Derek McGrath: Kingston played it unsafe and players followed him into the trenches

Indignant Cork are now combining process and passion

Fri, 20 May, 2022 - 12:19

It will be an emotional weekend in the Munster Championship and will be interesting to see how management pitch that emotion.

I listened to many people outline their “delight” for Kieran Kingston, having admonished him over previous weeks. Many observers viewed his admittance that the outside criticism had permeated its way into the group, resulting in a nervousness in their play and approach, as a weakness. Thankfully, he doesn’t abide by populist theories. He realised that you cannot hide vulnerabilities. He needed to be and continues to be himself.

In her bestselling book The Gifts of Imperfection Brené Brown describes authenticity as “not always the safe option”. She points out that “being real over being liked is all about playing it unsafe”. Kingston played it unsafe, and his players followed him into the trenches. The battle for all the bosses now will be recreating this balance between process and passion.

Clare’s pitching and energy may well come from the infusion of David Reidy, Aaron Shanagher and Shane Meehan into starting berths. They may well decide to “buck the trend” in terms of planning and go with the momentum and exposure of their team to top-class hurling rather than rest the big guns.

Will Lohan and his management team consider the need for some to keep hurling at this level and build on soaring confidence levels? That would see David Fitzgerald, Peter Duggan, Shane O'Donnell and Tony Kelly continue. No matter what team he picks, Brian Lohan may feel it's nigh on impossible to recreate the Galatasaray-like atmosphere in Ennis for this one. Process may well replace passion.

Tipperary have a glimmer of hope and Colm Bonnar’s fight and authenticity have ensured they will bring a ‘This is possible’ attitude in Thurles. The emotive outpourings of Noel McGrath and Pádraic Maher have underlined Tipperary's need to produce a winning end to the season — and more pertinently a hopeful beginning to 2023.

We in Waterford will hope to hear the echo of TIPP, TIPP, TIPP as the game draws to a close.

Waterford’s emotional pitching is equally as challenging. A heartening victory could count for nothing if the Rebels defeat Tipperary. But expect a viciously disciplined and hungry Déise to storm into Ennis and do their jobs. What both Cork and Waterford have learned from last Sunday will have a huge influence

COUNTERING THE COUNTER

Cork's approach to countering the counter began with an attitude shift. Yes they followed their “processes” but the catalyst for this lay in an angry sense of indignation and hurt that enough is enough in terms of criticism and a reaction had to come. I may be at risk of repeating myself here but to say that inter-county players “have no pride in the jersey" and are soft or "afraid to take a belt" is the height of nonsense. Cork's fuel came from the combination of logic and passion.

Both Cork and Waterford’s analysis teams will have put a huge focus on the creation of the early second-half goal chance for Patrick Horgan.

Pause the tape on 39:13. Cork are set up with what looks like a conventional six forwards, pressing hard on Waterford's six backs. Shaun O'Brien is forced to go long. Crucially, Cork flood the landing area. Lehane takes off from the left corner out the field to the ball side. Robbie O'Flynn comes from 10 and Cork are perfectly combining structure with will. The ensuing break sees a rampant Darragh Fitzgibbon charge down the middle, offloading to Harnedy who stick passes to the normally lethal Horgan.

Perversely, I am positive the same clip will have dominated the analysis sessions of the Waterford set-up. As the ball lands 100 yards from the Waterford goal, Shane McNulty has followed Conor Lehane, Calum Lyons has similarly tracked Robbie O'Flynn and Jack Fagan is with Kingston. The knock-on effect is that Tadgh de Búrca, Conor Prunty and Conor Gleeson are now 3 v 3 in 80 yards of space. The move ends with a wide for the unmarked Horgan and Tadgh furiously remonstrating with his wing-backs to hold their line.

Waterford's defensive structure normally sees Shane McNulty follow the wandering corner forward with Conor Gleeson and Conor Prunty engaging in the full-back line two on two with Tadgh in close proximity to defend and launch attacks.

However, I would imagine that Mikey Bevans will ensure that the Waterford wall will be more solidly constructed in front of the half-back line, allowing Calum Lyons or Jack Fagan to hold their defensive shape. Otherwise, Tadgh's presence is redundant with 50 yards of space either side of him.

If Waterford do follow and “push up” all over the pitch the positioning of Shaun O'Brien in either corner and perhaps 20 yards off his line could be crucial, as could Shane McNulty's decision not to follow his man out the pitch.

Patrick Collins' possession count and roving commission mirrored his approach in the league game against Limerick this year and ensured Cork had a great defensive shape. Joyce's positioning on the edge of the D was enabled by Cork scrambling and sprinting to the drop zone. This was illustrated brilliantly by Lehane's ability to go to 15 on the puckouts but to immediately withdraw once the puckout went long.

Cork must do this on a consistent basis. Players like Kingston, Lehane, O'Flynn and Fitzgibbon must be where the ball lands before taking it into space, giving and going and crucially having the flexibility to deliver into space where possible.

Kieran will weigh up the impact that Tim O'Mahony had off the bench but surely this is too big a game not to start the Newtown man. A double-jobbing half-forward line of O'Flynn, Harnedy and Kingston, supplemented by the rotation of the roving roles between Lehane, Horgan, Connolly and O'Mahony, with Shane Barrett providing drive from the bench, could see Cork with a very potent mix.

Despite O'Mahony being very good inside last weekend I still feel that he would be even more effective coming towards the goal on the burst to create overlaps and goalscoring opportunities.

The crucial aspect for the forwards to remember is that their running, their tracking and their tackling must be as hard and as intentful as it was last Sunday.

Waterford may well look at a defensive realignment with perhaps the hugely talented Passage youngster Mark Fitzgerald providing a creative presence in the back line and Paraic Mahony adding similar playmaking nous to the forward unit.

THE APPEAL OF THIRD

The game of the championship so far was hosted in Ennis last weekend, and the narrative has already emerged that the Munster Final will see “the best two teams in the country”. But it’s my strong contention that the third placed team in Munster will end up in an All-Ireland semi-final at least. A warm-up game against the Joe McDonagh winners followed by a quarter-final against the losing Leinster finalists won't give either Waterford or Cork (possibly even Tipp) sleepless nights. Third place allows a period off-Broadway before re-emerging a dangerous force when the need is greatest.

MAKING MEMORIES

Many column inches have been devoted to the throwback theme of last Sunday in Ennis. Monday night's minor final in Portlaoise was equally if not more seismic. A brilliantly prepared and skilful Offaly team under the stewardship of Leo O'Connor proved too strong for a Laois team I am proud to be involved with.

Having recorded against the head wins over Wexford and Kilkenny the occasion, if not the performance, will live long in all our memories. People often talk of the bigger picture and thankfully with personnel like Declan Qualter, Damien Carter, Tomas Hassett, Tadgh Doran, Laura Langton, Tom and James Brennan involved, Laois have people with that wide lens perspective.

Approximately 15,000 people packed into O Moore Park, the mandatory pitch invasion ensued and a gifted Offaly team and a spirited Laois made their memories. I would talk to the Déise players over the years about the importance of making memories adding some much-needed perspective to the seriousness of what we do. Now Tipperary and Colm Bonnar can ensure that Liam Cahill and Waterford can continue to create their own memories. Third place and danger for the rest awaits.