This weekend was more about quality than quantity, and there was plenty of quality on view. Let's take a quick spin through the main talking points from the weekend we've just witnessed.
Munster Senior Football Final
What sort of an amadán tips against Kerry in Killarney? Em. Ok. Next question. In all fairness, that first half display by the Kingdom was the best I've seen in quite a while. It must have seemed familiar to beleagured Mayo fans who dare to remember that 2006 All Ireland Final.The storm they unleashed in that final was similar to the one on show on Sunday and the forward movement they displayed was a fearsome sight for anyone intending to put a stop to them. Just like that 2006 final it was Declan O'Sullivan, alternating between #11 and #14, who set the tone and provided the driving inspiration behind the great start.
If O'Sullivan was the man of the match then for a long time Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher must have been close behind. I had serious doubts about that duo being able live with Cork around the middle of the field, but they were the dominant partnership for the vast majority of the game. Maher foraged with savage intensity, and Sheehan went through an amount of work that he simply hasn't produced before, while chipping in with a couple of lovely points which he certainly has produced before.
Cork's first half travails were emphasised by a somewhat baffling tendency to go with the short kick out. Now, while they weren't going that well in the middle of the field, they were winning ball there in high challenges. It was their use of that ball that was the primary concern in my opinion. Going with short kickouts suited Kerry, as their workrate was so high that Cork were never able to string a proper move together. Going 110 metres instead of 65 was never likely in those circumstances and time and again Cork got tied in knots or kicked the ball away.
Despite that first half tour de force, it will worry Kerry a little bit that Cork came back so strongly in the second half. It is true that you would expect that from a team like Cork, who have done the same thing in the past, but the suspicion remains that Cork's comeback was as much about Kerry fading from tiredness as much as Cork's resurgence. Kerry will point, with a lot of validity, to the fact that Tomás O'Sé and Paul Galvin will be two huge boosts for them, and would certainly bring a lot more of that intensity to the game, but I still harbour some possibly unworthy doubts about the staying power of some of the Kerry lads around the middle of field particularly.
They do, however, have the Kieran Donaghy option to come out and relieve any pressure out there and you don't lose threat by moving Declan O'Sullivan inside. O'Sullivan is at his most effective out at centre forward but he is well capable of doing damage inside there, and with the returning heroes, Kerry will feel they are where they wanted to be at the start of the year.
Cork won't be too troubled to go through the qualifiers, they did it last year after all, and if they avoid Kerry they would be clear favourites again. But, annoyingly for Conor Counihan and all Cork fans, that seed has been planted again. Can they beat Kerry in a game Kerry *cannot* lose? The losses of Ciarán Sheehan and Colm O'Neill will not help their cause, but they are still a good team despite Sunday. One thing is for sure though: they cannot afford to give the top teams a first half like that and expect to claw it back every time. You can only go to the well so often. They need to use the ball a lot better, and their distribution was poor on Sunday, as well as an overall lack of direction in their attack. A lot of that is probably due to the Kerry defence in fairness, but it's something Cork will have to improve upon.
Leinster Senior Hurling Final
Crisis? What crisis? A harsh lesson learned for Dublin on Sunday, just when we had thought they might be beyond those lessons. And, while a lot of the talk was about the Dublin disappointment, pride of place in any review of this final must go to the great Kilkenny performance.
It wasn't their best ever performance, to my mind the All Ireland demolition of Waterford remains the high water mark, but in the context of this match it was probably one of the most timely and important reminders that Kilkenny are still Kilkenny and we should give them the respect they deserve.
Dublin, as a team, were built to take on and beat Kilkenny but, as I said in the preview, this was a different scenario entirely. While Kilkenny were short several key cogs in the League Final it was the other way around on Sunday, with Dublin having to field without Ryan O'Dwyer, without Tomás Brady, without long term absentee Stephen Hiney and with a patently not ready Joey Boland. A team trying to make the breakthrough, like Dublin were, can ill afford to ship such losses.
That disadvantage was magnified when you consider that Kilkenny had Henry Shefflin, Tommy Walsh and Michael Fennelly back and, above all, a serious point to prove; an unusual occurence for this bunch.
From the outset it was obvious that this was different from that May bank holiday weekend as Tommy Walsh, especially, set the tone with some outstanding fetches in the early going. I suspect the Dublin half forwards must have been wondering what the wing back had in his boots as time and time again, as is his wont, he soared above much bigger men to claim possession. He is the living embodiment of 'timing is everything' in the way in which he wins the ball, and his use of it is rarely careless.
In fact, one of the key points of note in the game was the success, or lack of it, both teams had in imposing their style on the game. In marked contrast to the league final, and indeed to the game versus Galway, Dublin were unable to play their new short stick passing game. In those games, it was noticable that they rarely wasted possession, and seemed able to pick out the intelligent pass a lot of the time. On Sunday, whether through panic, uncertainty or sheer weight of black and amber pressure, that just did not happen. On the other hand Kilkenny clearly had a plan of putting the ball in front of Eoin Larkin, and while they overshot the runway on occasion, they did reap reward from it. They also were much more intelligent with their use of the ball, finding the open man and taking their score. Of course they also did damage where Kilkenny do damage always, in scoring goals and it was the goals that always had them comfortable in the game.
