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Post by kerrygold on Jul 14, 2017 8:51:53 GMT
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 15, 2017 11:06:03 GMT
Jackie Tyrrell
Looking at the two teams last Sunday, if you knew nothing about hurling and you were asked to pick out the team with All-Ireland medals, you certainly wouldn’t have picked Clare.
Cork were the team that played with freedom, with confidence and with swagger. Clare didn’t carry themselves like a team that has won an All-Ireland and knows it could win another.
You look at them sometimes and you wonder what did they learn from 2013? What experience do they have from winning that All-Ireland that stands to them now? What did they take from it to carry forward into the rest of their careers? In all honesty, it’s hard to put your finger on anything specific.
Tony Kelly was Hurler of the Year at 19 years of age. How has he developed since? Podge Collins was the other Clare player nominated for Hurler of the Year in 2013. Where has that player gone? Shane O’Donnell scored a hat-trick in an All-Ireland final at 19 years of age. What’s his next trick?
Clare appeared to me as though they arrived in Thurles on Sunday with a completely negative and negating mindset. They looked like a team who were obsessed with what Cork could do to them rather than what they could do to Cork. That’s a strange attitude to have when you have won an All-Ireland and the other team hasn’t.
This stuff with Anthony Nash’s bag of sliotars only feeds into that. To me, that’s pure over-thinking. They obviously had made Nash’s puck-outs a major part of their pre-game analysis and decided that was the key part of the Cork game plan that they had to target. So they set out to disrupt it.
And that’s fine, up to a point. They’d have been fools not to have a plan for Nash’s puck-outs. Any team playing Cork for the rest of the year – or for the rest of Nash’s career, in fact – should have a plan. But you’re on dangerous mental ground if your approach to the game is tilted too far on the side of what you’re going to do to throw the opposition off their stride.
Now, I’m all on for doing your homework. Big time. Don’t ignore them, see what they’re all about. Pick out their strong points, their patterns of play, where their scores come from. Know your own match-ups, decide what the key battles are going to be. No serious team goes into a game without doing this sort of basic preparation. But the key then is to use that information for reference points. You don’t build your whole game plan around it. Especially not when you have been there and done it and the other team haven’t. Clare weren’t playing Tipperary, the All-Ireland champions. They were playing Cork, who are still in the early stages of their journey. On the up, yes. But still only starting out.
On the strength of the two panels, I would have thought Clare had the better forwards. If any team was going into the game fixated about the strengths of the opposition, it should have been Cork. But that probably never entered Cork’s head. They went and played their game and got their reward.
Bring war Clare needed to pay Cork the respect they were due, not a penny more. Analyse them thoroughly and then, a week or 10 days out from the Munster final, push them to the back of their minds. The attitude for the week of the game needed to be: “Alright lads, Cork are boxed off here, we have that bit sorted. Now it’s time look inward and be ruthless in preparing ourselves. Focus on what we are going to do”.
You are Clare. Going into a Munster final. Where is your head for it? What does it mean to you? That week has to be about consuming yourself with how you are going to go at the opposition. Make a plan to bring war to them, to tear them to shreds, to make them wish they never saw another Clare jersey this lifetime. If that’s your focus all week, then there’s no way you’re thinking about a bag of sliotars.
The really telling thing about Clare’s approach was their strategy for Nash’s puck-outs was so passive. It was all about negating the influence of Conor Lehane and, in fairness, they achieved their aim on that score. But the way they went about it carried no aggression and no threat.
Instead, it allowed the Cork defenders to play their way into the game and work out a way around them. By backing off, Clare just gave Cork a different attacking route. The question has to be, why give them any at all? They gave Nash an out ball, mostly to Damien Cahalane. The psychology of that for Cahalane is worth examining. If you’re targeting a player in that way, you’re basically saying you don’t fancy his ability to strike the ball 70 yards. You’d want to be fairly sure he’s going to live down to your expectations.
Clare fans saw Ger Loughnane’s team as real men, who even when they had a rare off-day would die on their backs for the cause. I don’t see that on the pitch with this Clare team.
When I was playing in the full-back line, all I craved in the early part of a game was a handy ball to settle the nerves. What more could you want? A pass from your goalkeeper with nobody near you. Turn and hit it and start the attack. And if a point comes off it, you’re delighted. You’re in the game. You get a shout from your wing-back – “That’s your score, Jackie”. You drive on, confidence growing.
