Eoin Cadogan: Top six inches crucial in semis where only one thing matters - winning

I know you’re thinking 'where was that performance in the final, Cadogan?!'. But semi-finals are all about one thing...

Thu, 30 Jun, 2022 - 17:45

A student said to his master: “You teach me fighting, but you talk about peace. How do you reconcile the two?”

The master replied: “Is it better to be a warrior in the garden than to be a gardener in a war.”

As the weekend's All-Ireland SHC semi-finals loom, the top six inches become increasingly important. Some players, some of the semi-finalists, have more experience than others at getting over the semi-final hurdle.

For Limerick and Kilkenny, this is more common ground than Clare and Galway. My last semi-final experience was one of finally beating Kilkenny in a championship encounter. Add in extra time, last-minute goals and the absolute chaos I’ve spoken about previously and it made for an emotional experience.

I know you’re thinking 'where was that performance in the final, Cadogan?!'. But semi-finals are all about one thing - winning.

Some might deem this strange bit in terms of my own mindset, falling at the semi-final stage is about as good as being beaten in the Qualifiers - which is to say no good at all. I used tell myself for any semi-finals that this was my All Ireland final. No second chance. No envisaging what a final would be like or how great it would be for the county or the team. No fairytale thoughts.

Just facts. 70 minutes to get to the biggest stage of the GAA calendar that you have dreamed of as a young fella. And in a final, there’s always a chance.

Saturday's Clare v Kilkenny semi-final is probably the harder to call. Clare coming in with a similar stat to my own. Only beating Kilkenny once previously in a championship game.

Since the start of the year, you could see there’s a cut in those Clare players, offering an appropriate impersonation of their leader, Brian Lohan. They have the skills and speed but it’s their willingness to hunt down the opposition that’s impressed me most. No lost causes, no matter who you are. The most influential element of their improvement has not been in their heads or their hurling but between their ears.

After pouring their soul into the Munster final against Limerick, it could only go two ways. A defeat like that says 'we can compete with the top dogs of hurling and push on' or they could have fallen into the trap of believing 'our best still wasn’t good enough' and fall flat in the preliminary quarter-final. People don't realise how difficult it can be to emerge from that low. However, Clare found a way and know they have a panel of players that suits the system perfectly. In my head, I’m saying Clare to win at Croke Park.

Now for the heart.

As much as everyone has doubted Kilkenny at different stages in the past few years, if ever there’s been a team who never give up on anything, Cody's crew. I saw that first-hand last year in the All Ireland semi-final. I remember staring up the field at the scoreboard after Adrian Mullen stuck that last-minute goal to bring the game to extra time thinking 'will these bastards ever just go away?'.

It’s ingrained in the minds of every Kilkenny man who wears the jersey to never concede, to never submit. The Brian Cody philosophy. Because Kilkenny play more traditional hurling than others, the requirement to win your own ball as a forward is a must and they have those toilers and grafters in Eoin Cody, Adrian Mullen, TJ, Walter and more. Add in the energy of Cian Kenny and there’s a lot of danger on show.

Throughout the league, the more contemporary approach of working the balls through the lines seemed alien to some and even more infuriating to the backroom team when it broke down, leading to the concession of soft scores. There is a balance of mixing the short with the long to keep the opposition guessing.

But tactics, while evident, remain secondary to Brian Cody - winning your individual battle is a must first and foremost.

I’m expecting the outstanding Micky Butler to live in Tony Kelly’s shadow. TJ will probably be moved closer to goal with Eoin Cody or Billy Ryan asking more questions of John Conlan's legs.

Hence why the head and the heart have conflicting thoughts. Will the upgraded, hard-working Clare be able for the raw will to win from a side that knows better how to get over the line? I think this one could go to the wire - with Kilkenny to cause an upset.

Limerick and Galway, based on what we have seen so far, leads to one inevitable result - Limerick being back in another All Ireland final. If only life was that straightforward. I base that off what I’ve seen from Galway in the Leinster final and quarter-final against Cork and when you look at the lack of scoring efficiency from Cork - leaving 3-17 behind them - you would have to be concerned what a cuter and more clinical Limerick forward unit can do.

Conor Whelan was pivotal to Galway's success against Cork but with Sean Finn or Barry Nash picking up the man-marking duties allied to a Limerick half back line that sits slightly deeper, Whelan's scope to cause damage may be more limited.

Galway will play four players across the half forward line. On those those long aerial balls Galway need to make their presence known early, with ball-winners competing in front and from behind. Worst case scenario if they lose the puck out is the need to bombard the Limerick man in possession and delay the attack play to permit their Galway colleagues to sit in in front of a potent Limerick full forward line.

Four counties sprinkled with warriors in pursuit of that holy grail. Their four masters vocal and leading the charges from the sideline. For two, the promise of a final tilt. For two others, summer in the garden when they crave Sunday war.