CLARE AND CORK offered up a high-scoring classic in the 2013 All-Ireland final. What odds for a repeat this Sunday?
The two counties share similar game plans and have influenced each other’s development in recent years.
The Banner’s quick puck-outs drove Pat Ryan mad last year but he’s flipped that frustration on its head to mirror that Clare strength. Both counties will skew long and seek to take their opponents out of their comfort zone.
Cork have gone against the grain by fielding a traditional three-man full-forward line, albeit with a non-traditional corner-forward. Brian Hayes showed why he chose hurling with 1-4 in a man-of-the-match performance against Limerick. Adam Hogan started on the Hayes in their Munster meeting before Conor Cleary, a better physical match-up, took on the task.
A decision has to be made again at centre-back where John Conlon likes to drop off to provide cover. Cork have created all sorts of space for Shane Barrett to exploit with Alan Connolly’s deep movement pinning the full-back to the endline and the wingmen staying wide. Do they relocate their centre-back to the wing in favour of a man-marker? Even if they do, Darragh Fitzgibbon’s surges give them a second speedster to monitor.
Cork may go after Clare down the middle but Brian Lohan has plenty of ball-winners to give them something to think about going the other way. Shane O’Donnell’s reassignment to the half-forward line alongside Peter Duggan helped to turn the tide against Kilkenny in the second half.
Will the Hurler of the Year front-runner feature closer to goal or flit around the half-forwards? Waterford went after Cork through the number-six channel and while Rob Downey has instilled solidity, Clare will believe they can get the upper hand through an imposing half-forward unit.
Mark Rodgers went to town with 1-6 for Clare when occupying that area in their round-robin victory. His movement, in tandem with David Reidy and O’Donnell, can destabilise teams.
Tony Kelly is the biggest wildcard of the lot. Will he remain at midfield and does that mean Niall O’Leary won’t resume his usual marking detail? Tim O’Mahony, Ciarán Joyce, or Mark Coleman could all operate in that role.
The sense is that Cork have been building perfectly for this final. They have beaten the four-in-a-row champions twice. They have been racking up huge totals, averaging 2-27 per game. They have got a better handle on their defensive concessions. Had they 15 men against Clare last time, it could’ve been different.
But then it can be tricky to recapture the heights they scaled in eliminating Limerick. They did so against Tipperary in Munster but need to do so again facing a Clare side coming in nicely poised after their rocky progression. That can often be the more favourable route.
There are few teams more battle-hardened than Clare, who have been involved in 11 one-score games this year between league and championship. They won nine and drew one of those. They will see little to fear in their record against the Rebels either, with four wins in their last five encounters.
Both sets of players will feel a sense of destiny at their doorstep. Cork to end a record 19-year drought and provide Celtic Crosses for their long-serving stalwarts. Clare to end an 11-year absence and seeking a second medal to match their golden-days predecessors. Not to mention the wave of newcomers simply chasing their first on their All-Ireland Sunday debuts.
Cork’s run has been most persuasive but they might like to carry a lead down the home straight given Clare’s steely finishes.