Should Clare stick with the sweeper system or should they change tactics?

There’s a well-worn saying — one I’ve often used – ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

Without question the Clare ‘sweeper’ system ain’t broke, worked to perfection in the wins against both Galway (All-Ireland quarter-final) and Limerick (All-Ireland semi-final), team captain Patrick Donnellan playing the role to perfection with the powerful Conor Ryan stepping into centre-back.

Why then would we even pose the above question, let alone decide that Clare should in fact change tactics?

Good reason, very good reason. In life generally, though there is still no compelling reason why people shouldn’t experiment, the above principle does apply. Sport, however, is different.

There are fundamentals in any sport that will not change, should not change. In hurling it’s stuff like hooking, blocking, tackling, all now back in vogue again; it’s the lift, the strike on the run off left and right; it’s the ability to catch, to solo, and for the lucky ones, the ability to jink off left or right foot.

Why, even the most basic skill of all, the one with which we all start off, striking the ball on the ground, that’s still alive. All those you keep in your game – if it ain’t broke etc.

Tactics too are fundamental and they have always been an integral part of hurling, even before the foundation of the GAA.

You think people were fools in the 1800s, the 1900s, you think a team’s thinking players didn’t look at the opposition, figure out where they were strong and decide as much as possible to keep the ball away from that area, figure out where the opposition were weak?

Specific tactics though – that’s different. Tactics are fluid, change all the time, must change all the time. Twice in succession now Clare have gotten away with that same major tactic, the sweeper – will it work again? Because if it does then truly, Clare will have been three times lucky.

In 1986, in the All-Ireland semi-final, in a move unprecedented in hurling, Cyril Farrell broke from the traditional hurling formation of 1/3/3/2/3/3, pulled full-forward Pierce Piggott to midfield and dropped midfielder Tony Kilkenny to act as an auxiliary half-back. It worked a treat, Galway beat Kilkenny and qualified to meet Cork in the All-Ireland final.

In that game Cyril tried that tactic again. It bombed. Cork manager Johnny Clifford had anticipated it, had all that time to figure out how to counter it, and did.

Current selector Johnny Crowley had a field day as Cork’s extra man in defence, was man-of-the-match – Cork won.

Davy Fitz is known to take advice from his good friend Cyril Farrell. Be sure of this – he will not repeat Cyril’s error.

We may still see a sweeper but with a twist; we may see something completely new again but rest assured, there will be something different thrown at Cork and Jimmy Barry-Murphy this Sunday.

Heaven knows, it may even be a return to convention – now that would be a surprise!