Dublin are not a beaten docket just yet, and it would be a mistake for them to think they are. Ryan O'Dwyer will be a boost to the half forward line and a fit Joey Boland will bolster the defence. They are good enough to be a major obstacle for all the remaining teams, even though you suspect Tipp and Kilkenny are that bit further down the road. A semi final appearance is within reach of these lads though and if they can get back to their style of play, and get Peadar Carton and Dotsy O'Callaghan on the ball a lot more, they have every chance. You need goals, as Kilkenny and Tipperary show regularly, so you need your inside forwards getting ammunition.
Kilkenny will march on now and await the outcome of the qualifier and quarter finals scrum, content in the knowledge that, while they are not perfect, their sights are recalibrated on Liam McCarthy again and it will take a good side, as usual, to stop them. Crisis? What Crisis?
Ulster Senior Hurling Final
A very creditable performance by Armagh notwithstanding, a much changed Antrim side were just too strong for the orchard county in the Ulster Senior Hurling Final, played in Casement Park on Sunday. Dinny Cahill had rung the changes for this game, with an eye on the tussle with Limerick in the Qualifiers next Saturday, and this had lent credence to the theory that Armagh could seriously put it up to the glensmen.
I don't think Antrim were ever seriously in trouble, but Armagh did enough to make sure the spectators in Casement Park witnessed a contest rather than a rout and at half time the sides were separated by 6 points which is not a major deficit in hurling, as we all know.
Indeed, as the game entered it's closing stages and with Antrim reduced to 14 men, there were Armagh people daring to dream the impossible dream as the lead was reduced to just 4 points. Unfortunately for those dreamers Antrim finished stronger, tacking on 1-2 to Armagh's 0-1, to run out 8 point victors.
It's good for Antrim to be able to give game time to fringe players, and still retain their vise like grip on the Ulster Championship, and they will be in a good frame of mind heading to Parnell Park to play Limerick next Saturday. They will be underdogs but they were underdogs last year when they beat Dublin as well, so they know what they are capable of.
Armagh deserve great credit for the strides that they have made, and the next step for them is to become a serious team in the Christy Ring Cup. Down are regarded as such and Armagh beat them in the Ulster semi final, so there's no reason why that is not a viable target.
Hurling Qualifiers
Saturday was Qualifier day in the All Ireland Hurling Championship, as the Phase II matches were decided in Limerick and Galway, and in both tussles it was the home side that ran out victors at the expense of Wexford and Clare respectively.
In Limerick, an unexpectedly large crowd, coupled with a poor crowd management strategy, meant that there was a 10 minute delay to the throw in but from the moment the ball was in play it was obvious that Limerick were the better team. Early on they failed to make their advantage pay, and indeed trailed Wexford in the opening stages but they soon rectified that and, inspired by Donal O'Grady, Declan Hannon and Kevin Downes, they pulled ahead by six points before a Wexford goal gave the Slaneysiders some hope before half time.
After the break Graham Mulcahy came into his own in the full forward line and an early goal from him, in an overall 1-4 from play, really killed the game. From then on Wexford kept going gamely enough but you suspected they expected to lose, and accepted their fate a little too readily. Limerick looked impressive at times, and with the aforementioned players driving them on, they looked as if they could cause problems for a lot of teams. Donal O'Grady seems to be modelling them on the great Cork side he managed in the early 2000s and they certainly look similar in what they are trying to do in terms of running support lines and an emphasis on retaining possession. They are not as good as that Cork team were at that style, yet at least, but it's obvious they buy into the strategy and what Donal is preaching. I would have a few concerns about their back line and while Seamus Hickey is great bursting out with the ball, he doesn't seem to be a natural full back, and that might cost dearly. Tom Condon was having a super game at corner back before going off with a nasty looking injury as he prevented a goal for Wexford and he would be a serious loss the next day out, despite his inexperience.
As I mentioned, Wexford looked a little too accepting of their destiny for my liking and it wasn't a surprise that Colm Bonnar finished his tenure after the match, as this side looked like a team that need some added impetus from somewhere. Colm's done a good job over in Wexford, getting them promoted and keeping their division 1 status but championship has been disappointing, so perhaps it is time for a new voice there.
In Galway, well, what can you say? I think it's indicative of the regard Galway are held that there probably was no more than a mild surprise at the extent of Saturday night's trouncing of Clare.And it's equally indicative of their inconsistency that had Clare beaten them the reaction would have been broadly similar.
Undoubtedly John McIntyre will have been a relieved man to see his team show real appetite, desire and a killer instinct in that first half in particular. Joe Canning and Damien Hayes ran riot, and the return of Kerins, Farragher and Tannian helped, as was expected. The defence looked a lot more solid, and the axis of Shane Kavanagh and Tony Og Regan is a good base from which to build at the back. However, can anyone honestly say that Galway will repeat this against Cork? I know I can't guarantee it, and I'm pretty sure John McIntyre and the Galway lads can't guarantee it, otherwise they'd have been more consistent already.
