The All-Ireland SHC final between Clare and Cork, officiated by Johnny Murphy from Limerick, is set to take place at Croke Park at 3.30. Ahead of the All-Ireland semi-finals on Saturday evening, speculations filled the air concerning how Clare could fare against Limerick in their third encounter. Aiming to shatter the chain of victories, Clare was eager to once again rival with Limerick.
However, given Cork’s vigorous overthrow of Limerick, perceptions shifted with a jolt of realism. Clare had always found it challenging to win against the reigning champs, although they managed to maintain an edge over Cork narrowly. Brian Lohan’s team continually tipped the balance to their favour.
Now arises the pivotal query of this weekend: has Cork’s victory over Limerick in May significantly morphed them? Has this propelled them to their second triumph and has it enabled them to overtake Clare?
There are several reasons to be doubtful. Firstly, despite Limerick facing an astonishing loss at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork had already marked an upswing in their performance against Clare. As the season unfolds, it’s easy to lose sight of the on-field brawls that shaped the match. With the looming fear of being ousted from the championship, Cork’s response to their loss echoed this grave prediction.
Equally noteworthy is Clare’s improvement. Among the key players, Conor Leen and Tony Kelly were missing initially, and Kelly didn’t compete at all. Cork reveals just a single modification to the team since that day. Notable signs of change included Patrick Collins struggling with puck-outs and Clare’s wing forwards, David Fitzgerald and Peter Duggan posing distinct challenges.
Shane O’Donnell continued to intimidate all season, proving to be an absolute nuisance, and Clare’s forward players, including Mark Rodgers demonstrated active involvement, with Rodgers scoring 1-6, 1-4 from play. Collins also redeemed himself later with swift restarts and displayed commendable goalkeeping skill against Limerick.
Considered their finest tournament display, Clare’s triumph at Páirc Uí Chaoimh has been slightly overshadowed due to Sean O’Donoghue, the rival skipper, receiving two heedless yellow card infringements. Since this event, Cork has made great strides in maintaining discipline. The subsequent face-off against Limerick, a fortnight later, set a strict precedent when Eoin Downey, holding a yellow, was substituted at the 23rd-minute mark to mitigate the threat of him receiving another booking. Yet, two weeks ago, the liberty of a 33rd-minute yellow card was granted to Downey without a substitution, suggesting Cork may have finally conquered their red card syndrome.
Despite the fickleness of card situations, it’s more than just that. Will Johnny Murphy approve the speedily taken puck-outs, a tactic preferred by both sides? Will he aim to tighten regulations on hand-passing, given the recent shameful incorrect decisions in the semi-finals?
Clare meanwhile, have their own set of improvements to focus on. Despite battling consistent concentration lapses in their defence and attack, they were fortunate enough that Kilkenny failed to capitalize on their chances in the first half. Otherwise, this weekend would see the old feud between Kilkenny and Cork reignited.
Precision or lack thereof, has been another primary concern for Brian Lohan. The wasteful third-quarter displays against Limerick and Waterford in the Munster round robin led to them squandering a would-be victory in the former and, a nail-biting necessity to covert a 65 in the latter, to clutch a win that should’ve been in the bag.
Even the widely detested Munster Final was less a defeat to Limerick than a series of dreadful misfires potentially sabotaging their entire effort. Can this issue be solved?
On their day, both squads demonstrate remarkable offensive prowess, but seemingly at the cost of considerable allowances on the defensive end— 29 for Cork and 27 for Clare. This might just make for an explosive showdown.
Overall, Clare’s half back line seems to be performing decently. Diarmuid Ryan is showing marked improvement compared to his earlier, muted performances and David McInerney, who notably nullified the risks posed by Adrian Mullen, was justly awarded the Man of the Match.
In the lead-up, attention has been drawn to centre back, John Conlon, due to the significant impact of Shane Barrett, the player he is tasked to mark. Contrary to popular belief, Conlon isn’t as slow-paced but still doesn’t match Barrett’s speed, which is somewhat irrelevant.
There is a certain unease that comes with the propensity to hand goals over particularly with the presence of a starved full-forward line such as that of Cork. Despite Eibhear Quilligan’s heroic efforts to keep Clare afloat during the semi-final, depending on such interventions isn’t always viable.
Another crucial player in Clare’s defiance against Kilkenny was Aidan McCarthy. His blunders in the Munster final free taking led to him being side-lined, only to bounce back in the All-Ireland semi-final with an exquisite display. Another similar performance will be decidedly necessary.
However, in the end analysis, Clare is dependent on more things turning out in their favour compared to Cork, and this marginal difference could play a significant role.
Final Verdict: Favouring Cork.