All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship: Waterford v Down (today, Walsh Park, 2pm)
DOWN had to fight hard to get their place in the All-Ireland senior championship. Now the time has come to fight to stay in it.
As a result of a reduced intermediate championship last season, there was no automatic promotion to the O’Duffy Cup. Down, however, felt that they had served their time in the lower tier and now was the time to test themselves at the top grade.
Already this season the Mourne girls have won the Division Two league crown and retained their Ulster title last weekend, proving that the second tier has little more to offer them. Today they will appear in a senior championship tie for the first time since August 1999 when Tipperary handed them a lesson in a semi-final.
A trip to Waterford, will test if Down have what it takes to survive in the top tier.
Waterford are a team at a crossroads. For the past couple of seasons they have managed to qualify for the senior quarter-finals and seemed to be getting closer to a breakthrough semi-final appearance.
However, the truncated league format over the past couple of months wasn’t kind to the Déise women. Drawn in a group against Tipperary and Cork, it was predicted that they would be featuring in the relegation play-offs. And so it panned out – but they drew the short straw with Clare and Dublin facing each other first and the loser getting a second bite of the cherry against Waterford.
Dublin lost to Clare but atoned for that with a 1-11 to 1-10 win over Waterford meaning the Munster side was relegated to Division Two after just three games and have yet to win a match in 2021.
Another defeat, especially in Walsh Park to a new team like Down, would be unthinkable particularly given the talent available in their forward line. Players such as Allstars Beth Carton and Niamh Rockett have ambitions of reaching senior finals.
Down probably could have done without an Ulster final against Antrim last Saturday.
However a win from that game, no injuries reported and a few more of their panel getting the chance to play at that level mean that they have probably benefited from the adventure.
The Ulster final and the Division Two final a couple of weeks earlier, followed a similar pattern; Down had long periods of dominance but didn’t quite manage to put their neighbours out of the game. But they still had the resilience to come back at the death and snatch victory.
Down were able to shift gears against a Wexford side that was favourite for the Division Two title four weeks ago. Wexford hit hard in the opening 10 minutes of the league semi-final, but then Down took over and scored 11 points in succession, a huge feat against a team like Wexford.
Waterford, despite their relegation to Division Two, are a better team than Wexford and also have home venue.
It is a big ask for Down to get a draw or a win out of the trip to Walsh Park. The question most will look to see answered is whether Down can perform at this level at all.
However, Down’s preparation is as good as any team coming up from a lower tier. Their big players stand up in key games so that they have the leaders and when the leaders play to their potential, the rest of the team follows.
TODAY
All-Ireland Senior Championship (2pm, Walsh Park): Waterford v Down; (2pm, Sixmilebridge): Clare v Kilkenny; (5pm, Newcastle West): Limerick v Wexford; (5pm, Athenry): Galway v Westmeath;
TOMORROW
All-Ireland Senior Championship
(2pm, Pairc Uí Rinn): Cork v Dublin; (2.30pm, Banagher): Offaly v Tipperary
Ulster Minor Shield final (2pm, Edendork): Cavan v Donegal
4pm in Edendork: Ulster Minor Cup Final
Antrim v Derry