Every year there seems to be a big performance in Galway, but it only ever seems to be one. This year they will need at least two more to even reach a semi final so the odds are against, you would have to say.
However, as Saturday proved, they have the hurlers and they have the hurling. Clare gave Tipperary a right battle and were simply blown out of the water here. Now it would be a sad state of affairs were Clare not to give Tipp a right battle in a Munster Championship game, and they have hurled in Division 2 for 2 years now, but I don't think their true level is what Galway made them look on Saturday.
Sparrow O'Loughlin is considering his future, I believe, and I hope he stays because he has a nucleus coming through and they need guidance from someone like him. There is a bright future in Clare as long as they have a steady hand at the helm.
Galway, as mentioned, go on to meet Cork in a mouth watering repeat of that famous qualifer in Thurles in 2008 and this time the scene will be the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Looking forward to it already.
Hits and Misses
Again, more hits than misses this week, as it should be, so let's look at some of the good and bad of the past weekend.
Hits
Declan O'Sullivan. In my opinion, the Dromid Pearses' man is one of, if not the, best players in the game. He wins ball, uses it well, drives his team on and can score himself off either foot. On Sunday in Killarney, he gave a super cameo of what he is capable of, and Cork were not able to live with him.
Tommy and Henry. It's a mark of a player's standing in the game when you only have to use his first name and people know who you mean. Henry Shefflin is one of those players, and Tommy Walsh must be close to it as well. Simply imperious on Sunday, both of them, and the main reasons why Kilkenny turned over the League Final result so resoundingly.
Graham Mulcahy. Andrew O'Shaughnessy is a big loss to Limerick since he has left the scene due to unfortunate circumstances but, on Saturday night in Limerick, Mulcahy showed that he can step into those shoes. Surrounded by other good young forwards his star shone brightest of all, with a personal tally of 1-4 from play, and an overall display of speed and direct running which Wexford couldn't handle. One to watch.
Joe Canning. Alright, everyone knows Joe Canning, and everyone has known about him for years, but sometimes we forget how young the lad is, even now (not 23 until October), and the burden of expectation that is placed upon him. Saturday night proved that, with the supporting cast delivering the goods, the shackles can come off Canning and his goal was one of the early contenders for goal of the season. Considering his poor outing against Dublin, this was a real statement from Joe.
Misses
Kieran Donaghy v Noel O'Leary. Sometimes you want to just ask a fella 'What are you thinking?' and this incident on Sunday was one of those times. A harmless tussle for a ball that ended up with Noel O'Leary pulling and dragging out of Kieran Donaghy, and Donaghy 'pushing' out with his foot, which led to O'Leary writhing around on the ground. I thought Cormac Reilly was correct in his reading of it, and David Coldrick gave the deserved yellow cards, but Kieran Donaghy has got to be smarter than that. It could easily have been a straight red for striking with the boot and an All Ireland Quarter Final missed, at least. Noel O'Leary shouldn't be proud of his part in the incident either and it's not the first time he has been involved in silly antics like this. I know they probably made up afterwards, and I'm sure there's no major hard feelings after this sort of thing, but it looks silly for anyone looking in and both of them are too good to be caught up in that nonsense.
Munster Council/Gaelic Grounds. Most people are aware of the great job the Munster Council, and Limerick CLG have done in refurbishing the Gaelic Grounds and it is a credit to them. Sometimes, though, they make it really hard to give them such credit, and their handling of the qualifier on Saturday evening was a case in point. Expecting a crowd of 8,000, which was probably not unreasonable, they got a crowd of closer to 15,000.
Even with a crowd of 8,000, once the decision was made to have both stands open, surely it makes sense to have turnstiles/gates open in each stand. However, in their infinite wisdom, on one of the best evenings of the year so far, patrons were forced to enter the Gaelic Grounds through the Mackey Stand and make their way across the pitch/terrace onto the new (Hogan) open air seating area. It wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out that on an evening like that most people, even in a crowd of 8k, would prefer the open stand so why not open the turnstiles on that side? As it was we were treated to a 10 minute delay at least and the sight of thousands of fans streaming across from the Mackey Stand side to the Hogan Stand Side.
Sometimes we make it hard on ourselves.
Good News
Good news from San Francisco as young Mark McGovern, mentioned here last week, is making progress in his recovery from a serious injury sustained while playing with the Ulster Club over there. Continued best wishes to him of course.
Other sports
Soccer
July is upon us, and thus the official opening of the European transfer window. It's also the time when most clubs report back for preseason training, with the exception of players playing with their countries. Already there are signs that there may be some crazy money floating around English football again, and Man City, Man United and Liverpool are to the fore early on.
It appears that Arsenal are in danger of losing some of their star players, just at a time when Arsene Wenger would want to be boosting their squad for a serious title push. Gael Clichy is not a star, per se, but he's gone to City, while Fabregas, Nasri and even van Persi have been making ominous noises. Not what gunners fans want to hear.
