1. Cracks show in Kilkenny armour
GER LOUGHNANE PULLED no punches when he said that there is “no way” this Kilkenny panel should be bidding for a third straight All-Ireland, and in yesterday’s defeat to Clare, there were hints of vulnerability that could well give the Cats’ rivals hope.
Goalkeeper Eoin Murphy and his full-back line looked edgy in the face of Clare’s direct attacks, and their failure to deal with high balls led directly to two goals in the first half alone.
Brian Cody’s side clearly missed Paul Murphy but also Conor Fogarty, one of the most underrated hurlers in the country, and last year’s All-Ireland final man of the match Michael Fennelly.
It is “only April”, and a far cry from the business end of the season, but Kilkenny can’t afford to be without too many of their big guns if they are to perform at their imperious best again.
2. Shadow boxing in Semple?
For the second year in a row, Division 1 gives us a rather novel final pairing which features neither Kilkenny nor Tipperary — only the third time since 1999 that neither county has been involved.
But whatever appetite there is for the meeting of Waterford and Clare on 1 May will be tempered by the knowledge that the sides meet again five weeks later in the Munster semi-final.
With just three wins apiece in this competition, neither county has the CV to thumb their nose at silverware. Waterford would dearly love to retain the title that provided the platform for their All-Ireland run last year, while a Clare win would see them bridge a 38-year gap for top-flight honours.
The league final provides an ideal opportunity for them to suss each other out — but will they go all out for the win, or are we set for some pre-championship shadow boxing?
3. Waterford’s goal-den touch
Earlier in the week, Waterford boss Derek McGrath admitted that his side’s lack of goals could become a burden, but equally insisted that there was no point in forcing the issue.
The Déise managed just one goal from their first six games but despite that, had enough firepower to clinch a place in the quarter-finals where they went on to dispatch Wexford.
Yesterday the floodgates opened in a second-half blitz that left Limerick reeling. Led by the superb Patrick Curran and Shane Bennett, Waterford were at their clinical best when chances presented themselves after the break and put up 3-12 as Limerick capitulated.
That second-half display will go a long way towards allaying any fears as the summer approaches.
4. Banner boost with Kelly back
Young Hurler of the Year, Hurler of the Year, and All-Ireland champion before he turned 20, Tony Kelly clearly doesn’t like to waste time.
The Ballyea superstar proved as much again yesterday when, within moments of coming off the bench, he fired over two brilliant points with the first two touches of his comeback.
After missing the majority of the league campaign with an ankle injury, it’s a huge bonus for Clare to welcome him back to competitive action before the white heat of championship battle kicks in.
With David McInerney and Conor Ryan also to come back into the mix, it looks likely that Clare will get stronger as the summer goes on.
5. Where now for Limerick?
What a difference 35 minutes makes. Limerick were well in contention against Waterford yesterday, leading into the early part of the second half and then later rallying to make a game of it after they fell behind to Shane Bennett’s penalty.
That mini-revival was as good as it got, however, and they ended up on the wrong end of an 11-point margin that will leave them facing 10 weeks of soul-searching.
Their next competitive outing comes in the Munster semi-finals against either Tipperary or Cork on 19 June, and on all available evidence they will be favourites for an early detour into the All-Ireland series.
Up until last year, they seemed to have a habit of turning poor league campaigns into unexpected summer challenges. Can they turn this season around?
– Jackie Cahill and Niall Kelly
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