Kilkenny used the break excellently, there were reports that training was as good a standard since the Leinster final as it was when they were putting multiple all Ireland together and it showed on the pitch, they were hungry, executing all the basics to a very high level at pace with few unforced errors.
We in the other hand looked like a side whoâs tank was running empty, the manic workrate, harrying and turnovers we were forcing in our forwards wasnât there like previous and we just made no real impact from 9 to 15. Without that platform we were always going to struggle to get the foothold on the game that we needed and ended up hitting far too many pot shots.
Iâd say we have very little done on the training pitch over the last month or so after a draining Munster final and then having to go to the well v Wexford meaning that we werenât able to find the extra gear and speed of hurling you need when you get to Croke Park at the business end of the championship- which is exactly what Kilkenny did.
Definitely but most of the time lads donât have the foothold to do it. Hard to position yourself to bat a ball when the other lad is backing into you. Half the time youâll end up waving at the ball. The other way is to take a few steps back but if you come and donât get it youâre in an even worse spot than if he caught it over you. At the end of the day the old style murderous overhead pull is the best approach but lads donât know how to do that these days.
Average age of the team being on the high side is a problem as well. Thereâs a big gap to the next decent crop of U20s so are playing with the same hand to a large degree next year. Although Aidan McCarthy will probably be a big factor of he gets back to where he was.
Another issue is that Munster is extremely difficult to emerge from unless you have a gear or two to spare like Limerick do. No guarantees at all youâll be around at the business end again next year. And if you are, youâll face the same challenges again with freshness, timing etc unless you beat Limerick and go the short route.
You would feel that McCarthy, Meehan and Rodgers will all start next year barring injury but realistically we probably need Crotty to take a step and become at least a solid impact player off the bench come championship. Adam Hogan will be in the 26 next year too and will probably be starting come 2024.
Very few alternatives to centre back though. Conlon has exceeded expectations there but medium term what do you do? Diarmuid Ryan maybe but I still think he is a big green and his attacking style more suited to wing back.
I think he might well be given a chance there alright but I wasnât overly impressed with him as a half back in 2020.
He was a really important player for us last year and a really effective half forward as he had the ability to drift from sideline to sideline and was excellent at both getting on breaks and winning his own ball. I think he has a slight selfish/greedy streak in him which is fine for a forward which might take a few years more maturity before he has the nous for 6
Think if Cody was picking the team heâd go for Ryan at 6. But heâd be a very different 6 to Conlon. If you wanted more of a like for like youâd probably go with DMc. Maybe Malone could go back to 5. I think his days might be numbered at midfield either way as the tank was running low by the MF this year.
Yeah the legs certainly look to be on the wane. Whether it is due to playing every game since pre season or simply him the wrong side of 30 now is the question.
He has played the more defensive role this year screening and what not but his ability to carry ball and break tackles has gone back compared years previous.
I was wondering the same as that second half progressed. Clare had a load of ball but were happy to save face on the score board in the end. Lamping in shots from 100 yards out. Made a few one man efforts and got creamed in the process.