Jacob: Desire will win it
It was clear to her they needed to win the match with every fibre of their being whereas Tipperary just wanted to win it. It was the game’s defining factor and reinforced something she already knew already — tomorrow’s All-Ireland Camogie Final against Galway will be similarly framed by that old sporting staple.
“The hurling final last weekend was so tense and tough and there wasn’t much between the teams, but Kilkenny proved how hungry they were after last year’s defeat,” said Jacob.
“That was the difference in the end, and it’ll be what defines our match against Galway as well.”
The best way to source motivation isn’t just a subject that fascinates Jacob because she’s an elite sportsperson, but also because she has a degree in sports psychology to her name. Once her camogie career ends her plan is to make sports psychology her profession, but until that happens she’ll continue to use herself as a guinea-pig for all she’s learned so far.
“I’ve always been really into sports psychology and after doing the masters you’d have a greater understanding of it,” she said.
“And you can certainly use certain aspects of what you’ve learned to improve the way you approach the game, and along the way you can self-analyse yourself too.
“It’s very interesting and a lot of the time you’re using motivational and sports psychology techniques without even realising it, such as visualisation before matches and different things like that. And whenever I miss a ball, I talk to myself about keeping positive for the next one.
“I’ve worked hard on improving my focus and concentration during a match because it’s vital you’re fully tuned in for the full 60 minutes. And there are lot of little techniques you can use to make sure you keep that focus.”
It wasn’t lost on Jacob either last Sunday that the defending champions Tipperary struggled to summon the same fire that had been such a feature of their game when they’d beaten Kilkenny in the 2010 final.
Tomorrow’s camogie final is also a repeat of last year’s decider, and Jacob admits it is something of a journey into the unknown for Wexford to see if they have the desire that won them last year’s match.
“Yeah, we haven’t really been in this situation before where we’re coming back to another All-Ireland after winning last year. We just need to focus on our own game and strengths and learn from previous experiences.
“That means looking back on last year’s All-Ireland and what we did good in that match, and how we can do those things well again on Sunday. We know how well we can play together if we all get it right and I suppose a lot of team-work will come into it. I definitely think the hunger and determination is there.”
She’s expecting Galway to show up in ferociously determined mood to make up for last year’s defeat, but says Wexford’s desire to prove themselves as one of the truly great camogie teams can fuel an even greater fire.
“In 2007 when we won the first All-Ireland it was such a major achievement because we hadn’t won an All-Ireland in 30 years. In 2008 we were resting on our laurels and didn’t focus again straight away like we should have.
“This year we really wanted to build on last year’s win and get to Croke Park again and retain it. We don’t just one to be a once off team again, we want to make the two in a row.
“We know ourselves that we this trophy won’t be handed to us on Sunday. Galway are hurting from last year and are motivated by revenge, but putting All-Irelands back to back is a serious motivation for us too.
“Kilkenny showed last weekend just how great a team they are and if we want to be considered a great team ourselves we have to show a similar level of hunger.
“We’ve won one, but great teams go on to win two or three in a row and we want to be remembered as a great team.”
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