The very best of luck to Limerick tomorrow. I think it will be a very tight game, would be great for hurling if they could get to the final
enjoy it. Get up early. Buy the papers. Read the previews and articles. The morning of a big game is brilliant - the anticipation, the excitement, the hope, the expectation. Set tv to record assuming you will win.
And then off to Croke Park where you only really enjoy a match in hindsight as the result means too much. One of the only occasions in your life now where you are completely present for the duration and nothing else matters
Sport, when you care, is bloody brilliant.
Preview wise I find it hard to call. I think Kilkenny will come out for an early knock out punch but if Limerick can perform from the start and keep it tight to halftime they will win.
That cunt spidey is neither from Limerick nor a hurling man.All for the banter here but that is out of order and the true sign of a real life cunt.
Hope I don’t drink too much tonight. I was hanging last year.
Just back from hols in time for this thank fuck,flying into Dublin late tonight/tomorrow morning. Fucking buzzing all week for it. The missus not impressed by my “paying no attention to our holiday” whatever the fuck that means. Currently here by the pool and all i can think of is Richie flattening that Mark Kelly lad.
Anyway, where would b a good spot to park if im bringing car in from airport side??
A scumbag of the highest order no doubt. I wouldnt wish injury on any hurling man from any county. While im at it i must wish the Limerick lads on here the best tomorrow. May the best team win and if you do beat us shur what harm, you’d meet worse than the Limerick lads.
And if we are going to be beaten,no shame in being downed by the Supercats.
However i feel we will do it tomorrow. The time for the excuses and the ifs and buts is over. If our Half back line break even i feel Hamez Roberto and Browne could edge midfield.If this happens i think our forwards will do the business. I know i have been saying it all year but Downes looks ready to go fucking mental any time soon. When he does he will go on a rampage, thats always the type of player he has been. Its coming and we need it to happen tomorrow.
Must admit i have completely lost all composure here. Read too much about the match and im now frothing here at poolside, pacing up and down driven demented. Theres two young lads in the pool with a ball and im going straight in with a shoulder/high elbow to win the dirty ball. If their father has a fucking problem with this i’ll take him on aswell. Im fucking gone cracked here. This is my fucking pool, and its time to set the tone for the weekend…
Ok, time to call it.
More than any other, I believe tomorrow’s game will define where Limerick hurling has come to since the reconstruction following the 2009/10 debacle. Progress, harmony and Munster silverware have come our way since then, but tomorrow we will face the best team that’s ever been and the game will be a true measure of where we are. Kilkenny may not be the raging inferno they once were but their burning embers are still the best benchmark by our worth will be judged.
There can be no excuses. One pitch, two sets of goalposts and both teams at full strength. Kilkenny’s game has always been straightforward - beat your immediate opponent and you will win. That’s what Limerick have to do tomorrow. Much has been debated about our half-back line, the wingmen in particular. I actually think they’ll be ok. The greater challenge is immediately behind them. Kelly is mobile and will drag Richie Mc away from his domain. I expect Hickey to pick up Fennelly and Condon to mark Larkin. If we can establish dominance here we’ll be a lot of the way there as, half-back line notwithstanding, plenty of ball is going to hit this sector of the field.
Further out, you have the wonderful talent of Richie Hogan who as the ability to dictate the game. We, however, have JimBob and Browne in the form of their lives and it’s a battle we have to win. It may well come down to how our forwards perform. If 4 out of 6 of them hit the heights they are capable of, we’ll go close. If they all hit them, we’ll win.
For the first time in an age we have forwards capable of inflicting severe damage. Ballwinners in the half line and predators inside, tomorrow is the day to do it on the big stage. The opening periods of either half will be vital. Break even here and we’ll be set fair. I feel that we may just have the hunger, drive and hurling to see it out if it’s close with 10 minutes left. If we have to chase down a 4-5 point lead we’re in serious bother.
I’ve been iffy about this one since the pairing became apparent. There are certainly more questions about Limerick than there are about The Cats. As the game approaches I’ve been hugely impressed by how the squad have gone about their business. There’s a fiercely determined steel about them. I think it will be our day.
Limerick 1-21
Kilkenny 1-19
I really think that the battle of tactics on the sideline is crucial for Limerick tomorrow. The Limerick management should have left no stone unturned in
examining what the possible permutations are for sunday.
