Is there a danger for Munster teams that this Munster championship has been too competitive and that we’ll end up with a Kilkenny v Galway All-Ireland final?
Limerick’s route to winning four in a row is very tough looking now. They need to beat Cork, then the loser of Kilkenny v Galway, then the winner of Tipp v Clare, and then whoever is there in the final, probably Kilkenny or Galway.
So the route might be Cork, Carlow, Kilkenny, Clare, Galway. That’s a fierce tough route and I don’t think they’re up to it, mentally, physically or form wise.
Dublin beating Galway on Saturday (presuming Kilkenny beat a demoralised Wexford which they surely will now) would be a result that would massively help Limerick, as it would mean they get Dublin in a quarter-final rather than Kilkenny or Galway.
If Limerick don’t make it I hope it’s a Galway v Kilkenny final. Be absolutely hilarious after listening to lads wax lyrical about their beloved Munster championship for the past few weeks.
Diving and simulation is hugely prevalent in the Munster senior hurling championship. Certainly compared to the more honest blue collar fare in Leinster. 8 or 9 of the top 10 premier simulators in the game ply their trade in the Munster senior hurling championship. I won’t name names but we all know who they are. These individuals spend half their time rolling around on the turf holding their heads or flinging their arms up in the air at every contact pleading for frees from compliant refs.
Another scourge of the Munster senior hurling championship is fist pumping. Win a free. Fist pump. Dive and win a free. Double fist pump. Dive and win a free in the last 5 minutes of a game. Triple fist pump. Showy and ostentatious fist pumping is rightly frowned upon in the more sober (literally) surroundings of Chadwicks Wexford Park or UPMC Nowlan Park.
An enjoyable day out yesterday. I thought Tipp did well in their first half tactics. With the aid of the wind they played three inside men with someone else sitting on Hannon. Our wing forwards went deep back the field. Byrnes and Hayes were left free as a result and played zonally. All balls with the aid of the wind were delivered to the inside line in the first half with clearances never hit on 10/12.
Tipp struggled vs the breeze in the 2nd half with many of our clearances being too deep amd not bypassing the LK half back line.
As usual at half time Lk rectified the problem. They played the ball out of defence switching cross field balls finding Hayes free a lot and thus changing the point of attack.
Tipps long puck outs really targetted Byrnes with an over load there, while Hayes was kept honest by Staeklum on the other side.
Tipp were really game and “maxed out” but in hindsight I felt were lucky to get the draw. I made it that Tipp missed only 6 scoring opportunities while Lk missed 14.
It was encouraging to see Tipp try a different gameplan in order to try beat Lk. Cahills hard running game from the middle 3rd had previously failed with Waterford and in the league with Tipp. I do expect it to return next Sunday though.
Lucky it was only Galway we had to get over along the way most years, who knows if we beat Cork Sunday they would be a great confidence booster again in the AI series.
Sunday is a mammoth game,for both teams. If Limerick win, they’ll win the AI in my opinion. They’re playing poorly atm but are still ridiculously difficult to outlast. They could find serious form after, or on, Sunday.
Cork have the opportunity to grab their finest victory at senior level in a long while and knock out one of the greatest teams of all time.
