Delighted with yesterdays performance from the Dubs. I was worried that we would be in for a Waterford like hiding especially with the injury problems that we have. Despite loosing yesterday the players got the much needed experience of playing in a All Ireland semi final and that can only help them to kick on next year.
Fantastic display from the minors but they will need to learn not to take the foot of the gas in games and let teams back in. Up next are the 21ās. Its been a great year for the hurling Dubs, long may it continue even if you are short of cash now having to support both teams .
Canāt see there being near the same general interest in it as there was in 2009 and particularly last year. People get tired of the same teams playing. I hope this is the last Tipp-Kilkenny final for a long time.
I hope its the last one too, but this is the decider between the two, 1-1 each going into this and Iām really looking forward to it.
I for one never tire of watching two great teams go at it in an open game of hurling. The two best hurling teams of the last 5 years one rising one falling. If KK win it they can rightly be regarded as the greatest team of the last while and maybe of all time. If Tipp can win and pick up another few after that then KKās status is open to question.
And we are talking about the time Daly was in charge. Thats funny.
Anyway, we got sidetracked into that conversation. To tease it out a little, and iām not wumming. Do lads think this Dublin team, even the 15 they had out yesterday, would have let the 6 point lead go and lose to Cork in 05. I know its more or less a different era etc. But still, we are comparing and i think this Dublin team would have won.
I donāt agree that yesterday was a template for Kilkenny to go and beat Tipp, it is worth remembering that despite not hurling all that well and the fact that Tipp were by far the hungrier team in last years A/I final Kilkenny were still well in the game with 10 minutes left despite the fact they were ran ragged in the backs and pumped aimless ball after aimless ball up the field second half. It wonāt happen two years in a row
Cody wouldnāt have learned anything new yesterday, anyone who thinks that he is likely to play a one man inside line and a sweeper would surely want to cop on, unlike the Dubs Kilkenny actually have the forwards and the goal threat to take tipp on. The template to beat Tipp was there long before yesterday, Waterford in 08, Cork in 2010 and even Galway last year showed that you simply have to exert pressure on tipp in the middle third of the field and pressurise their half backline and midfield when they are on the ball so that their forwards arenāt getting accurate quick ball, once they have to scrap & battle for it you are half way to winning. There is no doubting the tipp forward lineās class on the ball but they lack ball winners and an outlet ball when under pressure.
I would have thought up til yesterday that Tipp would win the final handily enough due to the lack of pace in the kilkenny backline and i would still fancy them to win it but I think that if Brendan Maher isnāt close to the form he was on last year then Kilkenny have a very good chance of reclaiming their title. OāKeefe had a solid game at wing back yesterday but Declan Fanningās leadership and solidity is badly missed in the half backline too
Tipp will eat Kilkenny if they go man to man. It was alright for the Kilkenny of 2007-2008 to do that. It isnāt now as they arenāt at that standard anymore and are playing far better opponents.
Another thing that Dublin did well was keeping the puckouts away from Maher. They bombed everything down the other wing.
It may have been predictable but it deprived Tipp of the kind of ball that Maher helped kill Waterford with.
Iām much more hopeful this week than I was last.
Retaining the title may have been done a lot in the past decade with Kilkenny 2002, 2003 and Cork 2004, 2005 and Kilkenny 2006-2009 but that isnāt because it is an easy thing to do.
Those were exceptional teams.
Cody will have a plan for Tipp. It will most likely be man for man but there will be some strategy involved. The question of who has the bigger hunger is there to be answered.
The team trying for 2 in a row.
Or the team trying to beat the team that deprived them of 5 in a row.
I know where Iād rather be.
Dublin using that flank became too predictable in the end. Almost everything ended up being hit down into the Hogan Stand corner in the second half. Daire Plunkett should have been put in the other corner when he came on. Dublin needed a goal and his pace could have caused problems.
Did Plunkett touch the ball Sid as barely remember him being mentioned? Thought he was going to be a boost for Dublin when he came on and their best chance to run at the Tipp defenders to get a goal but he did nothing.
Kilkenny will go man to man with Tipp. I think Chewys point about the workrate in the middle of the field is crucial and is what I took out of the game as it slows down the ball into the Tipp forwards and their movement is less of an issue then. Who ends up marking who will be interesting seeing as players in both forward lines switch positions a lot. Colin Fennelly will be a loss as his pace is a vital game changing outlet at times although he doesnt always make the right decisions.
a little tired mate, a few roughs night due to teething - i find it very useful to vent my anger on faceless forumites rather than cause actual conflict in real life
Plunkett played in a very crowded area over on the left. He just wasnāt a factor at all. Shane Ryan went over on the right when he came on. Granted he got a good point but his mistake shortly afterwards let Padraic Maher in for a crucial point for Tipp. Heās been off the pace since he came back to hurling.
As Puke said the Kilkenny backs were destroyed man to man last year. I donāt see what has changed since to make anybody think a similar game plan would work again. Hogan for Tennyson will improve things there I suppose but Hickey, Tyrrell and Delaney are worse than last year. Shefflinās return is the obvious plus for them. But Kilkenny were playing much better hurling at this time 12 months ago and they werenāt good enough then. I donāt see why itāll change this time.