Also in soccer news, the South American equivalent of the European Championships, the Copa America, is underway in Argentina and thus far it's been a tournament low on goals. In group A, the hosts Argentina, Messi, Tevez, Di Maria and all, needed a late goal to earn a draw with Bolivia, while Colombia jumped to the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Costa Rica. Group B has seen 2 0-0 stalemates as Brazil failed to get the better of Venezuela while Paraguay and Ecuador also played out a scoreless draw. Group C features World Cup semi finalists Uruguay, who began with a 1-1 draw with Peru, Luis Suarez of Liverpool getting the equaliser for Uruguay. In the other game a below strength Mexico (invited to this tournament despite actually being in the CONCACAF) lost 2-1 to Chile, despite having taken a lead.
The tournament concludes on July 24th, and can be seen live on ESPN.
US Sports
Stateside, the fireworks are spent and the 4th of July celebrations are already a memory as MLB heads towards it's midseason break, otherwise known as the All Star game. For those of you unfamiliar with the rythmns of baseball, allow me to give you a brief background.
Major League Baseball, or MLB, is divided into two leagues (roughly similar to our GAA provincial system). These leagues are the American League, and the National League. They are not geographical as both leagues span the entire country, and Canada in the case of the Blue Jays, and indeed some cities have two teams, one in each league (see Chicago Cubs and White Sox, New York Yankees and Mets).
Each league is divided into 3 divisions, the East, Central and West, and these divisions do tend to be organised along geographical lines, as you'd expect, although from time to time anomalies spring up as teams move cities for financial reasons.
The teams each play a 162 game season, and at the end of all of that, 8 teams make the play offs. Those 8 are the Division Winners (3 NL + 3 AL) and 1 wildcard (best runner up) in each league. Each league then plays a semi final (Best of 5 games) and final (Best of 7 games) in order to identify their 'champion'. The AL and NL champions then face off in a best of 7 series to decide the overall 'World Series' winner.
There are a couple of interesting footnotes to this. Obviously in a 7 game series, home advantage can be crucial (4 games at home, 3 away), especially since there is one huge difference between the leagues. In the NL, you play the game with 9 players, including a pitcher, and everyone must take their turn to bat. Late in a game, the manager sometimes must decide whether to leave his pitcher in to take a turn to bat at an important time, or make a substitution knowing that you'll have to throw on a substitute pitcher as well. In the American League, no such constraint exists because there are 10 players in a lineup. 9 players including the pitcher take the field when the other team is batting, but a role called the Designated Hitter (DH) exists, and this specialist (sometimes very fat) hitter takes the turn of the pitcher when it comes to his at bats. He does nothing else but hit, and the pitcher does nothing but pitch. Pitchers only leave AL games due to poor performance or tiredness, rarely for tactical reasons.
The reason home advantage can be so important is because the rules for each game in the World Series are the rules of the home team. So if an American League team is at home, a DH will be in operation. A National League team at home means the fat guys stay off the team.
MLB have a very interesting way of deciding which team is at home, at it is probably the only 'All Star' game where the result matters. In an attempt to revive interest in the mid summer classic, which is what their all star game is called, the MLB decided that the winners would decide home field advantage for the World Series. Thus all those national leaguers brought together as All Stars do battle with their American League counterparts, but with a real incentive for players on teams that are challenging for honours. It is an interesting approach, and while a lot of people have a problem with it, I think it's a good way of making sure the fans get something out of the game.
This years All Star game takes place in Phoenix, Arizona; the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and will be on Tuesday July 12th. You can see it live on ESPN America.
Speaking of All Stars, one of the all time great shortstops, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, is back in the Major Leagues after coming off an injury and Minor League rehabilitation. He is chasing the magical hitter's target of 3,000 safe hits for his career, and he currently stands on 2,994. The home run total is the glamourous record, but 3,000 hits is a testament to longevity and consistent production. In a sport that places huge emphasis on numbers, 3,000 hits is one of the most valued.
Jeter's career major league numbers are :
2,358 games played.
1,724 runs scored. (He crossed the plate himself)
2,994 hits. (Successful hits where neither he nor a teammate was 'out' because of his hit)
4,303 total bases. (Where advancing to each base - 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd, then 4th counts as 1)
477 Doubles. ( A hit where Jeter was able to run all the way into second base before he had to stop to be safe)
62 triples (As with doubles, except all the way to third base)
236 Home Runs.
1155 Runs Batted In (RBI). (Runs scored by teammates, or himself, as a result of Jeter batting)
Jeter may make the magical mark before the All Star Break, as the Yankees have 2 games against the Cleveland Indians, and 4 games against the Tampa Bay Rays before then, but it may be more likely that he'll do it after the break, when the Yankees play the Blue Jays and Rays again for 4 games each.
That's it for this Tuesday edition. Predictions and hopeless guesses for the weekend GAA on Friday as usual.
Munster Senior Football Final
What sort of an amadán tips against Kerry in Killarney? Em. Ok. Next question. In all fairness, that first half display by the Kingdom was the best I've seen in quite a while. It must have seemed familiar to beleagured Mayo fans who dare to remember that 2006 All Ireland Final.The storm they unleashed in that final was similar to the one on show on Sunday and the forward movement they displayed was a fearsome sight for anyone intending to put a stop to them. Just like that 2006 final it was Declan O'Sullivan, alternating between #11 and #14, who set the tone and provided the driving inspiration behind the great start.
