Enda McEvoy: I panned for nuggets as diligently as a Gold Rush prospector. I found feck all

Enda McEvoy has followed the league diligently for years, looking to unlock signs of the summer ahead

Fri, 14 May, 2021 - 16:18

By way of satisfying the reader’s daily roughage requirement, herewith a few facts and figures from last weekend’s National Hurling League opening round.

Cork and Galway hit five goals apiece. Waterford clocked up 1-20 from play in defeat. Dublin lost to a Kilkenny XV that wouldn’t have put the heart crossways in Bambi. Limerick were — surprise surprise — involved in yet another goalless encounter. Tipperary didn’t manage a score from play in the second half.

Make of these occurrences what you will. One might, for instance, choose to draw the following inferences.

That Cork and Galway have clearly placed a premium on creating goalscoring chances in 2021.

That Waterford’s 1-20 from play says nothing about either their own forward line or Cork’s defence for the simple reason that high scores in defeat are commonplace in this day and age. Clare’s 1-23 when losing by 10 points to Limerick in last year’s championship may stand as a yardstick of sorts in this regard.

That Dublin’s half-life as difficult, physical opponents who’ll give you plenty of it in the championship without quite closing the deal may have come to an end, as evidenced additionally by the continued presence of Chris Crummey at centre-forward.

That Limerick, though merely clearing their throat and giving a few lads a run, took good care nonetheless to avoid a needless defeat to Tipperary. To return to a point made here before, Tipp are the last team opponents should hand an even break to. Don’t be giving them ideas. Nothing good can come of it.

As for Tipp themselves, supporters uneasy at last Saturday’s reliance on Jason Forde might like to reflect that in late February 2019 the county were beaten by Kilkenny in Semple Stadium, 0-18 to 0-17. They met again the following September. Let’s just say Kilkenny didn’t win 0-18 to 0-17.

There is an alternative course of action. Make of these occurrences what you won’t.

Even if they had lost to Tipperary would it have made the slightest difference, one way or another, to Limerick in the long run? If Cork’s five goals are mentioned come the night of the All-Ireland will it be to the effect that they started the season as they finished it or will it be in the context of the illusory nature of shiny surfaces? And so forth.

All enquiries to Richie Power fils. “I wouldn’t fancy having to analyse those games this weekend,” he tweeted. “Glorified challenge matches. Really don’t see the point in a league this year with no finals.”

In a previous incarnation your humble obedient was the hurling correspondent of a Sunday newspaper. As this was prior to the era of Saturday championship matches unless they were replays, not to mention prior to the blanket coverage of Gaelic games on TG4 and Eir, the only way to keep up with what was happening in the league was to go to league matches.

So for years, taking the competition considerably more seriously than did the teams and managers, I went to league matches. Always with hope in my heart, always convinced that during the muck and nettles of March I was going to witness the secrets of summer revealed to me, the intrepid Indiana Jones of the NHL, and to me only.

Imagine my insider knowledge come July and August! Imagine the jump I’d have on the other GAA writers, the poor eejits!

The reality, needless to say, turned out to be less revelatory.

There was the Easter Sunday that, valiantly eschewing the delights of spring lamb and chocolate, I took the train to Walsh Park for Waterford versus… someone. Dublin, I think. It doesn’t matter now. It barely mattered then.

There was the weekend I went to Parnell Park for Dublin (definitely) versus Offaly. I do remember that the Offaly man beside me gave me half a bar of Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate, bless him. I have no idea of the result or the score.

(Okay, Dublin probably won it, given the identity of their opponents. On which point, here’s a scoreline from the 1995-96 league that sums up the competition in those days. Galway 1-28 Offaly 1-1 on February 18, 1996 in Ballinasloe. Not a misprint). I panned for nuggets as diligently as a Gold Rush prospector. I found feck all.

Eventually the watcher of the skies stuff did yield a result. The only problem was that everyone else saw it too.

The 1998 league final pitted Jimmy Barry Murphy’s emerging Cork, who off-stage were halfway through claiming successive All-Ireland under-21 titles, against Gerald McCarthy’s emerging Waterford, returning to the top table after 35 years in the shadows.

Cork won by 2-14 to 0-13. Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Sean Óg Ó hAilpín, Seanie McGrath, Joe Deane. Here was a crew who’d arrived fully formed, full of the brutal abandon of youth. The following season Dónal Óg Cusack and another wave came along and Cork won the All-Ireland.

One other match from the period stands out. In the spring of 2001, Kilkenny looked like a team who weren’t about to settle for a single All-Ireland. But on April 8, Tipperary went to Nowlan Park and a really high-class game ensued. It was enacted at championship pace, it ended in a draw and the visitors went home delighted with themselves.

“We took heart from it for sure,” Nicky English confirms. “It was a big step and huge confidence booster for us to go to Nowlan Park and get the draw that day.”

Tipp went on to win the league, then the All-Ireland. Brian Cody got the memo. From 2002 the National League would never be quite the same again.

Tipperary are involved in another attractive fixture this weekend but it’s not the standout tie of the round. That’s the one in Salthill involving two sides currently operating at a higher and heavier level than Tipp and Cork.

Will it be cagey and fought from long range? Or will Galway go for goals from an early stage and keep going for them? There’s no earthly reason why they shouldn’t.

One thing’s for sure.

Sooner or later Limerick will enter the closing 10 minutes of a championship match a couple of lengths down, under the whip and chasing the game. Sooner or later, receiving the terms of engagement instead of dictating them, they’ll be forced to pick their way through a heaving mass of bodies in the other half of the field — their sightlines obscured, their usual delivery channels clogged, the quarter-back unable to throw the lateral — instead of having the luxury of flooding their own half. Sooner or later Great Birnam Wood will come to high Dunsinane.

In that moment John Kiely’s men will be required to hurl from the soul rather than from the brain. It will make for compelling viewing. Whenever it happens.

Mar fhocal scoir. The Mayo goalie scored a point from his own 20-metre line last weekend. On social media the feat was oohed and aahed over by well meaning folk.

No. Just no.