Clare didn’t carry themselves like a team that has won an All-Ireland and knows it could win another. I remember going to training with the club after Kilkenny games and Fan Larkin always on to me saying: “When ye get a free in the full-back line, make sure you hit it. Don’t be letting McGarry come out and take it, that’s your ball”. He gave two reasons. One, it’s good for your confidence. And two? “Fellas will see you hitting frees on the telly or in the crowd and they’ll subconsciously think you must have had a right game because you were on the ball a good bit.” And he was right!
What is Damien Cahalane thinking when Clare are giving him every ball? Well, he has a choice. He can let it get to him that they consider him to be a weak link or he can decide he’s going to make them regret it. Maybe in other years, when he was struggling for form and confidence, he would have taken the first option. But in 2017, with his confidence growing from game-to-game and Diarmuid O’Sullivan having his back, he drove on and stuck it to Clare. Inspirational breakout
Giving him that room backfired on Clare. Cork scored 0-7 from short puck-outs, mainly through balls played down their left flank by Cahalane. Anybody wondering what that did for Cahalane’s confidence only has to think of his inspirational breakout from defence at the end of the game.
He must have run 80 yards with the ball on his stick, the whole stadium rising to roar him on as he went. It screamed confidence. Can you imagine him doing that last year? More to the point, can you imagine him doing it if Clare hadn’t let him ease himself into the game by giving him 20 yards of space from all those puck-outs? I couldn’t understand why Clare never changed it up. They seemed to stick rigidly to their game plan, as if there was no other option. But that just tells me that they were too focused in the build-up on Cork, so much so that they couldn’t bring themselves to break away from it in the game.
But a game plan is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a plan for the game. If the game starts going in a different direction to what you’ve planned, you have to change it. And it’s players who have to do the changing. In the middle of an intense Munster championship game, they can’t be looking to the sideline to ask if they can change their shape. That has to happen on the pitch. They have to have on-field generals who dictate this.
Tony Kelly, John Conlon, whoever it is – one of them has to take the others by the scruff of the neck and go: “Right, next puck-out – Shane O’Donnell split the 2 and the 3, Conor McGrath split the 3 and the 4. Push up and be cute. Everybody else take a man each and we drop the spare man in front of Lehane. Work”.
Nobody can say they saw genuine belief in either the Clare team or the crowd on Sunday. They never gave the impression that they were convinced they could win.
They didn’t do any of that. They just kept going the way they were going and Cork kept doing what they were doing. Even when Conor McGrath got his goal, you were thinking: “Now, go for it. Push up on them”.
But they didn’t. And even though Tony Kelly got the next point, it was cancelled out within seconds by Alan Cadogan, again directly from a short Nash puck-out and this time Colm Spillane with space and time to drive it long.
Sometimes you have to break it down to brass tacks. What is the identity of this Clare team? Are they a short-passing team? Are they a pacy team with movement and speed, only using the long ball option if they run out of options out the field? Because to me they seem confused.
Totally outnumbered I believe this confusion has left the Clare supporters frustrated and fed up. They were totally outnumbered last Sunday. Where was the Clare support for this team? If this was the Clare team of old, supporters would go to war outside in the square in Thurles just to get a ticket to go follow Ger Loughnane’s heroes. They saw them as real men, who even when they had a rare off day would die on their backs for the cause.
I don’t see that on the pitch with this Clare team. A key moment for me on Sunday was Patrick Horgan’s hit on Pat O’Connor – and especially its aftermath. The hit itself showed what Cork were up for. Horgan wouldn’t be one of the most physical Cork players but he showed he was prepared to get in there and lay a hit on one of Clare’s main men. Nothing passive, no backward steps.
You have to stand up for your team. I don’t see a lot of that from Clare and I don’t see the Clare public supporting them like they once did
Where was the Clare response? Horgan got a yellow card and maybe could have got more for the hit. But whatever the ref gave him, I didn’t see too many Clare players coming in for their own say on the matter. He’s not that kind of player? So what? He still did it and the Clare lads didn’t react. If that was the Clare team of old, he’d be on the ground.
You have to stand up for your team. I don’t see a lot of that from Clare and I don’t see the Clare public supporting them like they once did. I don’t think anyone can say they saw genuine belief in either the team or the crowd on Sunday. They never gave the impression that they were convinced they could win.
Going into a Munster final with Tipperary and Waterford out of the picture, I find it very hard to get my head around that.
