National Hurling League 2015

[QUOTE=“Fagan ODowd, post: 1126108, member: 706”]Back a while now. The dog had a bit of a health scare so I’ve been nursing the poor creature since I got home.

Grand days hurling. Dublins lack of poise under pressure really told against them again. 5 or 6 really poor wides in the last ten minutes when if they’d scored one or two of hem they’d have seen Cork off. Ryan O’Dwyers knell must be knolled now.
The game proved one thing. There is no advantage in hurling. If a man is fouled give him the free. Three or four times in the second half Dublin were given advantage where the free would have been scored but in the end the attack petered out.

Still can’t understand how Waterford won. Barry Kelly helped I thought, looked like he was reffing it to make a game of it in the first half. And succeeded. Tipp took the foot off the gas too after the second goal when they really had the game won. I thought we were going to get another 7 goal hiding from them at that stage and would have taken a 7 point defeat at that stage just to keep the year on the road.

Didn’t think we played very well individually but deserve great credit for sticking at it. Tipp though had a strange lead in to this game and could scourge us later in the year if they were right.

Babs Keating was sitting in front of me and was keeping a close eye on the score in the rugby.[/QUOTE]
Babs definitely calls it rubby. And definitely had a bet on it.

[QUOTE=“Fagan ODowd, post: 1126108, member: 706”]Back a while now. The dog had a bit of a health scare so I’ve been nursing the poor creature since I got home.

Grand days hurling. Dublins lack of poise under pressure really told against them again. 5 or 6 really poor wides in the last ten minutes when if they’d scored one or two of hem they’d have seen Cork off. Ryan O’Dwyers knell must be knolled now.
The game proved one thing. There is no advantage in hurling. If a man is fouled give him the free. Three or four times in the second half Dublin were given advantage where the free would have been scored but in the end the attack petered out.

Still can’t understand how Waterford won. Barry Kelly helped I thought, looked like he was reffing it to make a game of it in the first half. And succeeded. Tipp took the foot off the gas too after the second goal when they really had the game won. I thought we were going to get another 7 goal hiding from them at that stage and would have taken a 7 point defeat at that stage just to keep the year on the road.

Didn’t think we played very well individually but deserve great credit for sticking at it. Tipp though had a strange lead in to this game and could scourge us later in the year if they were right.

Babs Keating was sitting in front of me and was keeping a close eye on the score in the rugby.[/QUOTE]
Hope the dog is ok, mate. What happened?

Legs are gone and he had a bad dose of the runs. He’s sleeping now.

Ah fuck…heart breaking when they get sick. Hope he’s alright.

Yes I’m gutted.

Derek McGrath presented Eamon O’Shea with a bouquet of flowers to give to Noel McGrath before the game. He also rang Noel during the week wishing him the best.

A class act:clap:

[QUOTE=“downyourthroats, post: 1126150, member: 1497”]Derek McGrath presented Eamon O’Shea with a bouquet of flowers to give to Noel McGrath before the game. He also rang Noel during the week wishing him the best.

A class act:clap:[/QUOTE]
Mac is a class act

Thanks mate

lovely sentimenrs from Martin Coleman Snr, in the Indo this morning that had me smile over my rather large breakfast
" We went out to enjoy it and win as much as we could. It was drilled into us. It was our duty to beat those teams*, it was our tradition"

*Clare et al and Dublin as they found out at 3- 30pm today

Nowlan Park in the sun is a great place to watch a game. Right up close to the action. Was a great atmosphere there too.

Seems to be that you can now pull and drag in hurling and you can take as many steps as you want once you are being pulled and dragged. Advantage rule is daft as a free anywhere from midfield in is 85% chance of a point unless there is a gale blowing.

Cork need to sort out their puck outs and defence. Winning games because of the quality of their forwards shooting. 5 wides yesterday to Dublin’s 15. Cork are very efficient but they have to be as they don’t win enough ball. Dublin are very big and strong but carrying that bulk around is tiring and they tired badly last 15 yesterday and don’t have the subs to freshen it up. 2 or 3 Dublin players went down with cramp in the last couple of minutes. Their goalie delayed every puck out in second half too - entitled to do it but you felt that mentally they were hanging on to a lead rather than driving on to do more damage

Will be interesting to see how teams approach Waterford from here on. The most obvious thing to do is to sit back too and cover in front of their full forward line and move your scoring forwards back to middle to hit long range points but maybe not as simple as that.

Teams do want to win the league and Cork and Waterford will go to win it - they won’t shadow box. However teams don’t seem to adjust training for league so their training schedules and what they work on are with an eye to the championship - that may have been why Tipp were where they were yesterday and why they looked flat.

[QUOTE=“TheUlteriorMotive, post: 1126192, member: 2272”]Nowlan Park in the sun is a great place to watch a game. Right up close to the action. Was a great atmosphere there too.

Seems to be that you can now pull and drag in hurling and you can take as many steps as you want once you are being pulled and dragged. Advantage rule is daft as a free anywhere from midfield in is 85% chance of a point unless there is a gale blowing.

