Derek McGrath: Flexibility can be a friend for Kilkenny as much as Limerick

Flexibility is central to Limerick and Clare. Henry Shefflin has modified the views he held as a pundit. Will Brian Cody adjust to take Kikenny forward?

Eoin Cody of Kilkenny is tackled by Damien Reck of Wexford during the Leinster SHC Round 5 match at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Dies Cody find it harder than anyone to win a free?
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Nickie Quaid’s post All-Ireland diary entries from these pages last August were insightful and revealing. A doting young father, a meticulous preparation methodology, and more importantly a sound family heritage and support system. It prompted me to reflect on how well Limerick have coped with their success.

In the masterful book Ego is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday talks of the “top of the mountain” bringing “new temptations and problems”. The thinner air can be tightened by egotistical tendencies. “We stop learning, we stop listening and we lose our grasp on what matters, we become victims of ourselves and the competition.” None of this has infected the Limerick psyche. 

The messaging of Kiely Currid and Kinnerk will have considered the “great stabilisers” when dealing with success. According to Holiday, these are “open-mindedness, organisation and purpose”. Their presence “balance out the ego and pride that comes with achievement and recognition”.

Kilkenny’s archaic gameplan may well be refreshed with much-needed open-mindedness this weekend. Henry Shefflin’s revulsion for defensive systems in hurling as a pundit has been shifted by the stark reality of the modern game.

Galway often play with a one-man full-forward line of Conor Whelan, sporadically supported by Brian Concannon. It ensures the lack of pace so brutally exposed by Waterford last summer should remain hidden for now.

David Burke, Pádraic Mannion and Joseph Cooney have rotated as temporary plus-ones — Henry and Richie O’Neill are showing the necessary nous and depth to not alone survive but to create more space on the offensive side.

This rather than ‘handshakes’ will have occupied Cody’s thoughts over the last two weeks. Kilkenny will hope to mix and match their approach far better than they did against Wexford and a reconfiguration may help.

Defensively, Brian will hope to have Huw Lawlor available to go toe to toe with Whelan. Given Mikey Butler’s man-marking duties to date, is it not time someone tracked Cathal Mannion with an out-and-out man marker for the entirety of a game?

But that brings space creation issues. If Mannion is 100 yards from goal and Mikey is tracking him, who will fill the space or are Kilkenny gullible enough to leave 5 v 5 in a 100-yard area.

A forward reshuffle may bring Eoin Cody to the half-forward line to escape the clutches of Jack Grealish and combine his scoring with creativity. Is it just me or does Cody find it harder than any other player out there to win a free?

A possible relocation of Cian Kenny to the middle of the field to partner the rampant Adrian Mullen would enable a half-forward line of Walter Walsh, Eoin Cody, and Pádraig Walsh to combine defensive and attacking duties with the aerial threat of TJ and John Donnelly inside supplemented by the waspish presence of Mossy Keoghan.

Kilkenny can then go long with some justification but crucially Walsh and Cody on the half-line give the flexibility to go ‘through the lines’. That flexibility can bring an against-the-head Kilkenny victory.

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Flexibility is central to both Limerick and Clare. The first eight minutes of their Ennis encounter saw Tony Kelly engage with at least five different markers. Barry Nash is clearly Limerick’s wanderer follower from the full-back line, before he passes on after 45 yards to one of the ‘pack’ — Hannon, Byrnes or Morrissey. When Nash relocates as an out-and-out corner- or full-back, Sean Finn or Mike Casey take on that mantle.

Conducting it all is Quaid. In his diary, he described the reactionary hand-eye coordination game that he practices diligently and how he selects his Cummins ‘specials'. It all contributes to that edge the game’s best goalie has.

Even more apparent from behind the goal footage of Clare v Limerick is the control he holds over his backline and their defensive shape.

Pause at 6:30 and again on 15 mins and 19 mins and one instruction is bellowed more than any other. The simple word “NUMBERS” can be heard as the Treaty men swamp the landing area and always ensure they have a plus-one on the break.

An avid memory of childhood was reawakened watching the Limerick-Waterford game. For years growing up we viewed the Tony Forristal tournament in Waterford not alone as the first step on the inter-county ladder but also as an opportunity to “acquire” some sliotars and hurls from the various stakeholders.