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Post by delorean on Jul 17, 2017 12:02:01 GMT
He is a great footballer indeed. I didn't know he played soccer. It would be great if Galway or Wexford or Waterford or Clare could win the 2017 All Ireland before Cork take over for the next five years. Jeez calm down Mick! There's nothing much to suggest this. Tipp should have beaten us in the minor semi final and have an array of talent coming through. Limerick will be expected to beat us with a bit to spare in the U-21 final. It is a good opportunity for some of the less successful counties this year though, so I take your point. Clare could be dangerous opposition for Tipp on Saturday I think if they're not fully at it.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 17, 2017 12:25:20 GMT
Tipp seem happy enough to pick one off every four or five years. KK are gone back. Cork with its tradition will expect to beat everyone else bar those and they will want to be the dominate hurling county again.
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Post by delorean on Jul 17, 2017 12:38:30 GMT
Things are definitely looking a bit rosier than they did some months back but I find it hard to envisage an imminent period of dominance. Tipp should have won more in recent times alright but the facts are that they've had a similar amount of success as ourselves throughout history, so there's little to suggest we're more capable of a period of dominance than they are. They're still the team to beat for me this year despite the bookies favouring Galway right now, but they're capable of imploding too and beating themselves. Once they get over Saturday they'll be back where they need to be though.
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Post by glengael on Jul 22, 2017 8:42:29 GMT
Tipp will be hoping to continue on the road back this evening. Clare must come out and really play. A repeat of the Cork display and it will be curtains by half time.
Waterford / Wexford looks intriguing too. Maybe Waterford have that bit more experience and are more battle hardened. Finally seeing off Kilkenny will have done wonders for their confidence. Wexford beat a slightly different KK team and what have they learned from losing to Galway one wonders?
Marty and his dazzling Blue Jacket will have some great days out either way.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 22, 2017 9:51:07 GMT
This is the first year since since i think twas 1887 that KK didn't do what in the hurling championship?
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 22, 2017 9:57:35 GMT
I hope we get two games where puckouts go long and are contested and we get a bit of old fashioned cutting in it.
Clare need Tony Kelly so much that if he is off form they are half a team. Tipp have too many options and it's hard to see past them assuming they start defending in packs like last year.
Waterford are on the go longer and after beating KK they should survive this. Looking forward to see Lee Chin in action. He is in brilliant form
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Post by veteran on Jul 22, 2017 21:22:29 GMT
There were times today when one felt that Tipp were going to waltz their way home. That they did not, while some credit must go to Clare's spirit, reflects poorly on them as a team. Doubtless they have some sublime forwards but they have no chance against Cork and particularly against Galway with that full back line and Paraic Maher aside their half back line seems a little on the porous side as well. They seem to be only a shadow of what they were last year. Kilkenny in their pomp,would have killed off that Clare team with a goal or two once they had built up a six point lead. That new goalie looks a little dodgy too.
What has happened Clare since 2013 when they won senior and minor? Back then , Tony Kelly looked as if was going to be one of the players of his generation. Today he was taken off after being poor in the club final.as well. Tony seems to personify Clare's free fall. They seem to be poor at underage level as well this year. Sadly, they could be pushed to the wings again by a Cork resurgence.
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Post by MrRasherstoyou on Jul 23, 2017 6:01:46 GMT
Yet again I can't help but say, what a tragic decline and waste it has been to watch, this Clare squad since 2013.
Tipp may yet have found a way to defend an All-I with this gradual gaining of form and momentum. A year too early for Cork maybe. Waterford to beat Wexford but can't see them beat Tipp or Galway. Whoever wins from the latter two for me. Will Galway have a better chance?
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Post by playitfair on Jul 23, 2017 9:56:24 GMT
For me, it has to be Galway. Agree with the above analysis. For the romantics Waterford have a squeak.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 23, 2017 10:12:12 GMT
Clare lost 4 points just before half time from poor puckouts from their own keeper. It put clear blue water between them going in at half time.
How ironic for Donal Og who make the accurate puck out an art form.
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Post by glengael on Jul 23, 2017 10:16:34 GMT
This is the first year since since i think twas 1887 that KK didn't do what in the hurling championship? Play in Croke Park?
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Post by kerrygold on Jul 23, 2017 10:32:27 GMT
At least Clare dined at the top table and achieved it on a fraction of the money pumped into Dublin hurling!
