AHEAD OF THE ALL Ireland hurling final, here are the key areas of performance that both Cork and Clare will be seeking to influence and build a platform to win.
1. The puckout wars
Two citóg goalkeepers. Patrick Collins and Cork have settled on a hyper-modern version of #LeaveItFly puckouts where he booms them off his left side and give it enough wellie to reach the D on the other side. If it worked against Limerick, twice, well then.
At the start of the championship, this facet was being written up as a huge weakness of their game. Now, it’s categorised as a weapon.
Eibhear Quilligan is a left hand on top and striking off the right kinda guy, and he’s making no apologies for it. In the round two game in Munster, he rained ball down on top of Peter Duggan, who had Tim O’Mahony trying to wrassle him, to no avail.
Both Collins and Quilligan will use their house style until the chess pieces are moved around and they are forced to adapt.
2. Hammering the hammer
An All Star from last season in defence, to go along with his one achieved in the forward ranks, there have been few players that Clare fans fall so hard for as John Conlon.
In the first encounter in Munster he held Shane Barrett scoreless, but Barrett clicked into an outrageous seam of form since then and in the All Ireland semi final hit three points from play.
It might make more sense for Conlon to be on Declan Dalton, but Clare manager Brian Lohan will be reluctant to let Cork dictate their shape.
On the other hand, it won’t have gone unnoticed by Clare how Limerick players took turns at exploiting Mark Coleman under Nickie Quaid’s puckout. Tom Morrissey, Shane O’Brien all won balls this way while he fouled Gearóid Hegarty and Cathal O’Neill while waiting under the dropping ball. Expect Peter Duggan to dander over into that general postcode.
3. Don’t foul gaddammit!
On Sunday, 7 July, Patrick Horgan found himself in a peculiar situation. TJ Reid was gone from the championship, knocked out by Clare.
That night, Reid hit 0-7, to take his overall championship tally to 706 points. Various assurances were given from anyone who knew that man that Horgan’s pre-match tally of 699 meant absolutely nothing to him.
But all the same, Patrick Horgan went in at half time still to break the 700 point mark. He was involved in a half goal chance when he received a quick free but then stumbled, gave it off to Brian Hayes but it was disallowed incorrectly for an illegal handpass.
Horgan would run his championship tally to 704 in the second half, but he is fortunate he has Declan Dalton to take the long range frees that – when missed – can sap the confidence.
Clare are not perfect in the free taking front, but Aidan McCarthy has shown remarkable accuracy in his last game when he regained a starting berth for the Kilkenny game.
4. Goal lust
Hurling doesn’t need another classic to justify itself, but the early indications are that we are heading for one all the same.
In the last three games, the average shots per game has been Clare 40, Cork 36.
In their round 2 game in Munster, it finished 3-26 to 3-24 in Clare’s favour at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
Cork had been seven points up. Clare reeled it all back in and shot back to go six points up. Both defences were absolutely pulverised.
When it came to majors, both teams were ravenous. Cork more so. Of the 13 goal chances created nine. Clare had four and shot 75% of their share. Some of that was down to Seán O’Donoghue’s red card after two yellows, allowing Shane O’Donnell more latitude.
Big game hunting. They will both be at it this Sunday.
5. The replacements
When it comes to the substitutes’ bench, neither side have been shooting the lights out.
There was one notable exception on either side. With the sun hot in the Thurles sky, Shane Kingston came off the bench for Cork and hit four beautifully struck points. Just how much freedom he had to execute those shocks will live long in the Tipperary psyche, but we’re not here to talk about them.
Altogether, they gathered up 1-11 from substitutes over seven championship games.
In Clare, they gradually brought Tony Kelly back into the fray and he hit 0-2 in the opening day against Limerick, a goal against Waterford, and 0-2 against Tipp.
All in, over the six games they have played, the bench has yielded 2-9.
Both sides will look to bump that up considerably.