During Limerick v Waterford, some hardy young souls spent lots of their time eyeing Nickie’s Cummins Specials. Upon winning the game Nickie, caught in a fist-pumping moment of celebration, quickly changed his mood to warn the umpire of the impending arrival on the scene of our equivalents. That stash was going nowhere.

Year three of Brian Lohan’s tenure has been an undoubted success. Comprehensively beaten by Waterford in 20 and squeezed out by Cork last year, the Banner have, as Declan Hannon pointedly remarked, been “the form team of the year”.

It’s very hard not to be happy on a personal level for Brian. I was lucky enough to win a Fitzgibbon medal with his brother Frank and a sounder chap you could not meet. Brian’s cooperation, conciliatory and sensible approach when managing the load of the then UL-based Stephen Bennett when I was with Waterford was hugely appreciated by all parties. Open-mindedness and care is certainly applicable here.

He has also been helped by the overwhelming support of the Clare people and the influence of Clare heroes of yesteryear. The ship is sailing as one and the messaging is both positive and controlled. All this allows the management and players to prepare in a space almost immune from criticism.

Clare have serious players. The pace, guile and craft of O’Donnell and Taylor is supplemented by “glue” players like Cathal Malone and David Fitzgerald whose hard running and athleticism finally sees them get the credit they deserve.

Add in the genius of Kelly and the agility, deftness and power of Duggan and the recipe for success is obvious.

Duggan’s reintegration into the pace of inter-county hurling has been impressive. His right-hand catching, skill, and ability to win cute frees will test Mike Casey’s return.

The positioning, tracking and double-jobbing of the “dogs of war” Taylor, Malone, Fitzgerald has allowed John Conlon to sit and dictate from just behind his own 45. Davy Mac and Diarmuid Ryan have been able to follow and bomb forward as the opportunity presents.

Is Clare’s best way of winning to leave Peter Duggan inside on his own at all times while committing even more bodies than normal to the middle third?

The Munster Final of 2019 may well serve as an interesting foreshadowing of Limerick’s approach Sunday.

Up until that day, the Limerick half-forward line of Morrissey, Hayes and Hegarty had traditionally come very deep, leaving their zonal backs and receiving short ball from Hannon and Byrnes.

Whilst Hegarty and Morrissey continued in that fashion, Hayes mixed this with a more old fashioned orthodox 11 job, lying right up on Pádraic Maher and effectively getting in behind the cover.

Limerick filled the space in front of Hannon that day with the roaming Peter Casey before resetting to a conventional six on the puckouts.

Rather than endure the suffocating presence of Conor Cleary inside, with Conlon in front, Hayes may get more joy sitting out on Conlon’s left or right shoulder with the option to turn and go from 50 yards rather than 20. Building a head of steam with his power may well be easier from further out.

It will be interesting to see if Gillane is tracked by Rory Hayes, whether the two Flanagans match up and whether Cleary is given the third one of Boylan, O’Neill or Mulcahy. Kinnerk may consider sporadic interventions with Cathal O’Neill providing a looser point-scoring option off Conlon before the highly skilled battering ram of Hayes provides something different altogether.

From the outside, the Limerick camp seems brilliant at working a distinct edge motivationally ahead of every challenge. This comes from inherent confidence stemming from their preparation.

Goldman Sachs president Masanori Mochida, in conversation with Eddie Jones, once remarked that “confidence is born of painstaking preparation, practice until you reach the point of tedium, and then practice some more. That extra mile will set you apart from your competition”.

In a strange way, I believe Kinnerk and Kiely will never reach the point of tedium, that the infusion of fun and perspective ensure the perfect bubble of diversity needed to be continually successful.

Speaking of fun and perspective, my teenage son arrived home from school this week a little perplexed, even upset, at a video circulating online of yours truly outlining forcefully that the team that beats Waterford will win the All-Ireland.

Sport can make liars and fools of us all and social media has ensured the race to hate is more accelerated than ever.

To offer some “fun and perspective”, I informed Fionn that I was right anyway. A team that has beaten Waterford will win the All-Ireland, it will definitely be one of Limerick, Cork or Clare.

For now, it’s the four in a row (Limerick) and the three in a row (Cats).