Offaly have edge as Under-20s take centre-stage

The championship so far has given us days that would make hurling people want to live forever.

Having said that, May hasn’t yet passed us by and flagship counties like Galway, Tipperary and Waterford have already been put into hibernation until the spring of 2025.

With only nine hurling games remaining, the GAA’s self-sabotaging, condensed season will ensure that all other teams will join them in the long hiatus very soon.

That championship takes a brief pause this weekend before the provincial and Joe McDonagh finals next weekend.

Tomorrow night, centre-stage goes to the under-20 teams of Tipperary and Offaly, who meet in Nowlan Park in Kilkenny in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.

With respect to Tipperary and their recent troubles, there isn’t a hurling neutral who doesn’t want Offaly to win. Offaly’s ticket allocation sold out in minutes. People in Offaly have gone crazy for this young team. They watched them lose a minor final in the last minute to Tipperary a couple of years ago and watched them again as they were beaten by a bigger and more physical Cork team in the All-Ireland final last year.

But the Faithful haven’t lost the faith. There were scenes of pure madness as they put Kilkenny out of Leinster. Then a series of some premature and delirious pitch invasions as they beat Dublin in the Leinster final.

Tipperary on the other hand, guided by former great Brendan Cummins, have come through a highly competitive Munster championship, notably disposing of a fancied Cork team on two occasions.

Cummins, now in his third year in charge of this team, has moulded a serious group, with the majority of players having another year at this grade, making his progress all the more admirable.

Both sides have a sprinkling of brilliant players destined for senior careers. Adam Screeney of Offaly and Tipp’s Darragh McCarthy are stand-out talents but the supporting cast on either side could be the difference.

In a way, and unfortunately for Tipp, there’s so much excitement around this Offaly team that they’re a bit like a local band playing on the same ticket as The Beatles, but they have shown this year that they’ve got what it takes through savage work-rate and guts in clutch situations.

However, Hurling Nation thinks the infectious energy of this Offaly team, bolstered by their fanatical support, will just give them the edge. Áth mór go léir.

Dónal Óg Cusack was speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland

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