Rivals have earned their success

Insider says Limerick and Wexford have made big changes.

Limerick and Wexford aren’t obvious candidates for hurling cross-pollination. They don’t share a border like Clare and Galway, or Cork and Waterford. There isn’t a lengthy back catalogue of fiery clashes.

Pat Herbert is the exception that proves the rule. Having given his native Limerick over a decade as a hardy defender, Herbert took charge of Oulart-The Ballagh in Wexford and managed them to county championship glory in the south-east. Who better to offer some perspective on the recent success of both counties?

“In Wexford it’s been coming for a while, and now it’s a matter of things clicking into place for them,” he says. “They’re on the crest of a wave at the moment, and they’re entitled to feel good about what they’ve achieved this year. It’s not just a matter of the odd win at senior level either — the results of their hard work can be seen at all levels.

“To win their second Leinster title at U21 level in a row this year, to win the Leinster intermediate title the other night, not to mention the two big scalps they’ve taken already in the senior championship — the All-Ireland champions and Waterford — that shows you. There’s huge expectation now in Wexford and that’s lifted everything — the club scene, the game itself. Everything is getting a boost from their run.”

Herbert points out that there are similarities with his own home place, despite the distance between them.

“The work is being put in back in Limerick too. It has to be, because you wouldn’t have the level of success Limerick are having otherwise.

“You look at Limerick and they’ve won two Munster minor titles back to back, which is hugely encouraging, while the U16s have been going well also. The colleges scene in the county is going from strength to strength.

“If we can keep those players together it would be very encouraging for the future, particularly as we’ve got players now with huge experience from being in two Munster senior finals in the last two years, and won last year, of course.”

It’s no accident that Herbert talks about youth and experience: for him, combining the two is the key to Wexford’s success, for instance.

“They’ve gotten the blend right — the management team haven’t been afraid to bring in new young players from those U21 sides, whereas in past years there might have been a little reluctance.

“Even though there were great club championships in Wexford for years, for a long time there was a reluctance to change things at senior county level, and that has now changed.”

Significantly enough, so has the style of play in both counties, he adds.

“You’d associate Wexford teams of the past with that particular approach, a lot of picking the ball and robust hurling, but there’s been a noticeable difference in their approach this year.

“I think that’s being worked on very hard at county level, and [Wexford manager] Liam Dunne has brought in the likes of Paudie Butler and other well-known coaches to assist in implementing this style.

“The next question is whether that change in style will filter down into the club championships for the rest of this year and beyond, which remains to be seen.

“Limerick have changed as well — they’ve gone back to the direct, fast ball, which has been great to see in recent games. You can’t just stay static, you must change and develop.”

Like many observers, Herbert welcomes the competitive hurling championship of the last two seasons: “I’d think that 2013 certainly showed that there’s been a levelling out in terms of competitiveness in hurling, and that’s carried over into this season as well. You certainly wouldn’t say that any county are a good deal ahead of the rest and look set to dominate.

“Looking at last year you’d never have predicted the last four teams which eventually made up the All-Ireland semi-finals — that’s the proof of the game becoming more even.”

Limerick were one of those four teams last year, of course. Herbert sees parallels between their dash to the last four in 2013 and Wexford’s irresistible run of recent weeks.

“In a lot of ways Wexford’s 2014 is quite similar to Limerick’s 2013, where a change of management has brought in new, younger players who have proven themselves at colleges and minor level.

“With Wexford, they’ve been knocking on the door at minor and U21 level for a couple of years, and in some cases it didn’t quite come off for them, but when it comes together we see the fruits of that in the senior county team, and it’ll certainly be a huge game, a cracking Sunday in Thurles between the two counties. It’s do or die now.”