Summer of hurling keeps on giving

We will have to search for new superlatives for hurling, because we’re running out of them.

I’m simply dreading 19 August when the season ends on All-Ireland final day, because barring a replay we won’t know what to do with ourselves, us hurling snobs.

We do have this Sunday though and a bonus match in Thurles when Clare and Galway re-engage – it has some tough acts to follow after last weekend.

I feel that replays are often decided at the end of drawn matches. Who is happiest to get the draw? Who is celebrating the draw? Who are bouncing out of the dressing room after the draw? Who are smiling?

Okay, the answers to all of those questions is Clare and there is probably a bit more to it!

I watched the two teams leave their dressing rooms and board the coaches. It was some contrast. Galway had two players on crutches, three more sporting significant ice packs and they were slow to board, while the Banner lads fairly hopped on their bus. If only the replay could been played there and then!

Instead the Tribesmen get a week to recover, to treat injuries and remember who they are. They did enough to win last Saturday night, a couple of times, but in hindsight they might look back and consider themselves a tad fortunate too.

A nine point lead was lost and Clare were the better team for much of the last hour. Naturally they made some mistakes and it was here that Galway showed their championship mettle, because for long periods they were living off scraps, but whenever the Banner coughed up the ball, Canning, Cathal Mannion and co punished them.

GAA tradition says favourites usually take the second chance afforded them and as a result, while the odds have narrowed between them, Galway remain odds on to finish the job. That’s probably fair but I still believe this will be very close too.

Right now Clare have momentum in their corner. They will probably make one change to their starting line-up with David Fitzgerald likely to replace Cathal Malone in midfield. They will thunder into Semple Stadium, in front of a full house and they will have belief they can get this done.

Both of Sunday’s teams will have absorbed the drama of the second semi-final between Cork and Limerick and any Clare player who says the thought of playing Limerick in an All-Ireland final hasn’t crossed their minds is a liar!

We don’t have to talk about beating Limerick, but for Galway and Clare the reward for closing the door this weekend is a final appearance. We can talk about that. Could it really get any better than Limerick and Clare in the final?

I don’t think so and I believe the Clare players will have that extra incentive now, knowing the oldest of enemies is waiting for what could be the most historic of finals to crown the most enjoyable of championships.

Should this stuff matter to players who just want to win an All-Ireland? You’d be surprised what can get into players’ heads!

The tactical battle was won on the Clare sideline last weekend, but Michael O’Donoghue has eight days to combat Donal Moloney’s masterstroke of using Colm Galvin as a sweeper. Expect ploys to nullify the Clareman’s influence.

By the way, with Waterford and Wexford out of the championship, those that celebrated the death of the sweeper were a little premature. Galvin’s role as an extra defender was critical to Clare’s recovery, the quality of the contest wasn’t diluted one bit and if anything the seventh back puts a higher premium on skill and distribution.

GALWAY INJURIES

So what will decide Sunday? For starters, who will turn up? Galway are the walking wounded, with concerns over Dáithi Burke, Gearoid McInerney, Joe Canning, Jonathan Glynn and Conor Whelan. To lose any of them would be a serious blow to their hopes. Like Cork, Galway’s bench is a little light, mostly because it is underused so it is the doctors and physios that perhaps hold Galway’s fate in their hands this week.

Of course in these situations miraculous recoveries have been known to happen. If all five can start and are genuinely fit, Galway are justifiable favourites. They still score a little easier than Clare, they can still produce devastating bursts and they are champions going into a replay.

If however, the famous five are down to the fit four, or worse, the trim three or what would be the terrible twos, then the pendulum will have swung Clare’s way.

It will still be high scoring, it will still be tactical and it will certainly be compelling.

Super 8 an afterthought

And RTÉ expect you to watch a football game after it?

Yes, that is what the schedule has in store. In fairness Donegal and Tyrone’s meeting in a game that is a knockout clash, in the tight confines of Ballybofey should have something compelling to offer.

The home side don’t lose many matches on this ground and a draw will be enough for Mickey Harte. Low scoring and tense anyone?

At the same time Dublin will be playing a dead rubber against Roscommon. Most games are when Dublin are involved.

Croke Park is the venue and if there is more than 20,000 paying customers I’d be surprised.

The football game of the weekend is Galway’s Salthill clash with Monaghan on Saturday night. While that is being played out Kerry will be beating Kildare at home to ensure an interesting finish at Pearse Stadium. On form the Tribesmen win this, but there is a but.

One strange side effect of the Super 8 format is that Galway can actually decide who joins them in the semi-final. A draw puts both Monaghan and Galway through, knocking Kerry out, with the Connacht champions thus avoiding Dublin in the semi-final. We’ve seen it happen in soccer, but surely not in the GAA?

Could two teams come together and play out a draw in the last few minutes if level in a close football match? Come to think of it, given this year’s championship, would we notice? CL