Anthony Daly on Limerick v Waterford: The key battle and big match prediction

Waterford’s Jamie Barron with Diarmaid Byrnes, Gearoid Hegarty and Will O'Donoghue of Limerick. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Key Battle: Jamie Barron v Will O’Donoghue 

After last year’s All-Stars were revealed, I wrote in these pages how I felt Will O’Donoghue had been hard done by when not receiving an award. I certainly didn’t begrudge Jamie Barron the All-Star but I felt that O’Donoghue had got the upperhand in that battle when the sides met in the All-Ireland final.

On the other hand, you could argue that O’Donoghue didn’t take Barron out, but that Limerick’s system did, which O’Donoghue was a part off. That’s how Limerick will seek to nullify Barron again this afternoon and Liam Cahill and his management will have to come up with a way of ensuring that doesn’t happen a second successive time in Croke Park.

That might even be something as basic as starting Jamie at corner-forward and, while that might only throw Limerick for a short while, Waterford have to make sure Jamie is in the game for the 70 plus minutes. Jamie playing well means Waterford are playing well.

O’Donoghue isn’t going as well as he was last year but he had a big second half in the Munster final and he almost seemed to take his energy from the machine once it cranked up into full gear. He is a big game player, a real powerhouse around the middle, especially at the breakdown. Limerick are ruthless in that area of the game, especially O’Donoghue, but I think all of the Limerick lads will need to be on their best behaviour after the Munster final, and particularly around Barron given how he glides around the pitch like a swan on a clear lake.

That could be a factor here in granting Jamie more of a licence to profit around the middle.

Tactical Take

The real beauty of Limerick is that they are the most predictable team in the country but they have no problem with that predictability because they are so good at what they do, and so comfortable in carrying it out.

They’ll throw in the odd curveball every now and again but they’ve probably used up all their best moves at this stage and they won’t get caught up in trying to outfox Waterford. That tried and trusted formula works so well and they found out as much in the Munster final when they had to bring in Aaron Gillane as an out-ball option when their running game was breaking down in the first half.

Gillane should have been sent off against Tipp so John Kiely has him exactly where he wants, and needs, Gillane now – a selfless target, with Peter Casey and Seamie Flanagan operating off him. The runners coming from deep will add even more danger to that threat but the Limerick half-forward line will still also come deep to get their scores.

The big tactical question Limerick may need to balance here is that half-forward line possibly having to come deeper than normal to protect those pockets around Declan Hannon, as that’s where Waterford will want to attack hardest and most often with their runners. Waterford will have studied how Tipp got at Limerick and, while that may have been mostly done through moving the ball at lighting pace, Waterford also have that pace in their legs – which Tipp don’t – to mix up their game to keep Limerick guessing.

I’m sure most of the focus in Waterford training this week was on their puckouts because Tipp ate them up on their long puckout last Saturday. They need to work it shorter to get their running game going but that risks being turned over by this Limerick machine. That will be the key – what do Waterford do after they decide to work the ball short? If Waterford decide to go long with that next ball, they know Barry Nash will be covering behind Hannon. So if Waterford do try and transfer it quickly inside, will their angles of running be sharp enough to cut Limerick open?

Dalo’s verdict

After Waterford bombed against Clare, everyone was wondering could they bounce back, but the manner in which they did against Galway and Tipp has underlined the real quality and deep confidence within this squad. A lesser group of men would have doubted themselves after such a poor performance but they clearly have the stuff inside them that is absolutely required to take on this machine.

The biggest obstacle they face here though, is trying to take on that machine after having played three tough games in three weeks, with today’s match now being a fourth in just 21 days. Waterford looked tired in the last ten minutes against Tipp, but having to go to the well again for 70 plus minutes against Limerick is a whole different challenge again. Have Waterford deep enough buckets?

Limerick will be fresh but they’ll also be ready. Losing to Kilkenny at this stage two years ago still seems to be a real sore point for these Limerick players. The hurt they experienced that day clearly drove them to new heights last year and, now that they have that sweet taste in their mouths, Limerick certainly won’t want to experience the sourness of defeat at an All-Ireland semi-final stage again.

Limerick to win but not without a real battle.