HURLING ANALYST:Daly's Dublin will give it their all but it will be a huge surprise if Kilkenny and Galway don't progress, writes
NICKY ENGLISH
THEY’RE NOT going to win, but Dublin are likely to hurt Kilkenny in the sense that it’s not going to be the walkover it would have been two years ago, so they’re going to take something out of Kilkenny. There’s a finite amount of energy left in this Kilkenny team’s household names and they’ll have to expend some of it to win this.
They will also hope newer players, like TJ Reid, can re-energise the side, because, unlike in the past, when a match like this wouldn’t have imposed that many demands, Kilkenny know from last year’s Leinster final they’ll need to burn some fuel to get through Dublin.
This is despite this year having been more difficult for Dublin. They looked all right beating Tipperary in the league, but Tipp’s attitude that day in Parnell Park was not much different than it would be in Páirc UíChaoimh three months later and it got them as far.
I’ve rarely seen a team of Anthony Daly’s that hasn’t been at least if not more than the sum of its parts, but in the league they’ve been inconsistent, getting up after poor performances and dipping after good ones. So it’s in their favour that the quarter-final two weeks ago against a Laois team that could have beaten them was far from impressive.
They know they can put it up to Kilkenny and will probably play the same tactic as last year and withdraw a corner forward.
They got to the point in last year’s final where they actually had a small window of opportunity to put real pressure on Kilkenny, but Martin Comerford’s second goal closed it.
They’ll be physically fit and wired up on the day and, if they take their chances, if Alan McCrabbe is on his blow and Dotsy O’Callaghan is not affected by his injury, they can repeat that display, as it’s relatively easy for a manager of Daly’s capabilities to set up a team to be competitive.
It’s a shame David Treacy is still out, because of all the forwards I’ve been really impressed by him. But there is back-up for O’Callaghan with Liam Rushe and Peter Kelly capable of being a handful.
I’ll be really interested to see Kilkenny. They’re going for a five-in-a-row, but this is the first championship in that time which they’re starting with so much uncertainty about their form. The psychology of the fifth All-Ireland is easier than that of the fourth, but fatigue will be more of a factor.
They had a poor league and Brian Cody would have left those defeats in Thurles, Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Nowlan Park with some concerns.
Granted, he didn’t have all of his most important players due to injury and Ballyhale’s club success, but previously his teams have been able to survive those kinds of problems and still qualify for the knock-out stage of the league and take their challenge from there.
This year they just haven’t showed a whole lot of form, which means the league won’t be the useful standard for championship selection that it has been in recent years.
Noel Hickey’s back for the first time in two seasons and big-name forwards like Eoin Larkin, Eddie Brennan, Aidan Fogarty and Richie Power have had injury or form issues in the league, so this isn’t the settled pick Cody would have liked.
That said, Hickey’s return simplifies matters. Kilkenny will want JJ Delaney on the wing and Brian Hogan is the obvious number six. He’s typical of a strong, “stand-up” Kilkenny centre back like Peter Barry or Ger Henderson. I thought John Tennyson would overtake him, but that hasn’t happened, even though Tennyson, currently injured, has become important elsewhere in the team.
Of the newer forwards, Reid, who is starting tomorrow and John Mulhall, who is not have good ball-winning qualities and high work-rate, but use of the ball isn’t always their number one asset. This could be a big year for Richie Power if he can get through it fully fit and performs consistently. He’s unbelievably skilful, and could be key to the five-in-a-row.
Kilkenny might come out hungry and blow Dublin to high heaven, but I’d be very surprised if they do.
Later tomorrow, Galway are hot favourites, although Offaly have a history of upsetting their apple cart. In the latter stages of the league Galway were very good, but at times in the quarter-final against Wexford they missed a lot of chances and showed a propensity to get themselves into trouble.
David Bourke had an outstanding game in winning the ball, but his scoring ratio was nowhere near what’s needed.
On a more positive note, they’ve been showing a physicality they haven’t had and a willingness to put shoulders to the wheel even when things are going badly, which hasn’t been the hallmark of recent Galway teams.
Offaly have had a decent league and have some good hurlers, like Shane Dooley and David Kenny. They’ll be under no big pressure tomorrow, but it will be a huge surprise if we don’t end up with the Kilkenny-Galway final.
I saw Limerick in the league, and for all that their spirit and pride there’s no possibility of them beating Cork in Páirc UíChaoimh tomorrow.
To send out a weakened team because of the protracted dispute means a Munster semi-final has been rendered meaningless. Cork will win, but not even the nature of their performance will matter.
It’s a mess.
