Why the Munster buzz is back

FOR A WHILE there Kerry and Cork in Munster was in danger of becoming box-office poison. People were staying away in their droves and the critics were unimpressed.

Lacklustre performances and mediocre scripts meant that a once vibrant franchise was on its last legs. Think Batman pre-Christian Bale. This time out a number of factors have conspired to breathe life into an ailing fixture loved recently only by the die-hard and the obsessive. A disenchanted public is beginning to sit up and take notice and the buzz is back. Think this summer’s Star Trek.

So will Kerry and Cork boldly go where they haven’t gone much lately and deliver a game worthy of the hype? Will this one live up to its advance billing? Judging by the announcement by the Kerry County Board of extra sale of tickets this week, it appears that the sense of anticipation ahead of tomorrow’s Munster semi-final in Fitzgerald Stadium is at a decade-long high.

When sifting through the debris of last September’s All Ireland defeat by Tyrone, Kerry supporters reasoned, rightly or wrongly, that the three-in-a-row remained an elusive pipedream only partly because of the sustained brilliance of Tyrone on the day.

It is a commonly held belief that Kerry’s grip on Sam Maguire last year was loosening from the minute they embarked on the ill-fated defence of the Munster championship in mid-June against Clare. The wrongful sending off of Marc Ó Sé and the subsequent dismissal of Darragh Ó Sé in the Munster final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh only served to reinforce the view that this was team fighting fatal demons from the outset. The perception was that rot had set in, indiscipline had blurred the focus and it had all started in Munster.

The safety net of the qualifiers still breaks the fall for the loser tomorrow but for Kerry, the need to show a sense of purpose in early summer is greater than at any time since the introduction of the back door eight years ago. While the right result is of huge importance to both teams tomorrow, Kerry folk will value a disciplined and serene performance almost as much.

As with all battles between the two great rivals, much speculation surrounds the exact line-ups. While there may be a few slight positional adjustments before throw-in, I think we can, at this stage, take the two teams presented by Jack O’Connor and Conor Counihan at face value.

With due deference to James Masters, there has been speculation that Michael Cussen will see some game time at the edge of the square. Cussen’s recent shoulder injury meant he missed out on some training in April and May but his presence has the potential to unnerve Tom O’Sullivan again and it’s an option likely to be used at some stage. Masters’ best performances against Kerry have come away from the shackles of Marc Ó Sé and with Ó Sé most likely detailed to pick up Cork’s principal scoring threat, Donncha O’Connor, both Masters and Daniel Goulding will have more oxygen to express themselves. In what could well be a high scoring game, Kerry’s best chance of stifling the Cork inside line is limiting the supply to Goulding, Masters and O’Connor.

The rookie midfield partnership of Mike Quirke and Tadhg Kennelly has a huge responsibility in this regard. While Quirke is a proverbial catching machine, much of this catching is done against midfielders conceding inches and bulk. This is not the case with Nicholas Murphy and Alan O’Connor, so feeding time in Jurassic Park could turn into a scavenging session for the likes of Paul Galvin and John Miskella. A few well placed kick-outs from either goalkeeper could decide the midfield battle.

Only the Kerry players and management know precisely what role is foreseen for Kennelly and this has to be to their advantage. There is so little footage available of Kennelly the gaelic footballer that his idiosyncratic runs and playing habits are very difficult for, even a forensic mind like Conor Counihan’s to pre-empt. He is reported to be flying in training but there are a number of factors (not least of which is the familiarity and the insular nature of a training ground set-up) that wouldn’t necessarily guarantee that this form transfers to the pitch between 2pm and 3:30 tomorrow. Still, he is a proven performer at the highest level and his enthusiasm alone is one of the reasons for the heightened anticipation.

While engaging in a bit of good natured banter in the football strongholds of Baltimore and Baile Mhúirne earlier this week I was struck by the confidence and exuberance of the Cork football supporters ahead of the game. The recent National League and U21 wins have bolstered confidence. The absence of Kieran Donaghy and Killian Young has made Kerry more vulnerable than before. The mismatch of their last championship encounter, Tommy Walsh vs Diarmuid Duggan, has been rectified and the Cork half-forward line has shed its artisan appearance for a more menacing look (Sean O Brien and an injured Kevin McMahon 2008 vs Paddy Kelly and an explosive Paul Kerrigan 2009). Logic alone would suggest that the serial indignities being heaped upon Cork by Kerry can’t go on indefinitely. Logic and the law of averages suggest Cork are overdue a first championship win since 1995 against Kerry in their Killarney fortress.

The sixth feature film of the Star Trek franchise informs us that ‘logic is the beginning of wisdom; not the end’. There is more at stake tomorrow than just another exercise in logic. If Kerry have the wisdom to not allow themselves get sidetracked and maintain their discipline at all costs, they still have enough trump cards to progress.