I REMEMBER WHEN I was a pretentious hooer back in my college days in UCD. I used to carry around a copy of The Art of War in my backpack.
I never read more than a page or two, but there were a few quotes I learned so I could recount them while smoking reefer and sipping cans of Dutch Gold under the May sun of the late 90s.
One of my favourites was “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
I liked it. Keep schtum about what you’re up to until you are ready to pounce… and then hit them fucking hard. I thought it was great that some Chinese man was thinking of all this thousands of years ago.
Never more so were these words pertinent than as last Sunday watching the National League semi-finals.
It was a fine day to be in Croker. The sun was out in force. A good hardy wind chilled and fluttered. There was an expectant and mild atmosphere. I managed to get a couple of premium level tickets. I went searching for prawn sandwiches but came up with Guinness and carvery. We sure love the carvery, us Irish.
As the first game unfolded I was struck by how obvious the Roscommon game plan was: pass it up to the forwards and try to take scores. They seemed to run as fast as the Kerry men. They seemed to labour as much as them. They seemed as hungry to win.
But they lacked that clinical and heavy aggressive thrust to convert the chances they created. Not only that, but they tried to take on shots which the Kerry men never tried.
And the Kerry boys. Well, they were ruthless when they attacked. They were conservative with energy and exhibited sheer and relentless accuracy. This ability to strike at the right time and from the right position was the difference between the teams.
The game between Dublin and Donegal unfolded in a similar vein. It seemed as though Donegal had no idea what to do when the Dubs sat back and played them at their own game. It was a tactical master class and one which was interesting to watch. The Dubs sat deep, defended in numbers and then pounced with electric speed, incredible accuracy and intense support man running.
Sending out statements
I wondered what statement Roscommon and Donegal were trying to send out. Was it that we will play our way irrespective of getting rolled over? Was it that we will try our method and be unwilling to change in the face of destruction?
Because ending out statements is something that GAA teams love to do. As much as you talk about tactics and statistics, the psychological side of warfare comes into play massively in the annual fare that is winning.
There was no malice or cunning in either team’s play. There were no spoiler tactics. There were no confusing plays. There was no intention to hurt and lay down markers. There was no desire to cause a physical showdown to lay out the intent for the business end of the season.
When I was selected as sub for my first National League game for Dublin I felt like I was gearing up for war. And in a way I was. It was the infamous “Battle Of Omagh” in Healy Park, Tyrone. The team meetings prior to these games were intense.
We had every intention of laying down markers: no physical confrontation would be shied from. We were going to stand up and fight our ground. We would not back down and would keep on the physical front foot. If one man was in, we were all in, and we would not be found wanting.
The result on the scoreboard was not what was important that day. We were playing a completely different game. We wanted the Tyrone boys to know we would be a physical challenge when the championship came later in the year.
My point is that we had serious intention for that game. We were setting up our stall and we would not be intimidated by any other groups of players.
Last weekend Roscommon and Donegal had opportunities to lay down a similar kind of marker. The reality was I saw nothing to buck the commonly held theory that either Dublin or Kerry will be the All-Ireland champions in September.
Unless this is all part of a cunning and most deceptive master plan.
But I wouldn’t be putting too much money on that.
- John Leonard’s trials on and off the pitch are best chronicled in his book Dub Sub Confidential –Setanta Sports Book of the Year Winner. These days he writes, speaks, makes documentary films and is the founder of Sober Paddy, Five Point Five and Travel Kids Club.
