Limerick are the team with spring in step
DESPITE John Kiely insisting otherwise, Limerick are making statements through the National League. Kiely was downplaying the effect of their routing Kilkenny in Nowlan Park yesterday (‘Not at all. That’s not really in the thinking,’ he said after the final whistle).
But cold statistics alone show otherwise. With a perfect record after three matches, Limerick have already shown that what happened in Croke Park last August was no accident.
As notable as the efficiency of the All-Ireland champions, though, is the unreliable form of the chasing pack.
Galway won with a fair degree of ease against Dublin in Salthill — but this came a fortnight after their draw with Carlow.
They are too good not to be among the leading challengers to Limerick, but have made nothing like their impression so far.
That could, of course, be by design, and those of a maroon persuasion will take that interpretation.
In a League season that is practically meaningless with no relegation or promotion between Divisions 1A and 1B, there is more room than usual for the caginess that some counties have traditionally taken into spring.
It would be a charitable reading of Tipperary’s form to suggest that they are playing rope-a-dope with everyone else, conserving their energy until it counts.
They busted a gut against Limerick in round two to no avail, and their spirited contest with Wexford saw them eased out by the close of play.
Liam Sheedy recently said he has been shocked by the increased demands placed on managers since his first spell in charge of Tipperary ended almost a decade ago.
The demands he will place on a group whose talent is not in doubt but whose fortitude is regularly questioned, will only increase as the year goes on.
There is no danger of relegation but there is another threat to Tipp — that lax form in the spring is not shaken in time for the summer.
The new highly-charged Munster Championship was one of the sensations of the Irish sporting year in 2018, and we now know that counties have little room for error.
The first round will be played in less than 12 weeks’ time, and Sheedy will not want Tipperary visiting Páirc Uí Chaoimh (or Páirc Uí Rinn) on May 12 with no discernible form to rely on.
Clare, though, could be the most deflated of the leading teams after round three of the League.
Almost all the available evidence distilled over 70 minutes on Saturday night suggested they should have beaten Cork easily. They scored 20 points, and 0-16 of that came from play.
For more than 60 of the 70 minutes, they led. And still they lost. The answer is easily found: Cork scored 1-20 and 0-16 of their total came from Patrick Horgan — and 0-15 of his haul were frees.
Clare’s indiscipline was dreadful, giving Horgan shot after shot at the posts.
Clare impressed greatly in beating Kilkenny in their previous match, and if they stop the concession of frees, they look like a side that can trouble Limerick.