And we’re left with two!
Another weekend of hurling which was fascinating in different aspects.
Saturday evening between neighbours Waterford and Kilkenny was a rollicking roller-coaster match which probably fairly reflects the position of both counties. Kilkenny, lucky enough to stand on the threshold of an All-Ireland final, but game enough to need a fair effort to get past them.
The Cahill/Bevans’ brigade an entirely different and less predictable prospect. In between the lowlands they have visited in the past 25 years Waterford’s story has beten laced with days of wonder. Days when anything seemed possible. There were times when the goalposts were 40 feet wide, the very pitch itself reduced to a postage stamp. Last Saturday night they managed to visit both places – the magical place of wonder where they brook no holding, and the jittery state of bad decision-making which makes them vulnerable against any team in the top tier.
Austin Gleeson, to a fair extent, personifies this cleaved tendency. Prone to poor decisions which renders the execution of his skills irrelevant, but then impacting a game like few players can. He might be contrasted with the solidity and robust decision-making of TJ Reid who admittedly is enhanced by an almost supernatural facility to win possession. Of course, when Reid was the age Gleeson is now, he was not such a compelling presence. Experience is a great teacher. In the meantime, when Stephen Bennett, Tadhg de Búrca et al are in full swing even being in the top 3/4 Waterford players is a more immediate challenge. This game where Waterford – eventually – burst into life and Kilkenny fought on their backs to hold back the tide was in stark contrast to the relatively sterile clinical encounter on the Sunday.
Limerick and Galway have played four games each this championship and averaged 27 and 25 points, respectively. They both drew blanks on the goals front in three of their four games. Yet, both scored three goals against Tipperary. Does that make the Tipperary defence shambolic? Not necessarily. These teams also scored their lowest number of points against the Blue and Gold, albeit not by much.
There is no doubt about the efficiency of Limerick and many top teams. In an era when all manner of information is measured performance in the aspects measured is bound to improve. To what end it improves of course is another matter. When you see a goalkeeper pucking to a full-back and then receiving the ball back before playing it long anyway you wonder at the futility of it all. Presumably, this ticks a box as a ‘won’ puck out since, by definition, it reached a player from your team, but is it meaningful? Galway’s puckout ultimately collapsed and credit where it’s due, this was caused in no small part by Limerick’s ‘pressing’ where the defenders were under pressure immediately on receiving possession. Not a time or place for jittery hands and Galway paid a heavy price and gave us a unique All-Ireland pairing to ponder.
Can Tipp and Cavan do it again?
Under other circumstances the carnival would be coming to Dublin this weekend. Cavan’s first semi-final since 1997 would bring every Paddy Reilly in Ballyjamesduff to the capital. In ordinary times Breffni’s blue would poke from every crevice of Jones’s Road. But these are extraordinary times. The most interesting thing about this game – and after five years of success it seems odd to say it – might be getting the measure of Cavan’s opponents. Against Meath the All-Ireland champions looked as good and better than they ever did.
Yes, Meath were at nothing and ‘Leinster football is finished’ went the cry and as evidence it might be said that Meath stepped on the trapdoor to Division 2 of the League this year. The only difficulty is that Cavan similarly tumbled in that competition, except that it was from Division 2 to Division 3. On balance Meath and Cavan would probably be a close-run affair were they to meet. At face value Cavan will take a pounding. However, they are a feisty lot and their win over Donegal was not the handiwork of your average Division 3 team. But if Dublin are genuinely moving as well as they looked against Meath it will be a Herculean task to lay a glove on them.
The other semi-final will see another team from League Division 3, Tipperary, against the other relegated team from Division 1, Mayo. Like a prospective Meath-Cavan game there might not be much to choose between them. Mayo have the pedigree, but Tipperary will not lack belief if they can hit their highest standards. Jump that bar and this one is up for grabs. The decision to not wear the jerseys from the Munster Final avoids the possibility of a colours’ clash. It is the right decision ideologically too. A special day and a special jersey will forever remain unique. Time enough for a colours’ clash if we meet Cavan in the final!