GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 35 – October 6, 2015 | Page 41

3. Tipperary showed plenty of skill throughout the championship. They were far too good for Limerick and were also ahead of Waterford but were taken by surprise by Galway in a game that most definitely could have gone either way. Their defense let them down in that game when they looked as if they would drive on for another final. The loss of key player Noel McGrath – though he returned as a late sub for the semifinal – was a blow in the champiImage: gaa.ie onship and maybe lessened their overall strength. Under new management, they will be right in the thick of things again next year. 4. Waterford the surprise team of the year. They deservedly won the league and were competitive in both losses to Tipp and Kilkenny in the championship. They are a very young team. They have skill, play with intensity but too often their defensive setup deprived them of an all-powerful attack. They should improve again next season and will be one’s to watch. 5. It’s a toss-up for the last two spots but maybe Dublin just about deserve the No. 5 birth. They did play well for most of their first game against beaten finalists Galway, and showed pluck when getting past Limerick. They need to cut out over-complication in defense that cost them against Waterford and also need to settle on a best six in attack. As said last year, Dublin are a much improved team from 10 years ago and that’s a good thing. 6. Cork get in ahead of Limerick and Clare for this placing. They did well against Wexford and Clare but like last season still have major problems in defense and midfield. They weren’t helped when losing new full back Christopher Joyce to a cruciate knee injury. Cork also need more players who can win their own ball throughout the pitch. The two most disappointing teams in the championship were Clare and Limerick. The latter had shown well to run Kilkenny close in the 2014 semi-final but were very poor this season. Limerick need cutting edge up front. To this scribe the most disappointing team of this championship is Clare. Yes, they are youthful but have talent in abundance with plenty of All Ireland winning experience and cutting edge U21 players yet they have looked second tier all championship long. They had problems in the camp early on in the year and perhaps never quite recovered. Next year will be a big one for the team and an even bigger one for their manager Davy Fitzgerald. 41