Really puts in perspective @anon32894817’s comments about the Na Piarsaigh’s AI win being a “soft” all Ireland and Patrickswell being a “real” hurling team.
What an achievement by Na Piarsaigh to win three county championships, three munster championships and an all Ireland in a short number of years, compared to Patrickswell’s softest county title of all time before losing in Munster to a club team from the hurling wasteland of cork. That record shows where you want your county team to be drawn from.
Patrickswell as usual have the best interests of Limerick hurling at heart and threw yesterdays game. The all Ireland club hurling championship is a farce of competition only taken seriously by people that think the harty cup and the fitzgibbon is a serious hurling competition.
This thread is quality as always.
Can someone explain what “hip and whip” hurling is please. Is it just " spread out lads" tactics, combined with naked aggression?
Long puck outs and let the recipient battle away for himself
Long high clearances from the backs … as trademarked by Mark Foley
No handpassing
No soloing
No short stick passes (anything less than 40 yards)
A baysht at 14 on whom as much ball as possible is rained down from on high
One fancy-dan freetaker allowed
Ideally half the team not wearing helmets, unfortunately this has been outlawed
Black or white helmets only
No tactics, no puckout strategies
Absolutely no sweepers
No half-socks
Long puck outs and let the recipient battle away for himself
Long high clearances from the backs … as trademarked by Mark Foley
No handpassing
No soloing
No short stick passes (anything less than 40 yards)
A baysht at 14 on whom as much ball as possible is rained down from on high
One fancy-dan freetaker allowed
Ideally half the team not wearing helmets, unfortunately this has been outlawed
Black or white helmets only
No tactics, no puckout strategies
Absolutely no sweepers
No half-socks
[/quote]
There is essentially no such thing as “Game Plans” in hurling. It’s a pure codology.
Absolutely 100% teams can have, and do have, a strategy for defending against puck outs (usually involves a well organised dropping back of players to create a sweeper in the half back line area), and teams can have a strategy for trying to win puck outs aswell (actually much harder to do) but essentially they will not alone win a game for any team.
Good teams focus in on specific areas of a game to target. For example, Tipp’s huge focus on over-turning possession in the opposition’s defence this year. Obviously this needs a huge increase in work-rate, but it is a very simple target for players to follow and achieve results in. Turn-Overs like that will result in scores. So instead of any tactical genius or amazing game plans, its simply narrowing it down to specific focuses and having everyone 100% zoned in on them.
As always, it is simply down to focus on specific areas. This shite about game plans and tactics are rubbish. Any good side will have 1) A defensive Puck-Out Strategy 2) A Strategy to try and win puck outs (go long or short basically!) 3) Focus in on particular specifics a la Tipp’s turn over obsession
Things like getting your scoring forwards on the ball as much as possible with good low ball for the fast skillful nippy lads or high direct ball for the bear with the big paw are fairly standard procedure for every team in the country.
Systems, Processes, Game Plans…all a load of over inflated shite.
It is the leadership, clarity of communication and group focus that trumps all. And how good your players are obviously!
Excellent post. Last time Limerick played well was in 2007, fuck all tactics just every player bought into the workrate and belief, and it nearly worked. Big full forward to pump high ball into and nippy corner forwards for low ball. Reality is that a lot of players are too thick or limited skill wise to radically change the way they play and when pressure is on the return to form. Exception would be current crop of Clare team, but they are the same group playing together from U14 all the way to 21 with same management team.
