TRIBE WON’T BE CAUGHT OUT
I HAVE never seen the game as universally acclaimed as right now. This summer has to do wonders in terms of promoting hurling. There must be an outpouring from kids to be exposed to the game, no matter what county they are from.
I’m not into knocking other codes – I played Gaelic football, rugby and love watching different sports – but I’ve been talking to many county footballers, present and past, who are very concerned about Gaelic football as a spectacle now.
Hurling has only pointed up the difference. The game has never felt sexier.
Given how Offaly needed eight games to win, the parallels with 1998 are being drawn, especially given how so many counties have a competitive chance of winning, just like then.
From the start of the summer I said Limerick had the strongest panel in the country and I had never seen Munster as competitive with all five counties of a similar level. Just look at how the competition hinged on Jake Morris hitting the post for Tipperary and Clare scoring a goal down the other end to effectively knock out the Premier County.
It’s a massively positive time – the only quibble I would have after last weekend is both knock-out All-Ireland semi-final games going to extra-time while the Leinster final, not a knock-out game, goes to a replay. How does that square up?
Clare’s Peter Duggan was just one of the players who was immense with that individual point for the ages. Joe Canning’s performance was also outrageous – six frees, six points from play, and two line balls. I always felt that if Galway got an injury at three or six, it was a game-changer. And
after the injury to Gearóid McInerney, that could well be the case for the replay. Canning jarring his knee is another factor that makes this one hard to call. The team revolves around Daithí Burke and McInerney in the centre of the defence, David Burke at midfield and Canning at centreforward.
Clare made a simple move in bringing back Colm Galvin in the first half as sweeper and it changed the game. If you are Waterford or Wexford and go with a sweeper every time, teams will set up to take it apart. It’s the flexibility that Clare showed that caught Galway off guard.
Clare were in a dire situation when the move was made but Galvin was outstanding in the role. He had something of the order of 19 possessions when he went back there. Five or six scores came off him, and he played a part in Clare’s goal. His use of the ball was outstanding. Add in the power of Conlon, the speed of Shane O’Donnell and the threat of Tony Kelly and Clare will come into this with real confidence.
It’s the first time Galway manager Micheál Donoghue was really caught out. Even after the sweeper went in, Galway never changed a thing. They kept lumping direct ball down the field, whether from the puck-out or aimed at Johnny Glynn.
From winning 80 per cent of the ball in to the forward line, that stat dropped to 20 per cent.
Now they have time to think their way around a sweeper if Clare go with one.
Galway’s injuries make it a tough one to call but I don’t see them getting caught on the hop a second time.