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 23, 2017 11:12:09 GMT
This is the first year since since i think twas 1887 that KK didn't do what in the hurling championship? Play in Croke Park? This is the first year since 1887 that KK didn't play championship hurling on a Sunday
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Post by MrRasherstoyou on Jul 24, 2017 7:02:36 GMT
At least Clare dined at the top table and achieved it on a fraction of the money pumped into Dublin hurling! My comments about Clare the last few years have never been to have a dig at them, I have very close personal ties there, and I had been truly very excited about what they would do after the breakthrough. I just feel terribly sad for both them and for hurling that it just hasn't happened at all since. And a county that would really have appreciated the success more than some. I also feel a bit sad that Dublin hurling hasn't made the senior county breakthrough as such, yet, but at the bottom line I feel very, very happy about the culture of hurling (and the many spin-offs/related things) that has come about in the city from the investment, especially in places that for so long were sadly neglected or lacking the GAA culture.
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Post by veteran on Jul 24, 2017 8:34:40 GMT
I made the journey to Cork yesterday to run the rule over Pairc Ui Chaoimph. Assessment? When I got in I felt the same way as I did when I walked into the revamped Croke Park- magnificent. It is best described as a scaled back version of Croke Park. I am simply amazed that an amateur organisation on an island off Europe with no world body to subsidise them can build stadia like these while the IRFU and FAI , offshoots of filthy rich world organisations, had to come cap in hand for a loan of GAA property. It suggests to me that we are dealing with a financially prudent body who plough millions into grounds all over the country even though they are often castigated from from without and indeed from within as the "grab all association". My advice to the GAA- grab every euro that comes your way and let the begrudgers phone Joe Duffy. One could not but feel pride at visiting the new house GAA invited us to yesterday. Personally, I got a sense of satisfaction at thinking that some of the money garnered from Sky went towards the cost of this enterprise. I am sure there are some here who feel I should wash out my mouth after saying that!
My hope now is that we win the staging of the rugby world cup and I look forward to the GAA squeezing the World Rugby Union for every euro available. That is the way of commerce.
Incidentally, I parked my car in the Ballinlough Road area leaving me with an effortless walk of about fifteen to twenty minutes. In other words, no problem with access. I do appreciate of ocurse that a twenty minute walk is murderous for some of our younger folk who, when shopping, like to park their car in the foyer of their local supermarket.
The game itself was of moderate quality. It started, as most hurling games do, in an explosive fashion. Very quickly it degenerated into an aimless game of ping pong. It is stating the obvious that the goal before half time was crucial. Waterford also made a couple of decisive changes in the second half, particularly the introduction of Maurice Shanahan. He won a lot of possession and scored as well. I was expecting more form the poster boys of both teams, Austin Gleeson and Lee Chin. Apart from a wonderful over the shoulder point in the first half Austin was largely a peripheral figure. In his defence he got a very early yellow card and this may have impacted on him. Lee Chin was more involved for Wexford but he too did not dominate. I was surprised that he was nominated as one of the players of the match on The Sunday Game.
Talking about the Sunday Game, Tomas is still shamelessly canvassing for Billy Morgan and " a team around him". Who might that include I wonder? Next up , according to the naive Tomas, would be another Nemo Rangers man, Stephen O'Brien. Tomas, have you any self respect allowing yourself to be used in this fashion? Any self respecting County Executive would ignore this farrago. I expect the CCB will do precisely that.
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Post by kerrygold on Jul 24, 2017 9:24:35 GMT
Two what should be two epic semi finals coming up. Galway v Tipp Cork v Waterford
The Sky money is so small it might have bought one of the crossbars in the new PUC.
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Jigz84
Fanatical Member
Posts: 2,017
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Post by Jigz84 on Jul 24, 2017 9:32:33 GMT
The standard of hurling was abysmal over the weekend. The amount of unforced errors and the quality of shooting was dire. Clare really did beat themselves.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 24, 2017 10:04:05 GMT
The possession game resulting from the short puckout removes the physicality and hooking and blocking that made hurling great. Its an eyesore.
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Post by Mickmack on Jul 24, 2017 10:14:41 GMT
The professional players of the IRFU and FAI consume most of the money in those organisations. The GAA dont pay the players so the money is available for development of the games and facilities. This seems an important point to me at any rate. The SKY money is indeed tiny and virtually irrelevant.
The GAA do deserve great credit however for all its achievements and for providing a sense of community etc in every corner of Ireland. Not to mention the health benefits of getting kids to play sports at an early age. Taking the VAT of hurleys would be a token of appreciation by Government for all of that.
