams, but they pick up pace as the competition goes on.

Neither side will want to loose this opening round of games and be playing catch up, even if both should in the remaining games have enough to secure a quarter final spot.

This is a game that could go either way. Jamie Barron is in fine form with the county of late and will be looking to bring it into this game. If he does this, then Fourmilewater get the nod to win here.

The second game in Fraher Field sees Mount Sion take on Cappoquin.

Mount Sion are reaching the latter stages of the championship in recent years but have yet to win a title since their last one in the middle of the last decade. Under Ken McGrath this year and having added to their team they would be expected to maybe challenge even harder this year.

Cappoquin since winning the County and Munster Intermediate Championships last year, as everyone knows have had their in-house difficulties.

If Cappoquin can put out a strong as team as they did towards the end of last year and to have the injured players they had towards the end of 2014 back in contention for a place in the team from the start, they could well be a match for most.

If the Cornerstone Men do have a full strength team out, then expect them to push Mount Sion hard. Mount Sion get the nod here to win, the margin of which will depend on what Cappoquin side takes to the field.

The only game to be played outside of Fraher Field this weekend is the meeting of Roanmore and Passage in Walsh Park on Sunday evening.

When the two sides clashed at the same stage of the competition and at the same venue twelve months ago, the game ended in a 1-13 to 1-13 draw.

That was an excellent result for the city side against the then champions and they followed it up with a win over Fourmilewater.

They are a side that have retained their status as a senior club five or six years ago but have yet to make the knockout stages of the competition in that time. Can 2015 be the year when it happens? Well a lot could depend of Gavin O’Brien. He is a fantastic player but maybe at times they place too much pressure on his shoulders to deliver the goods.

If they were to win here, then 2015 could be the year that they will make the knockout stages of the competitions as there is other teams in the group that they will be fancying their chances against, more than they did in recent years.

Passage will want to show that they are as good as they were in 2013 when they win a first ever title. They have some excellent players, to guide them in the direction they did in 2013.

Under Peter Queally, they are a have a man with a winning mentality. They will feel that they can get out of this group and if this was to happen, in knockout hurling, anything can happen.

They get the not here to win, but like in all other games this year, it could be close. Another draw between the two should not be ruled out.

Of all the first round games this weekend, one game stands out, the meeting of Lismore and Dungarvan at Fraher Field on Sunday evening.

On paper, Lismore have a fine panel to pick from. Players like Maurice Shanahan, older brother Dan, Paudie and John Prendergast, the Barry brothers all roll of the tongues of hurling supporters in the county.

The problem however is in the last few years, they have not being delivering. They tend to leave it to Maurice Shanahan to get the bulk of their scores, but when he missed games, while others have stepped up to the mark, they have not done so in the games that Maurice plays in.

Dungarvan in 2012 reached the county final with a team whose average age was about 21. This year they have a team whose average age is not much more as the likes of Patrick Curran and Darragh Lyons have come through, while the likes of Michael Kiely and Kieran Power are good additions from Saint Mary’s and Clonea respectfully.

The absence of Kevin Daly is a big blow to Dungarvan. He is expected to be out for a few more months as he recovers from a cruciate ligament problem, an injury that has affected many players in the last few years.

However, in addition to the players named above, they should be able to call upon the likes of Jamie Nagle, Gavin Crotty, the Curran brothers, Darren Duggan etc.

The Old Boro should win here, but like in other games down for decision this weekend, don’t rule out a Lismore win too easily.