Tipperary v Kilkenny
I was working at the game for TV3, something that affords me a good perspective on games. We had a great view of the Kilkenny defenders in the first half and the Tipp backs after the break. And looking at the result the key for me was that Tipperary couldn’t break the Kilkenny backs, no matter how many high balls they sent in.
There was two reasons for that I think.
First of all a lack of strategy and secondly the Tipperary defenders were constantly clearing under pressure. The Kilkenny forwards worked tirelessly all throughout the game. Brian Cody, you can have no doubt, demanded that the pressure was put on so their men were invariably clearing under pressure. Kilkenny just mopped it up and as well as that they worked that bit harder — whether it was hooking a man or making a run. Because of that they got the breaks.
The harder you work the luckier you get.
Tipperary boss Eamon O’Shea was rightly lauded for his efforts around the time of 2009 and 2010 and the coaching he brought to the Premier set-up. I know Jamesie O’Connor has highlighted in the build-up to this game that O’Shea didn’t show his hand in the league final defeat at Nowlan Park. But this was different to the league final and there was no discernible strategy whatsoever, as far as I could see.
You can be under no illusions, Eamon O’Shea may have been handed the reins in Tipp for three or four years or whatever it is – but he had a one-year plan in his mind. He came into this year thinking that he had the weapons to take down Kilkenny and he had the know-how. The fact that they didn’t press on in 2011 was a huge concern and to my mind was the start of their problems.
I would say now he’s immensely disappointed. He knew and felt he had the game to match Kilkenny but they were caught by Limerick. Fair enough, that wasn’t going to define their season if they beat Kilkenny, but it’s a huge setback now. There is absolutely no positives to take form the year for the Tipp management team and let’s face it you’ll probably start to see retirements now.
Some of the lads they have on the bench are very nice hurlers. But very nice hurlers don’t win you All-Irelands.
Banana skin
For Kilkenny now the challenge is to reach the level they achieved against Waterford this weekend. Kilkenny were at a level that Tipp bring out of them. They hate losing to the Premier and vice versa and this rivalry has defined the past few seasons.
The problem for the Cats now is that in the past they would have reached that pitch against anyone; these days they need to see blue and gold to get there.
Saturday is a potential banana skin; to turn around in six days is a challenge and to reach a final in September, Kilkenny will have to show as much intensity at least once if not twice again this summer. Teams are smelling more blood in the water this year and Waterford will believe that there’s a vulnerability there. But to lift it again when they’re supposed to win — that’s where the potential banana skin is.
Galway v Dublin
I was in Dublin this morning and it’s fair to say they’re cock-a-hoop. Dublin to me were a side who said to themselves we’re not going to take this any more and they hurled to win a trophy. It’s hard to play against that.
For Galway it was very, very difficult. Managers will tell you that we’re moving well in training and looking good and that’s all great but at the end of the day Galway weren’t as mentally sharp or as desperate. It just wasn’t right going into it. Dublin’s hunger, skill levels, the hurt they had in the locker… none of it was matched by Galway.