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 2, 2017 21:20:09 GMT
In 2015 Galway beat Tipp by a point in the semi final.
In 2016 Tipp won by a point in the semi final ..but Joe Canning was gone off injured for most of the second half.
Jackie Tyrrell says Tipp will win this one.
Tipp have big problems in the fullback line and dont seem as united as in 2016.
Its Galway for me.
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Post by kerrygold on Aug 2, 2017 21:29:14 GMT
Richie Power going for Tipp also. Looks like one of those Sundays one stays in to watch a hurling game. Haven't watched any this year to date.
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Post by kerrygold on Aug 3, 2017 7:55:28 GMT
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 3, 2017 9:23:38 GMT
Harry Kehoe did complain to the linesman who was yards away that his helmet was pulled.
The linesman called the ref. Red card.
De Burca is a great clean player who has never been in trouble before to my knowledge.
Hard to see how he will get to play however.
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Post by buck02 on Aug 3, 2017 10:21:30 GMT
Harry Kehoe did complain to the linesman who was yards away that his helmet was pulled. The linesman called the ref. Red card. De Burca is a great clean player who has never been in trouble before to my knowledge. Hard to see how he will get to play however. I dont think it is. Compare it to Connolly against Mayo a few years ago. That was way more clean cut. And he got off. If Waterford can afford the best legal eagles then De Burca will play.
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Post by veteran on Aug 3, 2017 16:14:15 GMT
In spite of being at the match I was too far away from the Tadgh De Burca incident to comment on what happened. However, if he did pull the helmet and if this is deemed a red card indiscretion how can there be grounds for rescinding the card? It was silly on his part because Waterford were the masters at that stage. It is a shame that he misses out but if he did the crime etc.
Am I right in thinking that Podge got a red card some years ago for that offence?
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Post by kerrygold on Aug 4, 2017 7:51:18 GMT
Harry Kehoe did complain to the linesman who was yards away that his helmet was pulled. The linesman called the ref. Red card. De Burca is a great clean player who has never been in trouble before to my knowledge. Hard to see how he will get to play however. I dont think it is. Compare it to Connolly against Mayo a few years ago. That was way more clean cut. And he got off. If Waterford can afford the best legal eagles then De Burca will play. Looks like the legal eagles will be required. www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2017/0804/895156-de-burca-fails-at-cac-level/
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Post by Mickmack on Aug 4, 2017 23:01:35 GMT
Tadhg de Búrca ‘must have a good chance’ of being cleared says former DRA secretary Friday, August 04, 2017 - 11:02 pm
Former Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) secretary Jack Anderson says that Waterford star Tadhg de Búrca ‘must surely have a good chance’ of being exonerated for an All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final against Cork tomorrow week, reports Jackie Cahill.
Well-placed Waterford sources confirmed tonight that manager Derek McGrath will go all the way with de Búrca’s case, and request a DRA hearing to take place as soon as possible.
The influential defender was sent off against Wexford in the All-Ireland quarter-final for interfering with Harry Kehoe’s headgear.
The offence carries a one-match ban, ruling the Clashmore/Kinsalebeg out of the Cork tie.
De Búrca was unsuccessful at Central Hearings Committee (CHC) and Central Appeals Committee (CAC) levels this week – and has just one other avenue of appeal remaining.
Anderson, who lectures in sports law and is a Professor of Law at Queen’s University, Belfast, has Waterford family connections.
And writing on his Twitter page yesterday, he said: “Admit to bias (wife and in-laws are blaas (*Waterford slang*) and maybe clouding judgement but Tadhg de B must surely have a good chance at DRA?
“Was TdB deliberately dangerous? If so, wouldn’t video be conclusive and compelling as to intent? Is it? (NB my blaa bias).”
He added: “De Búrca at DRA: helmet rule not strict liability; must be deliberate; is video compelling enough to override ref’s report?”
Jack Anderson Waterford will hope that de Búrca can escape on a technicality – as the infraction he was cited for a category III (iv) infraction, specifically ‘behaving in any way which is dangerous to an opponent, including deliberately pulling on or taking hold of a faceguard or any part of an opponent’s helmet (in hurling).’
Waterford will argue that the offence wasn’t ‘deliberate’ – and that their sweeper should be cleared – but as Anderson indicated, they must provide video evidence compelling enough to back up their case.
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Post by kerrygold on Aug 6, 2017 14:25:05 GMT
Big crowd building in Croker, this one could be thunderous if it catches fire!
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