I thought Kilkenny kept the ball away from De Burca incredibly well for the first 25 minutes or so. They were actually wasteful in the first quarter which ultimately cost them.
They should have been 9 or 10 points up at half time really. Thats not to take away from Waterfords second half performance which was absolutely incredible to be honest.
De Burca is absolutely class, along with Calum Lyons, Barron, Gleeson, Hutchinson, Fagan and the Bennetts, they’ve some team.
An organised Waterford team let hurl at the same time. Scary.
There probably is some planning involved but it’s iconic the way they just tear off soloing up the field.
It’s pretty extraordinary a team with so many rookies are now so close to winning an All Ireland.
I wouldn’t consider them in any way off the cuff any more than anyone really. There’s a serious structure the whole thing is built around. The running at defences is part of the plan, not some genius creativity. It’s a nice style to watch though
Was thinking it must be a surreal feeling for a competing county supporter having to watch a “frenzied finale” on television. Unfortunately, due to playing shit, we were hammered out the gate in both games so there was no tension for me. I even had a fry up at half time of Wexford-Clare.
My favourite bit of the match was when Bennett got the ball on the right wing, probably should have taken a shot but had no confidence in his right side so decided to flick the ball over the Kilkenny back’s head and completely mug him off, before taking it onto his left and scoring an unreal point instead.
I didn’t realise he was so one-sided but he really struggled off his right side but still caused wreck. Waterford have a few players in a similar vein (as most teams do) and Kilkenny were actually really good at getting them to strike off their bad side or turn into trouble to strike off their good side in the first half. Waterford were able to work it much better in the second.
Darragh Lyons is some tackler technique-wise, reminds me of Tom.
It looks iconic, soloing, high catching, doubling on it in the air or on the ground stirs something inside any of us who played at any level and while it does allow them a lot of freedom, and is far from finished as the soloing often leads up blind alleys it clearly is a tactic that they are to play on the front foot by carrying it, not striking too early.
That Waterford team will fully expect to win the final no matter what happens tomorrow
Jaysus he got a great score off his right in the second half when it looked like he’d taken too much out of the situation
Time to dust this off.
It was a good point but even the way he struck it, you could tell he wasn’t comfortable, he got right underneath it.
Tbf for someone who wouldn’t have been known for his pace as a young fella, he’s very very comfortable to just continue to run even if it looks like he’s going into traffic. His point where he ran 60m was sensational and it looked like he had gone down a few blind alleys but he kept driving at the space.
Coming of age I think. That Waterford minor team from 2013 were unreal.
As good a crop of players to ever come through for ye in my lifetime. Very similar to our lads and ye had the upper hand that year bigtime against us.
Just goes to show how important it is to have a proper management team in place.
I think they have to win it now.
They are still relatively unknown and unpredictable like Limerick in 2018 and Clare in 2013. Dessie/Calum/Kenny/Prunty/Prendergast/Montgomery/Fagan all only in their first or second year, and last year barely counts.
Teams will have them sussed before long. I think they’ll do it now.
Half backs and midfielders that put the ball on the hurley suits limerick down to the ground
Unlucky for them Limerick are booked in for the next 5 All Irelands
And that successful minor team of 13 lost the Munster Final to Limerick also!
True but no defender likes being run at. And Waterford run at you time & time again. Even if you hold them up 80% of the time, they’ll do damage when they do break through.
You can blame our world class academy for that.
Between Aussie, TDB and Bennett I cannot think of anyone else in the running for hoty right now