Clare must learn to get crafty

Coming into this game I gave Clare a great chance to win for two reasons: I didn’t think Kilkenny were impressive against either Tipperary, Galway or even in their win against Waterford; Kilkenny were missing so many front-line players.

Then, when I got to Cusack Park and learned that JJ Delaney was out as well, I thought it was definitely going to be Clare’s day.

As the game progressed I felt stronger and stronger about that. Kilkenny were playing very poor for long stretches — how long did it take them to score in the second half, 15 minutes? And that score, when it came, was a goal — it took them over 20 minutes to get a point. That’s not the Kilkenny we’ve come to know over the last 13 years.