If O'Sullivan was the man of the match then for a long time Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher must have been close behind. I had serious doubts about that duo being able live with Cork around the middle of the field, but they were the dominant partnership for the vast majority of the game. Maher foraged with savage intensity, and Sheehan went through an amount of work that he simply hasn't produced before, while chipping in with a couple of lovely points which he certainly has produced before.
Cork's first half travails were emphasised by a somewhat baffling tendency to go with the short kick out. Now, while they weren't going that well in the middle of the field, they were winning ball there in high challenges. It was their use of that ball that was the primary concern in my opinion. Going with short kickouts suited Kerry, as their workrate was so high that Cork were never able to string a proper move together. Going 110 metres instead of 65 was never likely in those circumstances and time and again Cork got tied in knots or kicked the ball away.
Despite that first half tour de force, it will worry Kerry a little bit that Cork came back so strongly in the second half. It is true that you would expect that from a team like Cork, who have done the same thing in the past, but the suspicion remains that Cork's comeback was as much about Kerry fading from tiredness as much as Cork's resurgence. Kerry will point, with a lot of validity, to the fact that Tomás O'Sé and Paul Galvin will be two huge boosts for them, and would certainly bring a lot more of that intensity to the game, but I still harbour some possibly unworthy doubts about the staying power of some of the Kerry lads around the middle of field particularly.
They do, however, have the Kieran Donaghy option to come out and relieve any pressure out there and you don't lose threat by moving Declan O'Sullivan inside. O'Sullivan is at his most effective out at centre forward but he is well capable of doing damage inside there, and with the returning heroes, Kerry will feel they are where they wanted to be at the start of the year.
Cork won't be too troubled to go through the qualifiers, they did it last year after all, and if they avoid Kerry they would be clear favourites again. But, annoyingly for Conor Counihan and all Cork fans, that seed has been planted again. Can they beat Kerry in a game Kerry *cannot* lose? The losses of Ciarán Sheehan and Colm O'Neill will not help their cause, but they are still a good team despite Sunday. One thing is for sure though: they cannot afford to give the top teams a first half like that and expect to claw it back every time. You can only go to the well so often. They need to use the ball a lot better, and their distribution was poor on Sunday, as well as an overall lack of direction in their attack. A lot of that is probably due to the Kerry defence in fairness, but it's something Cork will have to improve upon.
Leinster Senior Hurling Final
Crisis? What crisis? A harsh lesson learned for Dublin on Sunday, just when we had thought they might be beyond those lessons. And, while a lot of the talk was about the Dublin disappointment, pride of place in any review of this final must go to the great Kilkenny performance.
It wasn't their best ever performance, to my mind the All Ireland demolition of Waterford remains the high water mark, but in the context of this match it was probably one of the most timely and important reminders that Kilkenny are still Kilkenny and we should give them the respect they deserve.
Dublin, as a team, were built to take on and beat Kilkenny but, as I said in the preview, this was a different scenario entirely. While Kilkenny were short several key cogs in the League Final it was the other way around on Sunday, with Dublin having to field without Ryan O'Dwyer, without Tomás Brady, without long term absentee Stephen Hiney and with a patently not ready Joey Boland. A team trying to make the breakthrough, like Dublin were, can ill afford to ship such losses.
That disadvantage was magnified when you consider that Kilkenny had Henry Shefflin, Tommy Walsh and Michael Fennelly back and, above all, a serious point to prove; an unusual occurence for this bunch.
From the outset it was obvious that this was different from that May bank holiday weekend as Tommy Walsh, especially, set the tone with some outstanding fetches in the early going. I suspect the Dublin half forwards must have been wondering what the wing back had in his boots as time and time again, as is his wont, he soared above much bigger men to claim possession. He is the living embodiment of 'timing is everything' in the way in which he wins the ball, and his use of it is rarely careless.
In fact, one of the key points of note in the game was the success, or lack of it, both teams had in imposing their style on the game. In marked contrast to the league final, and indeed to the game versus Galway, Dublin were unable to play their new short stick passing game. In those games, it was noticable that they rarely wasted possession, and seemed able to pick out the intelligent pass a lot of the time. On Sunday, whether through panic, uncertainty or sheer weight of black and amber pressure, that just did not happen. On the other hand Kilkenny clearly had a plan of putting the ball in front of Eoin Larkin, and while they overshot the runway on occasion, they did reap reward from it. They also were much more intelligent with their use of the ball, finding the open man and taking their score. Of course they also did damage where Kilkenny do damage always, in scoring goals and it was the goals that always had them comfortable in the game.
Dublin are not a beaten docket just yet, and it would be a mistake for them to think they are. Ryan O'Dwyer will be a boost to the half forward line and a fit Joey Boland will bolster the defence. They are good enough to be a major obstacle for all the remaining teams, even though you suspect Tipp and Kilkenny are that bit further down the road. A semi final appearance is within reach of these lads though and if they can get back to their style of play, and get Peadar Carton and Dotsy O'Callaghan on the ball a lot more, they have every chance. You need goals, as Kilkenny and Tipperary show regularly, so you need your inside forwards getting ammunition.
