Tim throwing the hurley like a slash hook for every puckout on top of Duggan was heartbreaking. He has performed better since to his credit but it would be a mistake to repeat the same plan. Ethan Twomey has to be an option now too although it would be harsh to drop anyone after the Limerick game.
Corkās game is based on moving the ball fast and running hard into space. They have been excellent twice this year against Limerick and have shown that they have a very high ceiling when they are allowed to play this way.
But for long periods of both second halves v Limerick their scoring economy was through the roof, think it was 10 scores from 11 shots the first day and something similar last day out, which is hugely impressive but not something which is sustainable game to game. If they hit long spells with that kind of accuracy then they will win comfortably.
Limerick somewhat played in to Corkās hands with their zonal approach at half back and midfield for long periods both days, their forwards also didnāt run enough at the cork backs despite their being ample opportunities to do so.
Clare will gladly go man for man at the back on cork puckouts along with asking Duggan and Fitz to drop into the space 70 yards from goal - Corkās puck kits completely malfunctioned earlier in the year when this happened and they also struggled against Dublin when they didnāt give them space to launch their puckouts into.
Cork will want the pace fast and hit the space and try and pull Clare all over the place. If it is that type of game I think they have the speed and hurling to win comfortably enough.
Clare will sit on the cork puckout and force them short and to try and hit contested balls into their forwards. Athletically I think Clare have more pace in their backline and are seasoned at going man for man compared to Limerick who struggled badly against this cork unit. They just need their forwards to deliver an aggressive performance without the ball and force the cork backs into hurried passes or carrying it into contact. I would bet on the cork forwards to out score Clareās in an open game but if it becomes a battle and comes down to the turnovers and aggression of their forward unit without the ball then Clare will win.
While there is an argument that Clare havenāt delivered a 70 minute performance, very few teams do, Cork were woeful in the second quarter the last day out and fell over the line in the last ten- Clare have consistently won close games all year between league and championship and if they are in it with 10 to go I think they have the stuff to drive on and deliver.
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Youāre an idiot if you honestly believe either of those things
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What Taylor coming into mid field? Hardly a stretch.
Iām predicting Cork 2-25 Clare 1-26.
As an aside I saw a girl I was in college with share a post looking to get her grandfather to Croker because heās Corkās āBiggest Fanā. If he was their biggest fan then heād surely get one through his club easily enough. Even if heās not a member of a club then youād imagine that heād have enough contacts built up from his years of ardent support. A classic case of a bandwagoner who doesnāt give enough to the club scene youād imagine.
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I would agree with most of that.
I do think that Clare will test the Cork backline a lot more than Limerick will, simply because thatās the type of player they have.
You could definitely argue that Limerick played into Corkās hands. Limerick are famously rigid, they do their own thing, everyone knows what they will do and teams set up for that. It has served them very well but Cork definitely exploited it (both days).
Clare have been more adaptable and that doesnāt always work either. But I do think stopping Corkās puckout dominance is key.
Barrett on Conlon is still a concern though: his movement is really good and he has electric pace. It just causes chaos which allows the others to feed off.
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Clare set up very well with Limerick but Limerick donāt have the pace of Cork.
If cork go man to man and follow cork it could get messy quick. Conlon wouldnāt get near Barrett. Hayes and Connolly can rip you asunder too. Fitzgibbon too.
Cork have that speed very teams have and defenders hate it.
David Mcinerney and in his absence Cian Galvin have spent large spells at centre back as the main man marking half back with Conlon on the wing.
So why would they have any issue doing it now?
Because mcinterney will match up better to dalton or harnedy.
Heād just be as unsuited to Barrett as well. I also donāt think Conlon would be suited to marking harnedy or dalton.
So I donāt see that switch.
Could end up even worse for Clare.
Who takes Barrett so? Stop Barrett or curtail him and Cork are half beaten already.
Based off what ?
When they met a handful of weeks back they had a fine battle with Barrett running sideline to sideline and Conlon spoiling multiple puckouts where Barrett tried to run him.
Go and look at the Barrett goal chance after half time, Conlon didnt lose a stride with him over the bones of 35 yards.
Iām honestly not sure if Clare go man to man they have a player to stop him.
Hes an outstanding player.
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Did you see Barrett v Limerick?
I honestly donāt think Clare v cork in the round robin has much relevance to anything.
Corks two victories v Limerick have changed them. Thatās my opinion of it. I could be wrong but they are in my eyes all peaking at the right time with younger legs.
But you are telling us that Conlon isnāt capable of getting close to him, yet 2 months ago he went toe to toe with him and held up fine in terms of pace.
Barrett is a super player and may well win that battle but you are completely overstating the disparity between both.
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I would also start Ryan Taylor and move Kelly into the forwards.
Kelly isnāt moving well and I wouldnāt be wasting his energy hairing around after these flyers from cork.
Iād put him in the forwards and let him do what he does best.
Itās easy say Taylor is a great sub but it doesnāt matter how good he is if cork are nine points up.
Cork were shakey enough in the final 15 minutes v Limerick. They only got one or two points.
If Iām Clare Iām looking to stay in the fight as long as possible and possibly hope the pressure of the big day plays on corks mind towards the finish.
Starting Ryan Taylor isnāt going to make a nine point difference either though.
He has played 20 odd minutes hurling in a year - he will be a sub.
Iād start my best team. If they could get 50 minutes out of him it would be huge.
So many times players are held in reserve and it doesnāt matter because the game is done with it.
Abd who replaced him?
The reason Taylor went well the last day was because he came in against a player in Cian Kenny who had covered huge ground over 50 odd minutes and he had legs on him. Clare want that impetus from their bench as otherwise you end up with a knackered Cathal Malone and Darragh Lohan midfield down the stretch.
Well David Reidy was bizarrely dropped I thought unless there some injury or something already this year so heās most likely.
You need McCarthy for frees.
If Iām the cork manager Iām resting a lot easier with Tony Kelly at midfield and Ryan Taylor on the bench.
Taylor will have more impact off the bench than whoever you drop for him.
He has only played 20 odd minutes hurling in 12 months. The last 25 minutes of a match are far more open compared to what the first 25 will be when hits will be going in all over the place and there is nothing to suggest that he would be better suited to those opening exchanges given his lengthy spell on the sideline.
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