The Limerick forwards and Midfield v Kilkenny is fairly straightforward tactical battle and Limerick know what to expect and also have the luxury of forwards who can rotate around and they also have a few players to bring in as impact subs. Limerick should have taken note of the Galway game and how Kilkenny shipped a lot of scores in a short period, the forwards should be aware of how Galway did damage and try to expose the same weaknesses again.
The Limerick backs v Kilkenny forwards is a completly different story however. We have no idea what tactics Kilkenny will use here.
- They’ve named Mark Kelly at 14 who relatively little is known about. Is this a decoy and will someone else take his place before throw in. Cody will have looked at
the Cork game and seen how Limericks backs followed their men when they rotated.
This meant there were times when Richie Mcarthy was dragged out of position which did’nt suit him and also that Condon was sometimes left at full back. The Limerick management have a decision to make here, imo they need to leave Mcarthy full back and not allow Kilkenny to draw him out of position. This will probably cost them a few points but if he is drawn out of position there will be goals scored.
They will probably try not to draw Hickey out the field but Limerick should try to make Hickey the man who does the roaming. Easier said than done.
-
The Limerick management don’t seem to have a plan b for their half back line. Wayne Mac has held this line well but he can’t be expected to cover other areas when Mick Fennelly is in opposition. This is his biggest test yet and I worry that if Kilkenny force Limerick into a change in this area that Limerick would have to make 2\3 positional changes to put a replacement center back here as the wing backs probably would’nt be options if that scanario occured. Also Fennelly may roam which like Mcarthy will leave Wayne with a decision to make on whether to hold the center or go after him.
The wing backs have struggled also and if things are going badly Limerick need a plan in place to make changes here and possibly early changes aswell. -
A 70 minute game is going to feel like a 90 minute game for the Limerick backs as it’s higly likely that they’ll face 8\9 different players overall. Walter Walsh, the Powers, Shefflin, Tommy Walsh, Fogarty are all available to be used as forwards and Cody will surely use all 5 subs available to him.
-
With all the above mentioned it would seem wise to play a sweeper inside the halfback line. However this has been a double edged swords for teams that have tried this against Kilkenny in the past. The Limerick management should have weighed up the pros and cons of this and also what changes their going to have to make if they revert to\from this approach during the game.
I really don’t know how deeply the Limerick management look into these type of details but my instinct is that they don’t. They have been very slow to make changes all year and just use the same 17\18 players again and again. Kilkenny starting Mark Kelly is equivalent to Limerick starting Tommy O Brien or Tommy Quaid, this kind of insight seems to be lacking in team selection imo.
I also could’nt imagine Cody continously starting players who have been well beaten in previous games. Some will describe this as loyalty by the Limerick management towards certain players, I would describe this as fear by management of making the wrong decision. This is understandable as they’re inexperienced at this level. Its a huge game of tactics for the Limerick management v Cody as well as what happens on the pitch.
@ThunderPuss, Mark Kelly is a bit of a speed merchant so it’s clear to me they’ll have him running about the place trying to drag Richie out and expose him for pace. Especially if they play a two man full forward line again this seems a good tactic from a Kilkenny point of view.
Richie MUST stay in his position. If you and I know this, then I am sure Richie knows!
Bad news lads 
I’ve spotted that Shane Dowling gave an interview with the Mirror today. This coupled with Gavins appearance on TV last night means the odds are now seriously stacked against us.
@Spidey , I’m just letting you know that I think the girls here are getting many pairs of knickers twisted
over your queen Henry comment. Big deal I say ,people constantly go over the top with such comments.
Now fuck off the lot of ye. Whoremasters!
Limerick are good from 8-15 but I would worry about ye from 1-7. Can see ye coughing up a couple of silly goals (like ye did against Cork). Kilkenny by 5+pts.
From Martin Kiely column…
I spent a few hours with Aidan O’Brien in Ballydoyle last week and he said, “When you’re looking back it’s over.” The time for Limerick hurling looking back is truly over so go to Croke Park and create a new future for our county, hurl with passion and pride and the rest will take care of itself.
i dont think he is much of a speed merchant but he is very direct in possession and also abrasive. saying that he is also a bit of a donkey.
its possible they are targeting the best fullback in Ireland with this lad so lets see how he does.
Limerick just need to line up man to man and play limerick hurling against them. We don’t need tactics.
mark yere men and hit the ball forward should be enough to match this kk team
a few more bits and pieces may need to be added for the final alright, depending on the opposition