Kilkenny will march on now and await the outcome of the qualifier and quarter finals scrum, content in the knowledge that, while they are not perfect, their sights are recalibrated on Liam McCarthy again and it will take a good side, as usual, to stop them. Crisis? What Crisis?
Ulster Senior Hurling Final
A very creditable performance by Armagh notwithstanding, a much changed Antrim side were just too strong for the orchard county in the Ulster Senior Hurling Final, played in Casement Park on Sunday. Dinny Cahill had rung the changes for this game, with an eye on the tussle with Limerick in the Qualifiers next Saturday, and this had lent credence to the theory that Armagh could seriously put it up to the glensmen.
I don't think Antrim were ever seriously in trouble, but Armagh did enough to make sure the spectators in Casement Park witnessed a contest rather than a rout and at half time the sides were separated by 6 points which is not a major deficit in hurling, as we all know.
Indeed, as the game entered it's closing stages and with Antrim reduced to 14 men, there were Armagh people daring to dream the impossible dream as the lead was reduced to just 4 points. Unfortunately for those dreamers Antrim finished stronger, tacking on 1-2 to Armagh's 0-1, to run out 8 point victors.
It's good for Antrim to be able to give game time to fringe players, and still retain their vise like grip on the Ulster Championship, and they will be in a good frame of mind heading to Parnell Park to play Limerick next Saturday. They will be underdogs but they were underdogs last year when they beat Dublin as well, so they know what they are capable of.
Armagh deserve great credit for the strides that they have made, and the next step for them is to become a serious team in the Christy Ring Cup. Down are regarded as such and Armagh beat them in the Ulster semi final, so there's no reason why that is not a viable target.
Hurling Qualifiers
Saturday was Qualifier day in the All Ireland Hurling Championship, as the Phase II matches were decided in Limerick and Galway, and in both tussles it was the home side that ran out victors at the expense of Wexford and Clare respectively.
In Limerick, an unexpectedly large crowd, coupled with a poor crowd management strategy, meant that there was a 10 minute delay to the throw in but from the moment the ball was in play it was obvious that Limerick were the better team. Early on they failed to make their advantage pay, and indeed trailed Wexford in the opening stages but they soon rectified that and, inspired by Donal O'Grady, Declan Hannon and Kevin Downes, they pulled ahead by six points before a Wexford goal gave the Slaneysiders some hope before half time.
After the break Graham Mulcahy came into his own in the full forward line and an early goal from him, in an overall 1-4 from play, really killed the game. From then on Wexford kept going gamely enough but you suspected they expected to lose, and accepted their fate a little too readily. Limerick looked impressive at times, and with the aforementioned players driving them on, they looked as if they could cause problems for a lot of teams. Donal O'Grady seems to be modelling them on the great Cork side he managed in the early 2000s and they certainly look similar in what they are trying to do in terms of running support lines and an emphasis on retaining possession. They are not as good as that Cork team were at that style, yet at least, but it's obvious they buy into the strategy and what Donal is preaching. I would have a few concerns about their back line and while Seamus Hickey is great bursting out with the ball, he doesn't seem to be a natural full back, and that might cost dearly. Tom Condon was having a super game at corner back before going off with a nasty looking injury as he prevented a goal for Wexford and he would be a serious loss the next day out, despite his inexperience.
As I mentioned, Wexford looked a little too accepting of their destiny for my liking and it wasn't a surprise that Colm Bonnar finished his tenure after the match, as this side looked like a team that need some added impetus from somewhere. Colm's done a good job over in Wexford, getting them promoted and keeping their division 1 status but championship has been disappointing, so perhaps it is time for a new voice there.
In Galway, well, what can you say? I think it's indicative of the regard Galway are held that there probably was no more than a mild surprise at the extent of Saturday night's trouncing of Clare.And it's equally indicative of their inconsistency that had Clare beaten them the reaction would have been broadly similar.
Undoubtedly John McIntyre will have been a relieved man to see his team show real appetite, desire and a killer instinct in that first half in particular. Joe Canning and Damien Hayes ran riot, and the return of Kerins, Farragher and Tannian helped, as was expected. The defence looked a lot more solid, and the axis of Shane Kavanagh and Tony Og Regan is a good base from which to build at the back. However, can anyone honestly say that Galway will repeat this against Cork? I know I can't guarantee it, and I'm pretty sure John McIntyre and the Galway lads can't guarantee it, otherwise they'd have been more consistent already.
Every year there seems to be a big performance in Galway, but it only ever seems to be one. This year they will need at least two more to even reach a semi final so the odds are against, you would have to say.
However, as Saturday proved, they have the hurlers and they have the hurling. Clare gave Tipperary a right battle and were simply blown out of the water here. Now it would be a sad state of affairs were Clare not to give Tipp a right battle in a Munster Championship game, and they have hurled in Division 2 for 2 years now, but I don't think their true level is what Galway made them look on Saturday.
Sparrow O'Loughlin is considering his future, I believe, and I hope he stays because he has a nucleus coming through and they need guidance from someone like him. There is a bright future in Clare as long as they have a steady hand at the helm.