Cork need to sort out their puck outs and defence. Winning games because of the quality of their forwards shooting. 5 wides yesterday to Dublin’s 15. Cork are very efficient but they have to be as they don’t win enough ball. Dublin are very big and strong but carrying that bulk around is tiring and they tired badly last 15 yesterday and don’t have the subs to freshen it up. 2 or 3 Dublin players went down with cramp in the last couple of minutes. Their goalie delayed every puck out in second half too - entitled to do it but you felt that mentally they were hanging on to a lead rather than driving on to do more damage

Will be interesting to see how teams approach Waterford from here on. The most obvious thing to do is to sit back too and cover in front of their full forward line and move your scoring forwards back to middle to hit long range points but maybe not as simple as that.

Teams do want to win the league and Cork and Waterford will go to win it - they won’t shadow box. However teams don’t seem to adjust training for league so their training schedules and what they work on are with an eye to the championship - that may have been why Tipp were where they were yesterday and why they looked flat.[/QUOTE]
Waterfords game plan won’t, I think, stay static as the team evolves. It’s designed to maximize the teams strengths - fitness, ball skills - and minimize the weaknesses - lack of physical strength, lack of confidence and a shaky full back line.

As the weaknesses diminish over time, youngsters get older and bigger and get a bit of confidence from winning games the pattern will change slowly and there will be more confidence in going one on one at the back. Already the team is less defensive than last year, fielding 5 pure forwards with an emphasis on breaking from deep.

Tipp missed a big chance to set Waterford back a year yesterday when they took the foot off the gas after 20 minutes. If they’d done us for 6 goals we’d have been back to square one.

@Fagan ODowd, how good is the new full back and what age is he? Great to see a Waterford team powered by Ballygunner. A strong Ballygunner = a strong Waterford, I’m sure you’ll agree.

[QUOTE=“Fagan ODowd, post: 1126205, member: 706”]Waterfords game plan won’t, I think, stay static as the team evolves. It’s designed to maximize the teams strengths - fitness, ball skills - and minimize the weaknesses - lack of physical strength, lack of confidence and a shaky full back line.

As the weaknesses diminish over time, youngsters get older and bigger and get a bit of confidence from winning games the pattern will change slowly and there will be more confidence in going one on one at the back. Already the team is less defensive than last year, fielding 5 pure forwards with an emphasis on breaking from deep.

Tipp missed a big chance to set Waterford back a year yesterday when they took the foot off the gas after 20 minutes. If they’d done us for 6 goals we’d have been back to square one.[/QUOTE]

Cork are pretty much this as well. Apart from the lack of confidence. Not sure with Cork it is lack of physical strength as much as lack of aggression until there is a fire to be put out.

Defensive systems like Waterford’s are as much counter attacking systems - teams get sucked in and have a choice to make - follow the man or hold the position.

He is getting away with it so far, Bandage. That’s usually as much as you can hope for with a modern full back.

Great to see Ballygunner providing such a strong supporting cast to the star of the team, Austin Gleeson.

[QUOTE=“Fagan ODowd, post: 1126205, member: 706”]Waterfords game plan won’t, I think, stay static as the team evolves. It’s designed to maximize the teams strengths - fitness, ball skills - and minimize the weaknesses - lack of physical strength, lack of confidence and a shaky full back line.

As the weaknesses diminish over time, youngsters get older and bigger and get a bit of confidence from winning games the pattern will change slowly and there will be more confidence in going one on one at the back. Already the team is less defensive than last year, fielding 5 pure forwards with an emphasis on breaking from deep.

Tipp missed a big chance to set Waterford back a year yesterday when they took the foot off the gas after 20 minutes. If they’d done us for 6 goals we’d have been back to square one.[/QUOTE]

I’m sadden that you had to explain that to the likes of @TheUlteriorMotive - You have a very young team, raw as fuck, that could get slaughtered in an open physical game. They are well drilled and earning their stripes the right way. I’m looking at the 3/4 youngsters Limerick brought in this year and they’ve had to contend with hail mary balls throughout the league and when they eventually got it in hand there was fuck all direction or game plan and they were mauled out of it.

[QUOTE=“Fagan ODowd, post: 1126221, member: 706”]He is getting away with it so far, Bandage. That’s usually as much as you can hope for with a modern full back.

Great to see Ballygunner providing such a strong supporting cast to the star of the team, Austin Gleeson.[/QUOTE]

They are a well drilled team and their support play was excellent yesterday, very few misplaced passes.
Paul Curran’s time in a Tipp jersey might be at an end, Conor O’Mahoney too.

[QUOTE=“Mullach Ide, post: 1126243, member: 141”]They are a well drilled team and their support play was excellent yesterday, very few misplaced passes.
Paul Curran’s time in a Tipp jersey might be at an end, Conor O’Mahoney too.[/QUOTE]
What ages are they?

Curran will be 34 next birthday, O’Mahony is 30, neither a viable option for the full back line. Would like to see Barrett, Barry, Cahill come championship, although Barry not the solution at full-back either.

Curran has a lot of miles up. Based on age though you’d expect O’Mahony to be able to live in the half back line for another two years.

Bergin, Paudie Maher, Brendan Maher, Ronan Maher, Mikey Breen all better options on the half back line imo. It’s either centre back or nowhere for Conor.