Capital gains make Tullamore place to be
The first of those is the All-Ireland qualifier clash in Portlaoise of Cork and Laois. The losers here will be finished with hurling for 2011. Laois can start making their holiday plans now.
Now to Tullamore this evening and the Leinster semi-final between Dublin and Galway. There’s a massive expectation this is going to be one of the games of the championship. For physicality, intensity, raw courage, I have no doubt that Tullamore will be the place to be this evening. This is going to be a savage battle, and I’m sure this is where we’re going to see the biggest crowd of the weekend.
That goes to show just how far the Dublin hurlers have come in the last few years. Can you imagine such expectation a few years ago? Not a chance, but now that they are league champions that’s what we’ve come to expect of them. Whatever Dublin bring, however, Galway are going to match it, because it’s an even bigger game for them.
And I think they have an advantage — I don’t think John McIntyre and company have shown their hand this season. This time last year they were the league champions, but I think their focus for 2011 — unlike Dublin — is the championship. On paper at least this is the best Galway team we’ve seen this year. Fergal Moore is back, as is Shane Kavanagh, and could we see Shane going to full-back in a switch with David Collins? To the attack, and look at the half-forwards — Joe Gantley, Cyril Donnellan and Eanna Ryan, three very strong players — then look at the contest we’ll have here, with John McCaffrey, Peter Kelly and Shane Durkin facing them. That’s going to be some battle!
Then you look at the Galway full-forward line, and here is where they can do real damage — Damien Hayes, Joe Canning and Aongus Callanan. The big contest will be between Tomás Brady and Canning. Joe has had a great rest and if he’s anywhere near his best form, he could be the match-winner for Galway. With Damien Hayes alongside him, Galway hold a huge advantage in this sector. Brady, Niall Corcoran and Oisín Gough can expect a busy evening.
A sign of how far Dublin hurling has come is the recognition of their players. Conal Keaney, Ryan O’Dwyer, Dotsy O’Callaghan, Paul Ryan, Alan McCrabbe, Liam Rushe are all now becoming household names. Long may that continue.
What I like about Dublin from eight upwards is that they have options. Anthony Daly can switch the two midfielders very easily into the forward line, with Keaney or O’Dwyer able to take a turn in the centre if required.
What has impressed me about Dublin this year is their point-scoring, and I’m especially impressed with Dotsy. They’re going to need more than points this evening, however. Winner? After a real bitter game, steel against steel, the referee tested to the full (don’t be surprised if a few players see red), I think Galway will win.
And so to the Munster semi-final. Expectation in Clare is very low and the biggest reason for this was defeat — for the second year in a row — in the Division Two final.
Worse still was the lack of intensity they displayed against Limerick. It is hard to believe that Clare ran Tipperary so close two years ago but a lot of that momentum has been lost. As a result I don’t expect to see a big crowd at the Gaelic Grounds. A pity.
Yet such apathy could work in Clare’s favour. They are coming in under the radar, and the pressure is all on Tipperary. They’re All-Ireland champions, they have a good win under their belts.
They’re a team on song and you would have to say, even if they are well below their best, and even if Clare hit 100%, the odds would still favour the Premier men.
Just consider the class of the Tipperary attack. Eoin Kelly, Noel McGrath, Lar Corbett and Seamus Callanan will keep Patrick Vaughan, Conor Cooney, Cian Dillon and company on their toes for the day.
Clare must improve drastically on the league performance to have any chance, and in that respect Limerick’s performance against Waterford will surely give them hope.
Offering further hope is the fact that when Tipperary went well ahead against Cork they lost concentration and allowed Cork back into it. Then again, when the pressure really came on in the final 10 minutes, it was Tipperary pulling away, convincingly. Winner?
Tipperary. But if Clare get big performances from youngsters like Darach Honan, Conor McGrath and Cathal McInerney, they could come closer to the champions than many people expect.