Galway, as mentioned, go on to meet Cork in a mouth watering repeat of that famous qualifer in Thurles in 2008 and this time the scene will be the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Looking forward to it already.
Hits and Misses
Again, more hits than misses this week, as it should be, so let's look at some of the good and bad of the past weekend.
Hits
Declan O'Sullivan. In my opinion, the Dromid Pearses' man is one of, if not the, best players in the game. He wins ball, uses it well, drives his team on and can score himself off either foot. On Sunday in Killarney, he gave a super cameo of what he is capable of, and Cork were not able to live with him.
Tommy and Henry. It's a mark of a player's standing in the game when you only have to use his first name and people know who you mean. Henry Shefflin is one of those players, and Tommy Walsh must be close to it as well. Simply imperious on Sunday, both of them, and the main reasons why Kilkenny turned over the League Final result so resoundingly.
Graham Mulcahy. Andrew O'Shaughnessy is a big loss to Limerick since he has left the scene due to unfortunate circumstances but, on Saturday night in Limerick, Mulcahy showed that he can step into those shoes. Surrounded by other good young forwards his star shone brightest of all, with a personal tally of 1-4 from play, and an overall display of speed and direct running which Wexford couldn't handle. One to watch.
Joe Canning. Alright, everyone knows Joe Canning, and everyone has known about him for years, but sometimes we forget how young the lad is, even now (not 23 until October), and the burden of expectation that is placed upon him. Saturday night proved that, with the supporting cast delivering the goods, the shackles can come off Canning and his goal was one of the early contenders for goal of the season. Considering his poor outing against Dublin, this was a real statement from Joe.
Misses
Kieran Donaghy v Noel O'Leary. Sometimes you want to just ask a fella 'What are you thinking?' and this incident on Sunday was one of those times. A harmless tussle for a ball that ended up with Noel O'Leary pulling and dragging out of Kieran Donaghy, and Donaghy 'pushing' out with his foot, which led to O'Leary writhing around on the ground. I thought Cormac Reilly was correct in his reading of it, and David Coldrick gave the deserved yellow cards, but Kieran Donaghy has got to be smarter than that. It could easily have been a straight red for striking with the boot and an All Ireland Quarter Final missed, at least. Noel O'Leary shouldn't be proud of his part in the incident either and it's not the first time he has been involved in silly antics like this. I know they probably made up afterwards, and I'm sure there's no major hard feelings after this sort of thing, but it looks silly for anyone looking in and both of them are too good to be caught up in that nonsense.
Munster Council/Gaelic Grounds. Most people are aware of the great job the Munster Council, and Limerick CLG have done in refurbishing the Gaelic Grounds and it is a credit to them. Sometimes, though, they make it really hard to give them such credit, and their handling of the qualifier on Saturday evening was a case in point. Expecting a crowd of 8,000, which was probably not unreasonable, they got a crowd of closer to 15,000.
Even with a crowd of 8,000, once the decision was made to have both stands open, surely it makes sense to have turnstiles/gates open in each stand. However, in their infinite wisdom, on one of the best evenings of the year so far, patrons were forced to enter the Gaelic Grounds through the Mackey Stand and make their way across the pitch/terrace onto the new (Hogan) open air seating area. It wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out that on an evening like that most people, even in a crowd of 8k, would prefer the open stand so why not open the turnstiles on that side? As it was we were treated to a 10 minute delay at least and the sight of thousands of fans streaming across from the Mackey Stand side to the Hogan Stand Side.
Sometimes we make it hard on ourselves.
Good News
Good news from San Francisco as young Mark McGovern, mentioned here last week, is making progress in his recovery from a serious injury sustained while playing with the Ulster Club over there. Continued best wishes to him of course.
Other sports
Soccer
July is upon us, and thus the official opening of the European transfer window. It's also the time when most clubs report back for preseason training, with the exception of players playing with their countries. Already there are signs that there may be some crazy money floating around English football again, and Man City, Man United and Liverpool are to the fore early on.
It appears that Arsenal are in danger of losing some of their star players, just at a time when Arsene Wenger would want to be boosting their squad for a serious title push. Gael Clichy is not a star, per se, but he's gone to City, while Fabregas, Nasri and even van Persi have been making ominous noises. Not what gunners fans want to hear.
Also in soccer news, the South American equivalent of the European Championships, the Copa America, is underway in Argentina and thus far it's been a tournament low on goals. In group A, the hosts Argentina, Messi, Tevez, Di Maria and all, needed a late goal to earn a draw with Bolivia, while Colombia jumped to the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Costa Rica. Group B has seen 2 0-0 stalemates as Brazil failed to get the better of Venezuela while Paraguay and Ecuador also played out a scoreless draw. Group C features World Cup semi finalists Uruguay, who began with a 1-1 draw with Peru, Luis Suarez of Liverpool getting the equaliser for Uruguay. In the other game a below strength Mexico (invited to this tournament despite actually being in the CONCACAF) lost 2-1 to Chile, despite having taken a lead.
The tournament concludes on July 24th, and can be seen live on ESPN.
