No injury concerns for Tipp ahead of Kilkenny clash
Tipperary senior hurling team selector Declan Laffan. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Tipperary selector Declan Laffan is delighted that the blue and gold team have a full panel to select from for Sunday's eagerly anticipated All-Ireland SHC Semi-Final against Kilkenny at Croke Park.
On Monday at a press briefing Laffan confirmed that Tipperary don't have any serious injury issues ahead of the game. "We're looking good at the minute, there's the usual bangs and bruises for this time of the season, but in general I think we have a healthy squad to pick from, so we'll just have to try to get it right now, I suppose.
“We had the long break after the Munster championship which was, I'm not going to say it was difficult, but it took a bit of managing to get right and then obviously we had Laois and in a way it was probably the ideal game to set us up for that Galway match.
"The two-week break after Galway, I would think it’s ideal, it's given us ample time to process that and get ready for the next one and go about our business and do whatever analysis we have to do.
"I think it's worked well for us and look, if we win we'll say we have it right and if we don't somebody will find fault. There’s not much we can do about that though."
What has changed from last year preparation wise for Tipperary. “The public perception of Liam (Cahill), I suppose, is that he flogs his teams and look let the public think what they like we just have to worry about what we do.
"We probably didn't get it right last year, we probably tapered it back a little bit too much and maybe suffered in the latter end of the game where teams just pulled away from us and we just hadn't it in the lungs to stay with them.
"So, look it's a fine balance getting it right and it's even the same you'll see coming into big games like this, match week, how you tailor training during the week that you don't end up flat. Do you do an hour, do you do 40 minutes?
"Everything has to be tailored properly and that's where your S&C guys have come in and laid down the law and make sure that things are done right and that we don't overcook lads."
Former Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herity is a significant coaching influence in the Tipperary set-up. “David is an excellent coach and has brought huge contributions this year to what we’ve been trying to do," Laffan says.
"He will probably have a bit of inside knowledge. Whether it will benefit us or not, we won’t know until the game plays out. He’s all-in. You don’t give eight or nine months with a team unless you’re fully committed."
