‘It is great to be part of a big day,’ Tipperary manager ‘Woody’ looks ahead to the minor final

This coming Monday evening the Tipperary minor hurlers will take the field in the Munster minor hurling final for the first time since 2022.

That day the final went to a penalty shootout with Tipperary emerging victorious and going on to win the All-Ireland. Clare won the minor All-Ireland a year later. Now in summer time 2024 both counties meet again in another title decider and a similiar rollercoaster as the 2022 final was, can be expected.

This week Tipperary manager James Woodlock is busy assessing players and making sure they are primed for a ‘right good go’ on the big day.

He told me this week that he is loving his role as Tipperary manager and that he couldn’t ask for more from his players than they have given so far:

“We are really happy to be there after a really difficult Munster campaign with quality outfits in it.

“Again like, four of the five are still in the All-Ireland series which is brilliant for minor hurlers and the for us working in development in Tipperary, so really we are delighted to be where we are using 25 players in championship hurling already.

“It’s great to be part of a big day in the campaign and all the different variables,” the Drom-Inch native says.

The players involved are from across the county and the months of training is paying off: “These players have put in a phenomenal effort for so long. They have a massive shift put in and they are a tight knit group. They want to win for Tipperary. That is the one thing I always notice at training,” the former county hurler says.

Tipperary go into the final off the back of a close defeat to Clare in the round robin format. This time around Tipperary will be prepared as James Woodlock feels his side is ready to take the upper hand this time:

“Our opponents Clare have beaten us in championship already so they are a quality side. They play really defensively and attack by running at you so we are under no illusions of the task ahead but we are well equipped to meet that.”

This year four of the Munster teams - Cork, Waterford, Tipp and Clare - will have more games as there is a new format for the All-Ireland series. So is it a good sytem?

I asked James Woodlock for his take: “When your winning you’d love to say no because when you beat a team you’d like to see them gone, but I think it is.

“I really do believe it is a brilliant system. At the end of the day the best teams will always come through but it does allow for overexposure of your panel of players and ultimately thats what it is about - developing these players going forward. 

“I think it is a brilliant championship and there is no development when you play one game and only 17 or 18 players get game time. We are probably a little over a month into our championship now with 25 players after gracing the field of championship hurling. 

“They now have an understanding of what it is like and experience of the big stage. As it is, it allows you to settle a team and use a lot of players to settle on the right mix.”

It is a major time for Tipperary teams who all play huge games over the next while. On Saturday the Tipperary footballers play in Thurles, on Sunday the hurlers play the same venue, then the minors on Monday and it follows on that the Under 20s play over the coming while too.

Like other Tipperary supporters, ‘Woody’ is looking forward to that: “Semple Stadium is a sell out on Sunday, I can’t wait for that. Our seniors performed extremely well in Walsh Park against Waterford. Now it’s Cork and they will be tricky opponents.

“The minors play in the Munster final on Monday night before our 20s play in their Munster final. 

“It is great for the Under 20s and minors to have that to look forward to and it is my job to send those minors through well prepared for Under 20 level so we would love to see support for all the teams and give the generations a chance to see what type of players are coming through for Tipperary in the coming years. Roll on the final.

“These kind of matches are what it is all about.”