Duggan: 'It is going to be a massive game'
Bobby Duggan pictured at the Bord Gais Energy All Ireland U21 Hurling Championship launch.
By Cian O'Connell
These are interesting times for Clare, who enter the Munster Hurling Championship loaded with optimism.
Despite a lengthy injury list Clare still had the depth and dynamism to claim the Allianz League title which was a ‘significant’ boost according to Bobby Duggan.
“It was significant in terms of the camp because in the last few years we were unlucky in some results,” Duggan commented. “Even last year against Kilkenny losing out by a point and then in the Championship the matches with Cork and Limerick there was only a few points in them games.
“It resulted in looking like us having a bad year. This year even the last day we came out on top by a point. I think that has made a difference to us.
“We are on the right end of the results this year rather than just being off the mark last year. It has built confidence and lads have got an opportunity this year with lads being injured. They've had the opportunity to go to play, to express themselves.”
The manner of the league final replay success when Tony Kelly inspired a stunning revival offered hope too. “In the last few years we have lost by a point and stuff,” Duggan admits. “This year we keep hanging in there and hoping that results will come our way.
“That is a massive part of the game. That is a massive part of the game, you need to stay going until the bitter end. Through the years you can see that there are big upsets. Even Domhnall O'Donovan with that magic point in 2013 which helped us go on to win the All Ireland, you have seen things happen before.
Bobby Duggan impressed for Clare during the Allianz Hurling League.
“You can always expect it to happen if you are prepared for it. Grinding out wins is a massive part of the game. You mightn't be deserving of them some days, but if you get them there are hugely important and huge for confidence building.”
With another Waterford tussle imminent Duggan accepts that Davy Fitzgerald has difficult selection decisions to make this summer. “Yeah, competition has massively stepped up, we saw the likes of Tony (Kelly) coming on the last day having a huge game,” Duggan said. “Before that I was playing myself so trying to get back into them spots I think is going to be tough.
“Competition has really stepped up this year and I think it has benefitted us a huge amount. You can see that because we are playing competitive games between ourselves in training, there is a huge difference.”
Winning a provincial crown is a burning ambition for this exciting crop of Clare players. “It is going to bring a lot of emphasis into the Championship,” Duggan acknowledges.
“We know what to expect from Waterford so there is going to be a huge clash in that game. I think it is going to be a massive game in terms of the year for both teams.
“We will go into it knowing what to expect from Waterford too, but we hope we are on the right end of the result because it would give us a huge chance of winning Munster. When we won the All Ireland I know we went through the back door, but we hope to rectify that to get a Munster medal for everyone on the panel.”
