Galway and Tipperary set for Allianz League shootout at Salthill

Liam Sheedy was quick to play things down when one reporter put it to him last Sunday that tomorrow’s trip to Galway is a “huge game”.

“Ah, lookit,” said the Tipperary boss, “I don’t think any game on March 8 is a huge game but lookit, it’s a knock-out game and what I would probably consider a preliminary quarter-final.

“For us, it’s great to have that level of competition. I don’t think any of us would look forward to Salthill if we had nothing to play for.”

The permutations are fairly straightforward here. A win for either side would see them join Limerick and Waterford in the knockout stages from Division 1A. A draw would be enough for Tipperary given that they boast a healthier scoring difference than Galway, who they sit level on four points with.

A quarter-final against Wexford or Kilkenny next weekend awaits whoever gets the result required.

Tipperary were sluggish for much of last Sunday’s win over Waterford and benefited from their opponents’ wastefulness and the fact that they had two players sent off to Tipp’s one.

Sheedy suggested that Tipp’s lethargy was down to their “heavy training schedule trying to make up the ground that we lost early on” having returned to the field later than others due to the team holiday at the turn of the year.

Tipperary haven’t won the League since 2008 and if they get through this they could well build up a head of steam but they were unimpressive for most of the competition last year and still found their feet come Championship.

After getting their first win of note against Cork last Sunday, Galway can sneak another.

VERDICT: Galway