If Cats were Lions, the All Blacks might cower
Yesterday, those of us fortunate enough to follow both rugby and hurling saw another complete performance, with one critical difference. The Leinster senior hurling final was a real contest, a heavyweight match-up between two perfectly prepared and well-conditioned teams who went toe-to-toe from first bell to last. Standing above them all, in a game that saw umpteen outstanding individual performances, was will-o’-the-wisp Kilkenny wing-forward-cum-midfielder Tommy Walsh.
Doc O’Connor was brilliant for Wexford, he outhurled and utterly subdued Henry Shefflin; Diarmuid Lyng was outstanding in the half-back line, outshining the other D Lyng, midfielder Derek of Kilkenny; and wing-back Richie Mullally of Kilkenny came forward when Kilkenny most needed it. These were just three from half a dozen, but above them all, the dashing, flashing, smashing style of youngster Walsh.
In the first half his genius wasn’t as obvious, as he spent a lot of time in defence helping out his teammates, though he still managed the equalising point in the 35th minute. In the second half, however, when the chips were really down, the Tullaroan man came to the fore.
Two beautiful long-range strikes, first off his right, then off his left, to begin the half: two markers laid down. Shifted to midfield shortly afterwards, the guy was everywhere. Hurling is a far more fluid game than rugby - even rugby as played by the All-Blacks - and can never be dictated by one man, but Walsh did his almighty best yesterday to give the lie to that theory. One minute he was back deep in defence, a whippy clearance; the next he was in midfield breaking up play; then forward, scoring or creating a point. It was a virtuoso performance, on a day when Leinster hurling gave an overdue answer to most of its critics.
“It hurts when people say how great Munster hurling is, how poor it is in Leinster,” said Tommy. “We know Munster hurling is great, but I think we proved out there that Leinster hurling is far from finished, that was at least the equal of the Munster final.”
So it was, even better. But what of those semi-finals, what of the hiding Kilkenny dished out to Offaly? That was even more one-sided than the All-Black/Lions affair.
“I know, but things like that happen. Offaly were unlucky against us, didn’t come out of the traps, but they gave a great battle to Clare last night, and that shouldn’t be overlooked either. We felt sorry for them after what happened them against us, we know they’re better than that, and now they’ve proved it.
“Wexford did the same today, and you have to give them praise. They had a blistering start, went seven or eight points in front, it would have been hard for us to come back from that but we were lucky, Eoin Larkin was on fire in the first-half, pulled it back with three great points. We were happy enough to go in at half-time level. They stayed at it and stayed at it, we stayed at it and stayed at it, but eventually, we just about pulled through.”
Perhaps the greatest difference between Munster and Leinster championship, apart from strength in depth, is in atmosphere. Yesterday, Croke Park was only half-full with 35,010 fans, but such a crowd would nearly fill any of the major stadia in Munster. What if Croker were full? What if the Dublin side that won the curtain-raiser minor final yesterday were to go on, if Tomas Brady, Joey Boland, John McCaffrey and Shane Durkin were reinforced by the likes of Conal Keaney, Shane Ryan and David O’Callaghan, three top-class hurlers now with the footballers; what if they were to come into the Leinster picture, joining Kilkenny, Wexford, and a rejuvenated Offaly? Wouldn’t that be something, to pack out Croke Park for a Leinster final?
It wasn’t just about Tommy Walsh, don’t misinterpret this piece. He was exceptional, but Tommy was just one among 15, one among 19 yesterday. Continuing the rugby analogy, Kilkenny are very much the All-Blacks of hurling. Within their borders it is the major sport, the element that identifies them.
Their standards are of the highest order. Last year, they lost all their crowns, National League, Leinster, All-Ireland, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. This year, the hunger is back, the same hunger that drives the All-Blacks beyond the pain barrier, beyond any barrier.
Team captain Peter Barry played most of the game ignoring a first-half injury; wing-back Richie Mullally was Richie McCaw, hoovering up everything on the ground, charging forward for a belter of a point.
If only Tommy Walsh and Richie Mullally were Lions, not Cats, if only Brian Cody were managing those Lions, who knows? In the way hurling got its answer yesterday, perhaps the All-Blacks would get theirs. If only.
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