US Sports
Stateside, the fireworks are spent and the 4th of July celebrations are already a memory as MLB heads towards it's midseason break, otherwise known as the All Star game. For those of you unfamiliar with the rythmns of baseball, allow me to give you a brief background.
Major League Baseball, or MLB, is divided into two leagues (roughly similar to our GAA provincial system). These leagues are the American League, and the National League. They are not geographical as both leagues span the entire country, and Canada in the case of the Blue Jays, and indeed some cities have two teams, one in each league (see Chicago Cubs and White Sox, New York Yankees and Mets).
Each league is divided into 3 divisions, the East, Central and West, and these divisions do tend to be organised along geographical lines, as you'd expect, although from time to time anomalies spring up as teams move cities for financial reasons.
The teams each play a 162 game season, and at the end of all of that, 8 teams make the play offs. Those 8 are the Division Winners (3 NL + 3 AL) and 1 wildcard (best runner up) in each league. Each league then plays a semi final (Best of 5 games) and final (Best of 7 games) in order to identify their 'champion'. The AL and NL champions then face off in a best of 7 series to decide the overall 'World Series' winner.
There are a couple of interesting footnotes to this. Obviously in a 7 game series, home advantage can be crucial (4 games at home, 3 away), especially since there is one huge difference between the leagues. In the NL, you play the game with 9 players, including a pitcher, and everyone must take their turn to bat. Late in a game, the manager sometimes must decide whether to leave his pitcher in to take a turn to bat at an important time, or make a substitution knowing that you'll have to throw on a substitute pitcher as well. In the American League, no such constraint exists because there are 10 players in a lineup. 9 players including the pitcher take the field when the other team is batting, but a role called the Designated Hitter (DH) exists, and this specialist (sometimes very fat) hitter takes the turn of the pitcher when it comes to his at bats. He does nothing else but hit, and the pitcher does nothing but pitch. Pitchers only leave AL games due to poor performance or tiredness, rarely for tactical reasons.
The reason home advantage can be so important is because the rules for each game in the World Series are the rules of the home team. So if an American League team is at home, a DH will be in operation. A National League team at home means the fat guys stay off the team.
MLB have a very interesting way of deciding which team is at home, at it is probably the only 'All Star' game where the result matters. In an attempt to revive interest in the mid summer classic, which is what their all star game is called, the MLB decided that the winners would decide home field advantage for the World Series. Thus all those national leaguers brought together as All Stars do battle with their American League counterparts, but with a real incentive for players on teams that are challenging for honours. It is an interesting approach, and while a lot of people have a problem with it, I think it's a good way of making sure the fans get something out of the game.
This years All Star game takes place in Phoenix, Arizona; the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and will be on Tuesday July 12th. You can see it live on ESPN America.
Speaking of All Stars, one of the all time great shortstops, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, is back in the Major Leagues after coming off an injury and Minor League rehabilitation. He is chasing the magical hitter's target of 3,000 safe hits for his career, and he currently stands on 2,994. The home run total is the glamourous record, but 3,000 hits is a testament to longevity and consistent production. In a sport that places huge emphasis on numbers, 3,000 hits is one of the most valued.
Jeter's career major league numbers are :
2,358 games played.
1,724 runs scored. (He crossed the plate himself)
2,994 hits. (Successful hits where neither he nor a teammate was 'out' because of his hit)
4,303 total bases. (Where advancing to each base - 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd, then 4th counts as 1)
477 Doubles. ( A hit where Jeter was able to run all the way into second base before he had to stop to be safe)
62 triples (As with doubles, except all the way to third base)
236 Home Runs.
1155 Runs Batted In (RBI). (Runs scored by teammates, or himself, as a result of Jeter batting)
Jeter may make the magical mark before the All Star Break, as the Yankees have 2 games against the Cleveland Indians, and 4 games against the Tampa Bay Rays before then, but it may be more likely that he'll do it after the break, when the Yankees play the Blue Jays and Rays again for 4 games each.
That's it for this Tuesday edition. Predictions and hopeless guesses for the weekend GAA on Friday as usual.
Welcome to the world of blogging. Hope you're not planning on writing a thesis on every post, it's a thankless task and in all honesty you don't want to burn yourself out.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I don't sound dismissive of your GAA musings, but the part of that I enjoyed most was the baseball. My gran loved watching snooker on the telly even though she hadn't a clue what was going on and at times I feel the same way about baseball, so it's great to read a primer like yours. I never realised, for example, the impact that relieving a pitcher would have at NL games (tend to only follow Red Sox games, a team I fell in love with when I had NASN for free in the fall of 2003) so I've never noticed the phenomenon.
Look forward to reading some more
Speaking of baseball, you might be able to answer a question for me. You mention how Derek Jeter has "2,994 hits. (Successful hits where neither he nor a teammate was 'out' because of his hit)". I've noticed on occassion that a player will hit the bill and be cauught out but his team-mates on base start running as soon as the ball is caught. I think this has something to do with the catcher's location on the field. How does that work?
ReplyDeleteHit the bill? I meant hat the ball. Hit the ball!
ReplyDelete