Eoin Cadogan: A hurt Kilkenny coming to lay a marker - perfect for a Cork team chasing consistency
GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final, Croke Park, Dublin 8/8/2021 Kilkenny vs Cork Cork's Patrick Horgan and Michael Carey of Kilkenny Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
At THE back end of the League now, with the semi-finals this weekend, one could ask how many teams are shadow boxing up against the ropes and are ready to hit teams come championship with the unexpected? So far, with the exception of Waterford v Kilkenny last weekend, I’ve only seen glimpses of anything that replicated championship intensity.
Every county has pre-determined when they want to peak depending on what stage of development that current group of players is at. New management teams, like Darragh Egan’s in Wexford and Cork’s new backroom pair of Pat Mulcahy and Noel Furlong, will want to win every game, not necessarily for silverware but primarily to create a bigger buy-in from players, and a belief that what they have done to date on the training field is working.
Contrast that to Brian Cody’s Kilkenny or Liam Cahill’s Waterford who have, more or less, a settled management team who know they will be ready to hit the ground running when it’s most required.
John Kiely’s Limerick have possibly learnt more about themselves than in any of the last three seasons, because that’s what losing games does. It helps you learn and adapt.
I’m expecting a feisty encounter Saturday evening at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. When it comes to Cork playing Kilkenny I’ve experienced some of my toughest days in the red jersey against a familiar, durable foe. Last year’s All-Ireland semi-final victory was my first time beating them in championship, hence the emotion around that game. So many traits still hold strong for any black and amber team under the guidance of Cody.
TG4 constantly picked up his hoarse, bellowed instructions and encouragement while holding a firm position on the sideline. Any team under his guidance knows never to accept surrender. After that semi-final, when he entered the Cork changing room, he had everyone’s undivided attention. He spoke honestly and respectfully. He shook hands with management and left, but have no doubt that as the door closed behind him that hurt he would have felt will rub off on his players and have been vented on the training field as 2022 commenced.
This Kilkenny team will be coming to town to lay down a marker, to show that last year was a once-off. For Cork, this is exactly what they should be craving ahead of championship. Physicality, aggression, work-rate. Sound familiar?
With this being a final game for one of the sides pre-Championship, it’s almost certain we will see both going as strong as possible with their starting 15. After watching Kilkenny beat Waterford, it’s noteworthy that they’re trying to work the ball through the lines more, eschewing the old Kilkenny “get it and let it in long”. When they reverted to type last weekend and drove the ball long over the shoulder, Tadgh de Búrca was sitting in that pocket waiting patiently to set up the next attack. Expect Mark Coleman to be doing similarly for Cork.
Pádraig Walsh has filled that centre forward role prior to TJ Reid’s return and solidified his inclusion up front again by hitting five points last weekend. While his style isn’t like a traditional forward, ie, get the ball, turn and take his man on, what’s noticeable is, similar to most defenders, he likes facing the goals when striking and drops into the pocket to receive the ball out of rucks prior to shooting.
With a lot of wing forwards now working the line and getting back to cover, would that position allow him more freedom to shoot from distance unopposed? Would Eoin Cody coming in at 11 ask more questions of Mark Coleman and Ger Mellerick at midfield and keep them more honest?
Via Walter Walsh, either Tim O’Mahony or Robert Downey will get a perfect opportunity to simulate the aerial and physical challenge Gearóid Hegarty will bring come championship on April 17.
Last weekend, when the short ball option wasn’t on for Eoin Murphy, the out ball was raining down on Walter at 10. Whoever is marking Walter Walsh, the most important thing is not to get sucked into the physical approach especially when he travels with the ball in hand. He’s a powerful runner and shrugs off any contact to create the space between him and the defender and get his shot away. Timing, positioning and angles are everything as a defender. Trust it. Show him the line, Hurley long. Counting the steps before he must make a play and then contact. That should go for every defender of every age, I may add.
At the other end of the field, the challenge for the Cork attack is whether they can match the intensity and work rate they brought collectively against Limerick in the first half of that league encounter. And this time for more than 35 minutes? Regardless of what was at stake last weekend, Cork management will have been disappointed with the lack of consistency in the overall performance against Wexford. Consistency - a word much used in describing this Cork team over the years - will be required Saturday to get a result against a new-look Kilkenny. New look, but expect the same tenacious work rate from the Cats.
Don’t hang every analysis on the results this weekend. Some teams will slip back into prep mode content with what stage they are at, others may have a bit more to ponder, and some teams may be reassessing their formlines. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Post this weekend, the clock is ticking loudly for championship.
