Dublin v Cork
DUBLIN AND CORK have had differing starts to the season.
League champions Dublin, shorn of a number of key players, struggled in heavy conditions away to Galway.
The Rebels, benefitting from a Waterford side that lost four players before the game allied to further absentees, looked light on their feet in a round-one win.
Jimmy Barry Murphy has made just two changes as Cork visit the capital for the Spring Series fixture and has the luxury of adding the experience of Eoin Cadogan and Tom Kenny – at wing-back and midfield respectively – to this youthful side.
Anthony Daly will have plenty of emerging talents in his team too but a host of injuries – Peter Kelly, Liam Rushe, Conal Keaney, Stephen Hiney, Tomas Brady, Ross O’Carroll and David O’Callaghan – has his side as 7/4 outsiders.
And while the capital men went down to Leeside to help secure a league final date a year ago, Cork might well ensure they get to at least the semi-finals with a second NHL win in succession. Conor Lehane was the bright spark as the Rebels ran Na Deise off the field at Pairc Ui Rinn in round one and he is part of a smooth-moving forward line.
So while both teams will have a youthful look, this is an obvious game to see where they truly stand. A true test for the Rebels will be seeing how they react away from home, particularly if the going gets tough; for Dublin, a physical side who put it up to Tipperary in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final despite five major absentees, it is a case of reacting to the Galway defeat and getting the crowd vocal from early on.
But the smart money says Cork and given how well they’ve started their year, we won’t argue with the bookies.
Dublin: G Maguire; N Corcoran, P Schutte, R Treanor; M Carton, J Boland, S Durkin; J McCaffrey, D Sutcliffe; C McCormack, R O’Dwyer, S Lambert; D Treacy, S Stapleton, P Ryan.
Cork: D Óg Cusack; S O’Neill, S McDonnell, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Cashman, E Cadogan; S Óg Ó hAilpín, T Kenny; C Lehane, P Cronin, C Naughton; P Horgan, P O’Sullivan, B O’Connor.
Verdict: Cork
Waterford v Kilkenny
Fingers are already hovering over the panic button in Waterford after an uninspiring defeat to Cork on day one.
If the Munster final taught us anything last year, it was that Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh should never be moved from the centre-back slot, and new manager Michael Ryan immediately piled pressure on himself by putting his star player at centre-forward.
It did not work out and while the manager felt he needed a bit more power in a depleted forward line, it might have made more sense to put Kevin Moran up there. In any case, Brick has pointed out that 12 or 13 freshers and Fitzgibbon Cup players have returned to the fold and that should heighten their chances against Kilkenny – indeed four of those college stars return with Fitz winners’ medals.
The Cats are in ominous form at this time of year and at 1/6, the price is prohibitive. It should be, in truth, after such a convincing win over Tipperary. Then again, Waterford will say that they produced one of their finest performances of 2011 against a heavily-fancied Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-finals and, but for a couple of costly errors and some errant shooting, they might have sprung a massive shock.
Richie Power is our early vote for Hurler of the Year and while all of his 1-11 at home to Tipp came from placed balls, it is his playmaking that sets him apart – he is the successor to the professor, Henry Shefflin, who is expected back by late May/early June. TJ Reid might have been man of the match against the Premier had a few more things come off and Eoin Larkin – back doing his Leaving Cert – is quickly becoming the best full-forward in the game.
The Cats seem to have too many matchwinners not to follow through, and by more than five points.
Waterford: I O’Regan; D Fives, L Lawlor, P Mahony; T Browne, K Moran, D Prendergast; S Molumphy, P O’Brien; S Prendergast, M Walsh (captain), P Mahony; M O’Neill, S Walsh, G O’Brien
Kilkenny: E Murphy; P Murphy, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, P Hogan, C Fogarty; M Fennelly, R Doyle; TJ Reid, R Power, E Larkin; C Fennelly, R Hogan, M Ruth.
Verdict: Kilkenny
Tipperary v Galway
Tipperary lost the opening round of the league to Kilkenny for the same reasons they lost the All-Ireland final last September: a lack of intensity and a dearth of variety to their play. Putting snow on each delivery each time will only freeze forwards out of the game and it seems illogical for Tipperary to pursue this game plan given the talent they have in their team. Indeed some of the slickest moves seen by any team over the last few years have been from the men in blue and gold.
Declan Ryan spoke of how his team need to work on their style of play and that after a morale-booting Waterford Crystal Cup final win in Clare last weekend. James Woodlock’s 0-5 from midfield was the standout statistic from the win and, allied to his impressive cameo at Nowlan Park, he is paired at midfield with Brendan Maher.
For a team that has been driving so much long ball, the line-breaking Woodlock and ball-playing Maher look a good combination at eight and nine. Should they get the right service into the forwards and their half-backs not simply aim every ball for the clouds, the Premier will deliver on their favourites tag.
Galway started last year’s league with a thumping win over Wexford and 2012 opened with a confidence-imbuing victory at home to Dublin. Niall Burke stood out at centre-forward with his 0-10 (0-5f) as the Tribesmen looked in control for much of the game, winning most of the 50-50s. Indeed they allowed Dublin score just a single point from play in the second half, meaning their defence has given an early indication of promise. Damien Hayes starts at corner-forward and is still one of the most lethal forwards in the game, while Conor Cooney was another young gun to impress against the Dubs.
But we saw Tipp’s stuttering start to the league last year arrested in Galway so there will be no fear of hosting Anthony Cunningham’s men, with Fitzgibbon Cup winner Shane Bourke looking to build on his virtuoso display a year ago.
Tipp by a score or two.
Tipperary: B Cummins; D Maher, P Curran, M Cahill; J O’Keeffe, C O’Mahony, Padraic Maher; J Woodlock, B Maher; P Bourke, N McGrath, S McGrath; J O’Neill, B O’Meara, S Bourke.
Galway: J Skehill; D Connolly, D Collins, G O’Halloran; N Donohue, F Moore, T Regan; D Burke, C Donnellan; C Cooney, N Burke, I Tannian; D Hayes, J Regan, B Burke.
Verdict: Tipperary