Clare v Cork - GAA Hurling All Ireland Senior Championship 2013 Final - Replay

Sport
141

Playing the picador role.

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[quote=“TheUlteriorMotive, post: 836853, member: 2272”]Wonder how they will line up. Horgan out to half forward and Cronin inside?

  1. Anthony Nash

  2. Stephen McDonnell 3. Shane O’Neill 4. Conor O’Sullivan

  3. Brian Murphy 6. Christopher Joyce 7. William Egan

  4. Lorcan McLoughlin 9. Daniel Kearney

  5. Seamus Harnedy 11. Cian McCarthy 12. Pa Cronin

  6. Luke O’Farrell 14. Patrick Horgan 15. Conor Lehane[/quote]

Lehane won’t be inside, he was very poor in the corner this year. Cronin could very easily be inside imo.

143

Clare don’t need cork to do anything in order to won this. Cork need clare to concede another two goals and to play below their peak performance.

That’s not to suggest that cork can’t win it. they have shown they are not likely to die which gives any team a chance but they can’t afford a whole lot to go wrong. cork hit 3 16 last time out yet they are supposed to have played badly. I don’t buy that to be honest.
I think that’s as good as cork are. If someone told cork fans two years ago that the solution to being cleaned out under puck outs in an all ireland final was cian mccarthy how would they have taken it?

144

Is this the famous jbm mindgames?

145

The most likely explanation is either that cronin is going full or else the harnedy stuff is true

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[quote=“twiceasnice97, post: 837037, member: 1061”]Clare don’t need cork to do anything in order to won this. Cork need clare to concede another two goals and to play below their peak performance.

That’s not to suggest that cork can’t win it. they have shown they are not likely to die which gives any team a chance but they can’t afford a whole lot to go wrong. cork hit 3 16 last time out yet they are supposed to have played badly. I don’t buy that to be honest.
I think that’s as good as cork are. If someone told cork fans two years ago that the solution to being cleaned out under puck outs in an all ireland final was cian mccarthy how would they have taken it?[/quote]

The same way most are taking it now. With bemusement and scepticism.

I hope you are not the only Clare man who thinks that’s as good as Cork are!

Could also look at it that Cork were muck, Clare played to optimum and still conceded 3-16. And that’s as good as Clare are.

Truth in the middle I’d say. Although I doubt Cork will be as close to Clare for a long while after this year

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I hope clare really sow it into them on saturday, after the carry of jbm and the cork supporters

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[quote=“twiceasnice97, post: 837037, member: 1061”]Clare don’t need cork to do anything in order to won this. Cork need clare to concede another two goals and to play below their peak performance.

That’s not to suggest that cork can’t win it. they have shown they are not likely to die which gives any team a chance but they can’t afford a whole lot to go wrong. cork hit 3 16 last time out yet they are supposed to have played badly. I don’t buy that to be honest.
I think that’s as good as cork are. If someone told cork fans two years ago that the solution to being cleaned out under puck outs in an all ireland final was cian mccarthy how would they have taken it?[/quote]

Probably pretty well, people were under the impression Cian McCarthy was actually a decent hurlers two years ago. Now obviously we know better, and I expect him to get run around the pitch in two days time.

Anyway if Clare get any amount of goals on Saturday its game over.

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[SIZE=4]Clare ace McGrath says it’s a day to savour rather than fear[/SIZE]
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Some players find All-Ireland final day too much.

By Diarmuid O’Flynn It should be their ultimate ambition realised, greeted by the roar of the 82,000 crowd but instead of flourishing, they freeze. Formerly fluid wrists become tight, legs turn to jelly, thoughts are confused and jumbled as dream turns to nightmares.

Then there’s Clare. Almost as young a side as ever hit the sacred sod, certainly as inexperienced, they came out against Cork in the All-Ireland SHC final three weeks ago, looked around, smiled, soaked it all in and enjoyed the parade behind the fabled Artane Band. Then came the throw-in and their moment of truth.

They played as though an All-Ireland senior hurling final in front of a capacity Croke Park was something they’d been doing every week.

“I thought the whole day was brilliant to be honest,” said corner-forward Conor McGrath, who, at 22, is one of the more experienced lads.

“Even the half an hour out on the pitch beforehand, the noise, the atmosphere was just brilliant. I enjoyed the whole thing.

“Then the minute the match starts you get your first touch and you’re involved. It just becomes a normal match. But I really enjoyed the experience.”

But what of the crowd. It could have intimidated them?

“Not particularly. You’d think you would coming up to the match but once it starts you barely notice anything. The only thing you might have noticed was when Cork got a goal there was a huge cheer, but other than that you’d notice very little.”

So, that was three times in the entire afternoon that Conor became conscious of his surroundings, of the occasion. Well, four actually. The final torturous seconds also made an impression, Clare a point behind having dominated most of the game. It was at that stage, for the first time in the game he suffered a sinking feeling.

