Time between games more of a friend to Cats
The drawn game was a great contest but there was also a feeling of anti-climax in the aftermath and I think that remains. Maybe this is a reason to have extra-time on the day, maybe even sudden death as they have had in rugby’s Heineken Cup. Imagine the drama of having players lining up to take five 65s, or maybe five penalties.
It’s been very quiet in the three weeks since that draw but I wonder has this been the calm before the storm? I think we could have a lot of people talking about tomorrow’s clash for quite some time.
This replay is going to be a lot more physical, a lot more intense than the first clash. That’s not to say I think it will be dirty but there’s going to be some hard hitting and James McGrath will need to have his eyes wide open. I’m glad to see that Barry Kelly has been assigned the sideline role too (he should have got the game, in my view), as he and John Sexton, on the other line, are amongst the best officials in the business.
There was plenty of talk about who has the advantage after the drawn game. But how many played well for the entire game? Paul Murphy for Kilkenny, Johnny Coen and Iarla Tannian for Galway, but who else? Some were good for 50 or 60 minutes, Henry Shefflin one of those, some were good for one half like Joe Canning before the interval. But who else played to their potential for the duration?
There’s a lot more left in the tank, in both teams. This applies especially to the forwards. Galway were depending on Canning and Niall Burke for scores; Kilkenny over-dependent on Henry and to a lesser extent on TJ Reid. Their colleagues will have points to prove.
Galway built up a seven-point lead on two occasions but I wonder, did they believe they could win? They also got a goal at a crucial point in the game in the 55th minute. It came against the run of play, a real sucker-punch for Kilkenny. That should have set the westerners up but it didn’t, and the Cats got the next three scores. That would make you question Galway’s mental strength.
What if Kilkenny went seven points up, do you think they’d give up a lead like that? Then again they did go a point ahead in the 61st minute and in the 68th minute but failed to hold on each time — that’s not their regular form which makes you wonder, are Galway getting to them?
Something else that’s been most unlike Kilkenny this year is their poor starts. They were blown out of it in the Leinster final by Galway, stuttered again against Limerick, while Tipperary were ahead of them at half time in the semi-final.
Will that change tomorrow? If it doesn’t they could be in trouble again, except this time if Galway manage to go seven points ahead they won’t be caught.
Kilkenny will have to get their match-ups right. Richie Hogan will have to be closer to goal (Galway will have to do the same with Joe Canning), Tommy Walsh will have to be at wing-back where his attacking instincts can also be utilised while TJ Reid should be further out the field. I would try Richie Power as a midfielder, where he might feel a bit more freedom.
For Galway, they’ll have to get more out of David Burke in the replay, and he’s another man who could blossom if he’s brought out the field a little further. Likewise Cyril Donnellan — he’s a ball-winning wing-forward and should be used out there. Both teams then can improve, both can better utilise the talent at their disposal. The most important man of all for Kilkenny tomorrow, however, is Michael Fennelly. Let him pick up Iarla Tannian and then I think we’ll see the true greatness of Fennelly. That one battle could have a massive bearing on this game.
The winner? Kilkenny have had plenty of time to figure out Galway. I think it might be lonely around the Fields of Athenry tomorrow evening.
