Doomsayers wrong about Cork hurling
There was very little hype beforehand, which is a pity, and that’s the GAA’s own fault.
If you can’t whip up a frenzy for two rivalries like Tipperary and Kilkenny or Clare and Limerick, then there’s something seriously wrong.
A bigger problem, however, was the lack of bite in both games and for that you have to blame the players and the management teams. Clare especially went under very tamely to their neighbours, but Tipperary weren’t great either against Kilkenny.
Waterford and Dublin gave us a decent match, a ding-dong battle right to the final whistle, but if they can do it, why not everyone else? Hopefully this weekend will signal a change, which brings me nicely to Cork’s visit to Kilkenny.
Thinking of this game, my mind automatically jumps back to two years ago, and another Cork league visit to Nowlan Park. Whatever about Cork, you couldn’t say Kilkenny weren’t fired up for that one – they couldn’t beat Cork by enough, there was no let-up from first whistle to last despite the fact that the visitors were well beaten by half-time. (2-14 to 0-5 at the break, 4-26 to 0-11 at the finish).
Denis Walsh wasn’t long in charge, and despite the fact they were coming off another strike, hadn’t had anypre-season to speak of, but already Cork looked back on track. But this was Nowlan Park and the Rebels were slaughtered. Because of that the dander should be well up in Cork for this one, a lot of those players are there again. Their problem is, the dander is up in Kilkenny as well, as Tipperary discovered last week.
I’m not a believer in the general consensus that Cork will struggle for a few years, that they don’t have the players at the moment to contend at this level.
Cork definitely have the players, and there’s a good team building at the moment.
Think back to the Munster U21 championship last year, it took Tipperary — with several players who went on to win senior honours — all they could do to get past Cork, who had practically no-one from their senior team. The players are in Cork, don’t anyone try to tell me otherwise, and of course the belief is always there also.
This is going to be a big test for them though, and I’d say it’s a game that’s been pencilled in by Denis Walsh since the draws were announced. It isn’t about winning, it’s about turning up to play, it’s about standing up to Kilkenny, to their team and to the crowd. The hurling may not be the prettiest — it’s not the time of year yet for that — but it should be a battle, with Kilkenny to win.
The most interesting of the other top-flight games has to be Dublin/Tipp this evening in Croke Park, under lights. This is as much a test of the Dublin hurling supporters as it is of the Dublin hurlers. If the fans don’t come out for this one, with all that’s on offer, then the hurlers should just forget about this experiment and go back to Parnell Park.
And I think the fans should come out and support this team. They did well to battle back for a share of the spoils against Waterford last week, but they have a chance here against a weakened Tipp who are without Eoin Kelly, Noel McGrath, Lar Corbett and John O’Brien.
This is a great opportunity for Dublin and it will also give us a good idea of whether or not Conal Keaney is the real deal.! Tipp need to win if they’re to contend at the latter end of the campaign and should, but don’t be surprised at a home win.
The other games, you’d have to feel for Wexford, probably in for another beating, against Waterford this time, but Offaly will put it up to Galway in Tullamore, just as they did in the championship last year. Limerick should have too much for Westmeath in the Gaelic Grounds, but Clare face a real challenge in Antrim.
For God’s sake, however, give us some bite this week.
