Eoin Cadogan: Cody will relish prospect of unhinging Limerick's system

TOP MEN: Kilkenny manager Brian Cody celebrates Saturday's win over Clare with Mikey Butler and Cian Kenny. 

“Leave one wolf alive and the sheep are never safe”.

SHOULD we be surprised by Kilkenny's suffocating dominance last Saturday in Croke Park? Probably not. From start to finish, it was savage from the black and amber men. Hunting in packs, narrowing the space and never letting Clare whip up any  momentum. The Banner ritually walked themselves into the traps and were like lambs to the slaughter.

I want to try describing the feeling and lack of control when you walk into the tunnels of Croke Park fourteen points down and chasing. 

When you are chasing a game and it continues to get away from you, everything is compromised. Your shape, set up and decision-making all becomes chaotic and irrational. Everything that has worked all year has now failed you, and you find yourself making decisions that you question as soon as the ball leaves the hurley. 

Some players gamble and push forward in the hope they can get a score to lift the team but out of position and out of shape, the opposition pick off a score before you have a second to reset your positions. The dimensions of the field become unrecognisable and every wide feels like Croke Park is falling down around you with moans of frustration from the stands. The scores you quarry out in a bid to resurrect the fight are returned with interest by an opposition score that looks and feels all too easy.

At half time last Saturday, Brian Lohan tried to identify the source of the problems and reassure his Clare players they were playing for pride - but once you hear that word you know you have 35 minutes ahead of swinging for Ireland but with only one outcome. Some say they never gave up but for others it will feel like a bad dream. Can we reset and start this again please?

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear to see the source of Clare's problems. Leaving 24 wides behind you must have been the most frustrating thing for Lohan and his management team. I’ve mentioned about that optimal delivery zone being between the two 65s. Clare continued to strike balls from their own 45m line which fed right into Kilkenny's hands time and time again. With Richie Reid dropping back it allowed him to sit in behind the two Kilkenny players contesting the sliotar more often than not leaving the ball through to set up the next attack.

As disappointing as this semi final defeat for Clare will feel they still have progressed this year under Brian Lohan whose unassuming and no nonsense approach can only benefit this team going forward - as long as they learn from this Croke Park experience.

What about those hunters? As someone who aspires to be active in coaching teams, I sat back and asked myself are we over complicating the beautiful game. Ball through the lines, short puck outs and tactic boards are all common themes and for sure, there is a place for this. Don’t be fooled into thinking that Kilkenny have not adapted their game but ultimately, the overriding non-negotiable is workrate. 

When I see TJ Reid taking the ball off defender's hurleys and turning the ball over - that’s attitude. He may be an outstanding hurler but being outstanding without work rate isn’t in the Cody playbook. Kilkenny mixed the long and short game perfectly. Hand-passing and delivering the ball through the lines and knowing when the heat was on from Clare to leave it in long and diagonal. The Kilkenny forwards love the one v one battle.

All round Croke Park, they harassed Clare. From a defensive viewpoint, they chewed up the Clare forward unit and spat them out. Huw Lawlor has the capacity to lord the skies. Paddy Deegan has the strength and power to drive out of defence on repeat. Richie Reid’s positioning and timing has created that central safety lock that every team is trying to create without using a sweeper. 

And a special mention to Mikey Butler. From the start of the 2022 campaign this guy has delt with the best forwards in Ireland with precious little fuss. On Saturday he picked up a hurler of the year contender in Tony Kelly and not alone did he shut him down, he got forward and used the ball brilliantly in possession. 

I’ve always questioned these floating roles that some forwards are afforded. In my eyes they’re running. Against a team that hold their positions, these floaters will always come away with scores being unmarked, but when man marked there’s no hiding or getting away and Butler showed that.

Aerially, in all areas of the pitch, Kilkenny put on a master class. Being able to win that ball directly removes those ruck ball scenarios and doesn’t allow for breathers. Straight on the attack with support runners flooding through.

By contrast I had expected Sunday's semi-final to be fairly routine for the All-Ireland champions Limerick but they had to go to the well. And they found a way again. I'v never been so impressed with a Limerick display. Their work rate is beyond dispute (even though John Kiely didn't think so in the first period), but the variety of play and the passing accuracy in close, congested areas of the field was outstanding. Real Kinnerk school of hurling.

While Galway's positioning of Cathal Mannion looked to have been too deep in the first 25 minutes, Galway reaped the reward and maybe showed a slight chink in Limerick's armour. The Catch 22 is that when Limerick are left with any of their defenders as a plus one they have the skill execution to hurt you badly by creating the attacking scenario that permits Limerick go to work. Barry Nash epitomises the modern day attacking corner back whose use of the ball is exceptional.

Scoring efficiency seems to be the stand out issue when it comes to teams failing to get over the line. Galway, Clare and Cork at different stages this year all left big scores behind them at critical moments. Limerick are the best in the business to suffocate the space and forcie an opponent into make irrational decisions like Galway did so many times last Sunday.

I often hear teams speak about sticking to the process but I wonder do they fully understand or believe what the process really means? Limerick have the hurling system that suits the type of players they have. Most importantly they have the belief in each other to stick to it when the heat comes.

Against Galway the Limerick system and belief in their process was once again challenged and questioned. In true Limerick fashion they stood tall and finished the job off.

There's only two weeks between semi-final and final now. The leader of the Kilkenny pack, Brian Cody, will have his players salivating at the prospect of breaking the Limerick system. Despite their robust shape and structure, no one is truly safe when the lone wolf is on the prowl.