Midway through the first half of Sunday’s league match in Ennis, Limerick hurling coach Paul Kinnerk walked casually down the steps of the Cusack Park stand and on to the sideline, summoning towards Darragh O’Donovan during a break a play.
Without a hint of urgency or alarm, Kinnerk leaned over and whispered a few words into O’Donovan’s ear, followed by one simple hand gesture, like a professor might do to a student in a moment of quiet studious contemplation.
At that stage Limerick were a couple of points in front, though still struggling it seemed to get their mojo working. Whatever about any pressing need or desire for the All-Ireland hurling champions to secure a first league victory this season – their three opening defeats followed by Sunday’s draw with Clare – Kinnerk’s action was suitably telling: there is no urgency and certainly no alarm about it, even if time is starting to run away.
Kinnerk has been the brains behind a lot of Limerick’s approach to winning three All-Irelands in the last four years: he recently completed a PhD in the University of Limerick in the area of pedagogy (the method and practice of teaching) in sport, and in December co-authored a paper entitled ‘An investigation of high-performance team sport coaches’ planning practices’, published in Sports Coaching Review.
Limerick’s task of winning a first league game will continue on Sunday week when they host Offaly in the last round of Division 1A. Unless they lose that, and find themselves in the relegation playoff, their next competitive game will come just four weeks’ later, when they travel to Páirc Uí Chaoimh to face Cork in the Muster hurling championship round-robin.
That also being Easter Sunday, it may also be the resurrection of sorts that Limerick are waiting for since their All-Ireland last August. For Limerick manager John Kiely, Sunday's draw with Clare – 0-18 apiece – did mark some progress of late, even if they're way off their usual scoring tallies, with a scoring difference of -18, compared to the +43 of Division 1A leaders Cork.
Kiely is pointing to some of the simple things – “their flow, their touch” – again with no sense of urgency. “Listen, they will come, with more training, with more work, with the longer evenings as well, that touch that sharpness will come.”
Sunday's draw did come with another cost: captain Declan Hannon limped off after 29 minutes holding his right hamstring, and it appeared Cian Lynch was fortunate to see out the game after he rode a sliding tackle in the first half that carried him on to the astroturf,. It resulted in some visible carpet burn, mild compared to the knock in the head he received later in the half.
Lynch also needed medical attention in the second half, the 2021 Hurler of the Year apparently missing some of his usual flow. He didn't have an open scoring chance and was well marshalled by John Conlon as the game progressed
The pressing concern for Kiely is getting as many of his All-Ireland winning panel back as possible in time for Easter Sunday. Hannon’s hamstring injury does not appear to be serious. “He [Declan]\ is fine, “ said Kiely, “just a little pinch in his hamstring, nothing major, only a grade one, a low grade one, so only a week to 10 days.”
Kyle Hayes didn't travel to Ennis due to a similar injury, defender Seán Finn also absent due the concussion sustained against Cork the previous week.
“Seán is good, still recovering from concussion after the belt he got last week [against Cork], so he’s hopefully going to resume training, and resume contact next weekend. We’ve just to got to be cautious on that. Kyle just got a hamstring pinch on Tuesday night, again nothing serious, just a low grade one.”
Mike Casey was named among the replacements, his brother Peter still in the advanced stages of recovering from the cruciate ligament tear sustained in the All-Ireland win over Cork after scoring five points from play. Two months later, fellow forward Barry Murphy injured his cruciate playing for his club Doon and also required surgery.
Newcomers Cathal O'Neill and Adam English flanked Aaron Gillane on Sunday, showing their scoring potential in flashes (0-1 each).
For Kiely, the return of Casey, his physical presence and experience, would unquestionably be welcomed come the tail-end of the round-robin competition in May.
“Look, Peter is on a different journey, has a good ways to go yet. And Barry Murphy with him. But they’re making great progress, we’re very, very happy with the work they’re doing. And the next step for Mike [Casey] is to fight his way back into the starting team.
“One thing we all know is you’ll be rewarded for working hard and working your way through it, and I know that these players and we as a management team are totally committed to working through that.”
Limerick return to Ennis on May 15th, facing Clare on the penultimate Sunday of the round-robin championship.
