Cork in shock, everyone in awe

‘SHOCK and awe’ is a term employed for a warfare doctrine conceived in 1996 in the United States’ National Defence University by Messrs Ullman and Wade; in plain speak, however, it’s called ‘rapid dominance’, and is designed ‘to overwhelm the opposition by the use of massive firepower, superior battlefield awareness and dominant manoeuvres, an intimidating display of force to paralyse the opposition’s perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight.’

It could just as easily have been conceived in Nowlan Park in 2006 by Brian Cody, along with Kilkenny managerial cohorts Martin Fogarty and Michael Dempsey. Yesterday, in the All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park we witnessed the latest episode.

Many times over the last five seasons of utter dominance we have seen Kilkenny, at strategic times, apply the tactics described above – shock and awe. First quarter against Limerick in the 2007 All-Ireland final, second quarter against Waterford in the 2008 final, final ten minutes of the first half against Cork in 2008 also, middle 20 minutes against Galway in the Leinster semi-final last year, third quarter against Galway again this year – on and on and on.