Wicklow U20 hurlers set for All-Ireland ‘B’ showdown with Tyrone

However, he insisted that his team is showing marked improvements from the 2023 campaign, which saw them knocked out by Down at the first time of asking.

Wicklow face Tyrone in the Richie McElligott Cup quarter-final on Saturday afternoon, with the Red Hands having already amassed five games through the Ulster Development League.

On the flip side, this weekend’s game in Darver will be Wicklow’s first competitive fixture of 2024, with challenge games against Carlow their only other matchday experience of the year.

The draw for the competition was completed two weeks ago, and O’Sullivan admitted the wait for fixture details confirmation has presented its own challenges.

“Waiting on a fixture, I suppose, was the biggest thing for us,” he said. “The draw was only made two weeks ago, and we didn’t get the official fixture until last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

“We’re ready to go and we are in good fettle. We have been training since January, when we were allowed to come back so we are looking forward to it now. I think it is going to be on the astro turf in Darver as well.

“We have been training on very heavy pitches up until now, you know yourself. The astro turf is going to be a bit different but that will be the same for two of us.

“Everybody wants to know who they are playing and for ourselves, preparation is not easy. Getting buses and arranging food and all this goes into it. Luckily enough we have a good admin team that are there to do it, but it is not easy on short notice.

“To be fair to the county board and our admin, it is one for another day and I would like to focus on the match. It is almost like a box ticking exercise for Croke Park, the U20, but we are there, and we have prepared as well as we can.”

Despite the lack of fixtures played in 2024, O’Sullivan declared that Wicklow have improved in a major way compared to 2023 and are ready to face Tyrone on Saturday afternoon.

“We probably got more matches last year, to be honest,” he said. “We had played a lot more matches but just with the weather and pitch availability, we haven’t been able to play that volume of games.

“The northern teams have had their own league up there which is a big help to them. We are kind of isolated down here with regards to the U20.

“We played Carlow a couple of times and had two really good games with them. We are prepared as well as we can. You never know what these teams can be.

“Tyrone performed well in the northern league as well, so it is very hard to know what to expect at this level. Half 12 on Saturday will tell us a lot.

“We have lads just out of minor who just got in on the strength and conditioning programme and that was the idea behind having John Barry in with us who was with the seniors.

“To have the same kind of programme because, ultimately, what you are getting lads through U20 for, is to get them to senior. We have a good few minors coming through who are only on that strength and conditioning end of things now and they are improving every day.

“There is a huge improvement. Ultimately, getting them ready for senior is what we are doing. We would like to get a run in the championship as well.”

The Wicklow U20s are captained by Donard-The Glen’s Ríain Waters while Glenealy’s Andrew Lynch and Ruairí O’Brien of Shillelagh-Coolboy are vice-captains.

In the other quarter-final fixtures, Down welcome Armagh to Downpatrick, Mayo make the trip to face Donegal and Sligo welcome Roscommon, with all games on Saturday afternoon.