Of all the potential pairings for this weekend’s All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals, none could feel more awkward to Davy Fitzgerald right now than the meeting of Wexford and Clare.
“In fairness, I know all those Clare guys, they won’t be far away,” said the Wexford manager. “It’s a hard thing to stand on the line, when you managed that team for five years, to play against them. I still have massive time and respect for them.”
Fitzgerald actually said that back in February, after his Wexford team had just beaten Clare in the fourth round of the league 0-20 to 1-13. It’s unlikely the Clare native expected to meet them again so soon – and this time with the entire season on the line.
The last time Clare played Wexford in the championship was in 2014, when Fitzgerald was managing his native county: it took extra-time in a qualifier replay to separate them (they also went to extra-time in the first game), with Wexford (then managed by Liam Dunne) winning by 2-25 to 2-22, thus ending Clare’s reign as All-Ireland champions.
They had also played during that All-Ireland winning run, Clare winning after extra-time in the 2013 qualifiers, before going on to win the All-Ireland – their first success since 1997, when Fitzgerald was playing in goal.
Fitzgerald has been here before under another guise too: back in 2010, while managing Waterford, he faced Clare in the Munster championship semi-final, and won 0-22 to 1-15.
Tricky one
“It’s a tricky one,” said Fitzgerald, this time after Wexford beat Westmeath last Saturday, thus setting up Saturday’s showdown against Clare in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. “It’s too close to my heart, and I know them well, so the less I say the better. I’ll be accused of playing this game or that game so I won’t say anything. Except if we don’t play better than we did [against Westmeath) we won’t be doing anything.”
Wexford are seeking a first All-Ireland semi-final place since 2007, Clare their first since Fitzgerald’s reign in 2013: it will be Wexford’s eighth quarter-final appearance, having won three and lost four of their previous seven. Their last win was in 2007 when they beat Tipperary, and they’ve since lost four times.
Clare are making their 13th appearance in the quarter-finals, having won five, lost five and drawn two of their previous 12.
Clare v Wexford – last five championship meetings:
2014: Wexford 2-25 Clare 2-22 aet (All-Ireland qualifier replay)
2014: Wexford 2-25 Clare 2-25 aet (All-Ireland qualifier)
2013: Clare 3-24 Wexford 1-20, after extra-time (All-Ireland qualifier)
2006: Clare 1-27 Offaly 1-15 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2005: Clare 1-20 Wexford 0-12 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