“Yeah, you’d be lying if you said it didn’t cross your mind that it was gone but thankfully, we were allowed play on for a few seconds. Luckily enough we were able to get the opening and thankfully Domhnall got the point.”

In contrast to Clare, there are those who believe Cork felt the heat.

“People are saying that Cork didn’t play well,” said Conor. “I thought both teams played reasonably well. They were never more than four or five points away from us, were getting some great scores in the second half. I think both teams played very well and I think both teams will feel they can play better again.”

A new occasion now, a different sort of All-Ireland. Saturday afternoon, 5pm, under lights.

“We’ll treat it very similarly, probably leave from Clare a couple of hours later than we have been doing but I don’t think it will make too much difference.”

And the lights? “I don’t think that will make much difference. We played Cork earlier in the league in Páirc Uí Rinn under lights, played an U21 All-Ireland final last year against Kilkenny under lights. I can’t see them making any difference. So many clubs have lights now, I’d say there isn’t a player who hasn’t had experience of playing under them, loads of times.”

Mention of which, it’s just as well Conor doesn’t have any problems under lights because with only one round of club championship played and as a member of dual club, Cratloe, he’s going to find himself in whirlwind action.

“There are six of us involved with the county panel [himself, Conor Ryan, Podge Collins starting, Cathal McInerney, Liam Markham and injured Seán Collins on the panel], all dual players. Once this is over we’ll be back club training on Tuesday night and it will be 100% focus on that. With all players, the club comes first, that would be my view on things anyway, and we’re 100% focused on both the hurling and football championships in Cratloe and we’d be delighted to be involved until Christmas!”

In the meantime, this little matter of another visit to GAA HQ for some unfinished business. Will they be fazed this time? Not a chance.
Š Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

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[quote=“Turenne, post: 837046, member: 232”]Probably pretty well, people were under the impression Cian McCarthy was actually a decent hurlers two years ago. Now obviously we know better, and I expect him to get run around the pitch in two days time.

Anyway if Clare get any amount of goals on Saturday its game over.[/quote]
Fair enough. That being the case is it possible mccarthy just needs more games to get up to the standard. He has the tools to make it but out doesn’t ever seem to gel into a complete game

151

i expect they will move and swap positions a bit

Clare conceded 12 goals in the league. They may have conceded 5 or 6 the last day.

Second half of the drawn game Cork moved the Clare half back line forward and that left a lot of space to get at full back line where Clare are weak. I expect Clare will play with a sweeper or some cover in front of full back line on Saturday with the thinking that if they don’t concede goals they will out point Cork.

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[quote=“TheUlteriorMotive, post: 837081, member: 2272”]i expect they will move and swap positions a bit

Clare conceded 12 goals in the league. They may have conceded 5 or 6 the last day.

Second half of the drawn game Cork moved the Clare half back line forward and that left a lot of space to get at full back line where Clare are weak. I expect Clare will play with a sweeper or some cover in front of full back line on Saturday with the thinking that if they don’t concede goals they will out point Cork.[/quote]

Honestly that’s my hope. I don’t think they will out point Cork going that way.

They need to play the same way but they need to change their match ups and they must play better in full back line.

Cork must play better at half back and half forward and get more possession in Clare’s half of the field. Corks forwards overall are better than Clare’s, if they get enough ball they will win.

However Cork won’t win without Harnedy.

153

I expect Cork to prevail on Saturday. That said this years All Ireland has been rendered pretty much irrelevant, a fact acknowledged by the GAA fixing it for 5 on a Saturday evening. The winners of this will most definitely have an * beside their name.

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Kev, disagree that Corks forwards overall are better. They’re close enough but I’d give the edge to Clare.

If Clare go with a sweeper and that stops Cork scoring goals then Clare probably have the advantage in a long range point scoring contest. It’ll be a brave call for Clare not to revert to a sweeper. Their full back line is a weakness as I’ve been saying all year, if a sweeper isn’t introduced and Cork improve at half forward they’ve every chance of scoring 3 goals again. On the other hand gifting Cork a free man at the back to take puck outs and work the ball up the field will suit Cork just fine and Clare have been exposed when teams have done this. I think Clare will stick to 14 outfield players, maybe with one or two positional switches. If Clare can get a goal Cork are sunk.

