Tailteann Cup Group Two, round two: Tipperary v Down (Sunday, Semple Stadium, 1.45pm)
DOWN wingback Danny Magill believes that they have to be ready for a Tipperary side who will be coming out ‘all guns blazing’ on Sunday.
The Mourne County got their Tailteann Cup campaign underway in routine fashion, seeing off Waterford 2-14 to 1-6 in Newry, while Tipperary are under pressure for a maiden win, having been defeated 1-19 to 0-11 by Meath.
Assuming Meath don’t lose against Waterford this weekend, a win for Down will see them secure at worst a home game in the preliminary quarter-finals.
But a trip to Tipp is never easy, even though Down won 2-11 to 1-11 when the two sides met in late January.
“I’m expecting them to come out all guns blazing,” said Magill.
“Obviously, it’s a double header with the hurling match against Limerick as well, so we know that there will be an absolutely massive Tipperary crowd.
“When we played them in the League it was very tight, we just about got out of there with two points, so they’ll be looking to rectify that, and they’ll pose a threat, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Read more: Tailteann Cup is as important as any competition: Down captain Pierce Laverty
While Down’s first voyage into the Tailteann Cup was over in the blink of an eye, as they lost 0-24 to 1-12 against Cavan last May, this time around they are right amongst the favourites to win the competition, and Magill believes that it has allowed them to bounce back, after a disappointing Ulster semi-final defeat against Armagh.
“It was good to get the quick turnaround,” he said.
“It was obviously very disappointing getting beaten by Armagh – it’s never nice losing, but especially against your next-door neighbours. But I think that the Tailteann Cup is a great idea, because it gives you games to bounce back, and it’s important for the supporters too, because it means that the season is not over so early on.
“And thankfully we were able to bounce back against Waterford. We always had the confidence that we could hurt Waterford, it was just about putting in a performance which showed that.”
Down manager Conor Laverty hasn’t been afraid to rotate his squad and give chances to an abundance of different players, as he showed by making nine changes to the team that started against Waterford, compared to the team that played against Armagh two weeks prior.
Furthermore, in the three Championship matches played so far, he has already handed out debuts to 12 players (Eamon Brown, Danny Magill, Miceal Rooney, Paddy Branagan, Eugene Branagan, Shane Annett, Charlie Smyth, Donach McAleenan, Ross Carr, Finn McElroy, Conor Fitzpatrick, Anthony Morgan).
“Our motto this year is that if you play well in training, you’re going to be in the team on Saturday or Sunday,” said Magill.
“I think that showed on Saturday past: we had Ross Carr and Paddy Branagan in, who have been flying in training. We have had a lot of injuries too, but we have had a lot of boys go back to their clubs for a few weeks and now they’re flying.
“We’re all confident in the squad and we know that even if it is rotated that we have the boys there to do the job.”
Every manager has a different approach when it comes to allowing their players to play club football at this time of year, but Magill says that Laverty’s openness to letting his squad get minutes with their club teams has built ‘camaraderie’ in the group.
“We want boys playing at the highest possible level all year long, and if that means getting a bit of game time with the club when you’re coming back from injury, then you can’t beat match fitness,” he said.
“That leads to good camaraderie between the management and the players. We’re happy to do what Conor [Laverty] asks of us; if that means going back to our club, then we’re all delighted to get that bit of gametime.”
