Time for leadershipas Munster giants battle for survival
It’s a big weekend for every team in every division of the Allianz Hurling League this weekend, with promotion and relegation finals all over the place.
From the perspective of the bigger hurling counties, the Division 2A promotion final between Laois and Westmeath is a crucial game with great work being done by a lot of very dedicated people in those counties.
It’s not so long ago that both teams were putting it up to the top counties. We all know how close Laois came in the 80s and 90s with some great tussles with Offaly. In fact were it not for their neighbours it might well have been Laois making the big breakthrough back then.
I also remember an outstanding Westmeath team from that era, they campaigned in Division 1 for a while and had a player or two on the Leinster team for a few years. There was a Mick Cosgrove, who could have hurled with any team in the country, and the Kilcoynes too were great hurlers in Westmeath. You had the Cuddys in Laois, Pat Critchley, and this is in two smaller counties where football is the major sport. Whichever one of those teams comes up, and there’s very little between them this year, they’re welcome back.
Laois are managed by Seamus ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett. I came up against him in North Tipperary when he was managing Moneygall. He knows his onions, a real honest-to-God hurling man, passionate about Laois and Laois hurling. I wish them both well.
The biggest game of the lot though is the one in Limerick, the relegation decider between Cork and Clare. A question first: why didn’t they toss for home advantage? Was the venue dictated to them or was this their own decision?
From a revenue and atmosphere point of view, it would have made more sense surely to have had this in either Cusack Park or Páirc Uí Rinn — then you’d have seen the crowd, and you’d have heard them!
I’ve written this before but I’d like to see an expanded league with more teams and more games in the top division, but we have what we have and both these teams are where they are tomorrow through their own fault.
Like every other team in Division 1A, they had a chance on the last day to qualify for a league semi-final and didn’t take it. Clare were well beaten by Tipperary, Cork went under to Kilkenny in Nowlan Park. It was in their own hands. They didn’t take the opportunity. They have one last chance to avoid the drop and it’s still in their own hands.
We can complain all we like about the hard breaks we get in life but that is life, and that will always be life; what defines you is what you do about it.
Everyone was team-building this year, including Kilkenny, who were without a number of stars. They found several new players but still qualified for the semi-final. Clare and Cork are building also but you don’t use that as an excuse. You take a leaf out of the Kilkenny/Cody book and just play the hand your dealt, get on with it.
One other thing Clare and Cork have in common is a lack of leaders up front. It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old, starting out or there for years, you’re either a leader or you’re not, you take a game by the scruff of the neck or you don’t.
Take Patrick Horgan. There’s absolutely no doubting Patrick’s skill, his ability. Patrick can drill over his frees all day but can he lead? Can he drag Cork through when the game is on the line? Can he win the dirty ball and do the dogged thing, inspire this team? Paudie O’Sullivan, Pa Cronin, the new captain, can they do it?
Elsewhere Cork have leaders. Shane O’Neill, young Joyce at centre-back, Lorcán McLoughlin in midfield. Clare likewise, the experienced Brendan Bugler and Pat Donnellan, youngster Domhnall O’Donovan, again all in defence, but now they need John Conlan, Darach Honan, Conor McGrath stepping forward and Nicky O’Connell in midfield. Ultimately, regardless of who’s on the sideline, leadership is needed on the pitch from the players themselves. Let’s see that emerge tomorrow.
It’s difficult to call a loser — because that’s what this game is all about, the loser — but I feel Clare will struggle again to contain Cork.