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[SIZE=6]Tony Kelly’s natural talent can derail Leesiders, insists clubmate Tony Griffin[/SIZE]

Liam Kelly – 26 September 2013
[SIZE=5]FORMER Clare All Star Tony Griffin is rooting for his club colleague Tony Kelly in the replay against Cork on Saturday.[/SIZE]

The two Tonys are members of the Ballyea club which has traditionally been overshadowed by the larger Clarecastle outfit near Ennis, but [U]Davy[/U] Fitzgerald’s commitment to youth has put Ballyea on the hurling map.
Apart from the wonderfully talented Kelly, Ballyea has produced two other members of the Clare All-Ireland U-21 winning team – Paul Flanagan and Jack Rowe.
Win or lose against Cork, Tony Griffin is already proud of the accomplishments of the Ballyea players.
“I remember Tony (Kelly), Jack Browne, Paul Flanagan, these guys who are on the U-21s now, all pucking around, and virtually living at the pitch,” he said.
"I’d be training with Clare and I’d go up to the pitch to take frees on my own and these would be the guys pucking the ball back to me or they’d be just pucking around themselves playing into one goal while I’d be playing on my own at the other end.
“And then Tony blossoming into the player he is, has been a real joy.”
Griffin highlights Kelly’s natural athleticism as being his main attribute. His running style is reminiscent of Cork great Sean Og O hAilpin. He is highly skilful and also possesses a calm demeanour on the pitch.
"If you look at Tony, he went from being a boy to a man well before his age. I remember seeing him at the pitch one night, just running.
"I studied bio-mechanics at university in [U]Canada[/U] and looking at Tony’s running style, I remember saying that the last guy I remember covering ground so beautifully was Sean Og (O hAilpin).
"Then he played senior with me that year and I was very impressed.
"There’s a few things that set Tony apart – his movement, his athleticism, which is [U]genetic[/U]. You can’t train that into a guy. Usually they have it at a young age or they don’t, that pure athleticism.
"His hand-eye coordination is exceptional, his movement is exceptional and then he’s just got this lovely mental state that he’s so relaxed when he’s playing.
“If he evolves his game and tries to develop new aspects to his game, he can only get better,” said Griffin.
Now 32, Griffin was a ground-breaker for the club when he became the first Ballyea man to play senior championship hurling for the Banner.
Little did Griffin realise that while he was concentrating on his own hurling career, the kids in the Ballyea club were watching his progress and dreaming of the day, when they, too, would wear the Banner jersey.
[U]Tony Kelly[/U] spoke of the example set by ‘the Griff’ who is now a team-mate on the Ballyea senior team when Griffin’s work with young people’s charity SOAR permits him time to play.
“Growing up, he (Griffin) was THE player in the club,” said Kelly. "He put Ballyea on the map. He was one of the first lads in the club to play for Clare.
"But he’s come back in now, he’s back playing with us and as he says himself, ‘puck it to the younger lads and let me fill in a position’, so yeah, he was a big influence on all of us growing up.
"He was the ultimate professional. He always kept his head down and worked hard.
“He reaped the rewards and got an All Star as well and played on big days. Hopefully, the Ballyea lads can follow him in what he has done.”
Ironically, Griffin came close to being part of an opposition back-room team as he was with Dublin throughout this year’s campaign.
In one sense, Cork upsetting the Dubs in the semi-final prevented a Ballyea clash of interests, so now Griffin’s focus is on seeing Clare get an All-Ireland title.
"It’s a hard one to call. I was involved with Dublin this year in the background and when I saw Dublin and Cork, it was such a physical contest, I wondered would Clare stand up to, or were they ready for Cork’s physicality.
"In fact, Cork weren’t ready for Clare’s speed.
"Now I wonder if Cork, having experienced it once, will come to terms with Clare’s pace and ferocious activity around the pitch.
"So much is going to come down to the breaks, but whatever happens in the All-Ireland final, there’s an All-Ireland in that team in the next two or three years.
“If it’s not next year, it’s the year after because they’re so hungry to play the game,” said Griffin.

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[quote=“glasagusban, post: 837107, member: 1533”]Kev, disagree that Corks forwards overall are better. They’re close enough but I’d give the edge to Clare.

If Clare go with a sweeper and that stops Cork scoring goals then Clare probably have the advantage in a long range point scoring contest. It’ll be a brave call for Clare not to revert to a sweeper. Their full back line is a weakness as I’ve been saying all year, if a sweeper isn’t introduced and Cork improve at half forward they’ve every chance of scoring 3 goals again. On the other hand gifting Cork a free man at the back to take puck outs and work the ball up the field will suit Cork just fine and Clare have been exposed when teams have done this. I think Clare will stick to 14 outfield players, maybe with one or two positional switches. If Clare can get a goal Cork are sunk.[/quote]

The last time they played the sweeper Cork killed them. Any other time Clare won.

It’s not the only thing, but it’s significant.

The scope for Corks forwards to cause absolute havoc is bigger IMO. Bar McCarthy all the other possess serious talent with an eye for scores. If they all play well on the same day some day you’ll change your mind. However, I understand where you are coming from.

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[quote=“caoimhaoin, post: 837124, member: 273”]The last time they played the sweeper Cork killed them. Any other time Clare won.

It’s not the only thing, but it’s significant.

[/quote]

When did Clare play a sweeper against Cork this year?

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Clare people have an unbelievable ability for loose talk. Griffen on about next year and the year after.

There is absolutely no certainty Clare will dominate anything. It’s a small county with a relatively small pick. A few injuries or somebody going traveling or whatever could throw them off big style. It’s all about the here and now.

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In Munster

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No they didn’t