WHAT. A. GAME.
Honestly, what a game of hurling.
It had everything that makes our game so great.
It had fantastic goals, a guy scoring his first ever championship point when hitting the winner and the blood and thunder intensity that would have you running through walls afterwards.
You’d have to feel for Tipperary because, if you’d told Eamon O’Shea beforehand his team would outscore Galway by three goals to none, he’d have thought his side would be preparing for an All-Ireland final in a few weeks.
Not just that, there was the timing of the goals too. They were almost perfect from a Tipp point of view. One from their very first attack, one just after half-time and one entering the final quarter.
You’d have to wonder why the Galway management didn’t act sooner to take Padraig Mannion off of Seamus Callanan. You could forgive the defender for the first goal, he got a bit hyped up and went for the Hollywood move on Callanan when he’d have been better off just batting the ball away.
That’s to take nothing away from Callanan, his movement was fantastic on all three goals and the movement out the field by Tipperary to set them up was textbook.
But after the second went in, I just felt Anthony Cunningham and his team should have been giving Mannion some support. In fairness, Iarla Tannion did eventually drop back and help out but Callanan had done the damage at that stage.
But he couldn’t do it all himself and Tipp’s problems were obvious when you realise they’d only three other scorers in the first half, compared to Galway whose scores were coming from an array of players.
Team performance
While Tipperary were spearheaded by a phenomenal individual performance, Galway’s was as good an all-round team one as we’ve seen in this year’s championship and they’ve almost certainly come on from the team that lost the 2012 All-Ireland final replay.
Colm Callanan was brilliant — as was Darren Gleeson in the Tipp goal — making some crucial saves. Those four stops in a row he made in the 44th minute, the sequence that started with Bonnar Maher, as well as the reaction save against Lar Corbett when it looked a certain goal, were match-winning saves.
Down the other end, Galway’s 26 points shows they made the most of the opportunities they created and the likes of Daithi Burke, Jason Flynn, Jonathan Glynn and Cathal Mannion all put in great shifts.
I’ve watched every game Mannion’s played this year and he’s been a remarkable addition to that squad. I think he’ll get an Allstar even if he doesn’t pick up a Celtic Cross in September.
Then of course, there’s Joe Canning. Only two points from play today (of 0-10) but as vital to the Galway cause as ever.
Improvement
The Tribesmen brought everything today. The intensity and full-blooded tackling was there throughout the 70 minutes which was a big improvement on the Leinster final where they played like that for 40 minutes before it faded away.
Honestly, just watching the amount of hooking and blocking going on around the field would have you exhausted.
But for as well as they played, Anthony Cunningham will know there are improvements to be made. They had goal chances today and they didn’t take a single one of them.
The one that really stands out for me was when Canning was through and he could have popped it off to Andrew Smith for an almost certain goal but he decided to shoot himself.
Chance
Most pundits, myself included, probably thought we were going to have a Tipperary Kilkenny final, particularly with the way Galway played in the Leinster final but they’ve a right chance now.
Cunningham will have to ground them and remind them they’ve already had one cut off Kilkenny this year and came out second best. He needs to show them the tape of today, what they brought to the game and tell them they need to go again, put in two performances in a row.
On the other side, you’ve Kilkenny who’ve coasted into an All-Ireland final without having to put in a shift like Galway did today. I don’t know who has the advantage in that situation.
I do know that I always found the All-Ireland semi-final the most dangerous game of the championship. It’s not being cocky but you’d always expect the final to take care of itself when you get there as form tends to matter for little on the first weekend in September.
And despite the fact I think Galway will go into that game full of confidence, on the high of this brilliant performance, they don’t hand out All-Ireland winners’ medals on the third weekend in August and Kilkenny have a fair habit of saving their best for when the silverware does become available.
Noel McGrath
One final thought on Noel McGrath today. How great was it to see him coming on in an All-Ireland semi-final just months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer?
It looked at one stage like he might be the hero for Tipp too when he put them ahead late on but, alas, it wasn’t to be.
He’s still a super player and has gone through his own battles and it was brilliant to see all the Galway players go up to him after the game and I’m certain we’ll see much more of him on days like today in the future.
Best game ive seen in a long time and I wouldn’t consider myself a big hurling fan. I swicted over to the Chelsea v City match after and it was like looking at paint dry towards the hurling.
End to end stuff. Fantastic game
delighted for Seamus, he was constantly targeted for trash talk and rough treatment but he answered them the only way he knows, he has well and truly put the bed the “yellow” accusations of a few years ago. That spear “tackle” on him should have been a red card no doubt
Fantastic advertisement for the game.. Fair play to both teams.. End to end stuff.. Delighted for Galway..lets hope for the same performance against Kilkenny..
Great game.
But where were the pigeons?
best game in years !
So you’ve changed your tune Katie??? Saw your previous comments straight after the game!!!
you changed your tune attention seeker!!
Margaret u took the words right out of my mouth!! after all she did ‘fall asleep the second half lol’
Been waiting for this all year. nothing comes close to hurling.
Jes*s, Cork are so far off that standard. Depressing.
Well done to both teams for a great match, but Galway were the much better team.
Agreed MK. Tipp were poor as much as it pains me to say it. Both midfielders taken off and half forward line missing half the time. Felt bad for them at the end though. Feck it anyway.
our game plan is to isolate seamus inside and it worked a treat, thought we played fairly well, the “tackle” on Callanan for the peno was a professional last man foul, never mind being an illegal spear tackle that’s a sending off even in rugby, thought James Barry had an excellent game in full back and is the find of the last 2 championships. thought Paudie Maher was caught striking very naively a couple of times which was so frustrating considering how well he won the ball initially
Barry played well enough but he made an atrocious clearance that handed Galway the equaliser on 70 mins, That’s really sloppy in a game of such fine margins.agreed paidi was very poor in possession n was directly responsible for at least 2 points. Galway won by a point! Might b harsh to highlight a few individuals as collectively it was a very poor team performance. Still tho, fine margins, and Tipp very sloppy, good luck to Galway though , thoroughly deserved it
The rush for tickets has began! Nice article……Galway created 20 plus scoring chances in the first half and only 50% were taken! Not good enough v Kilkenny.
if Lar’s shot had gone in it would have been one of the great goals of all time, twas some save
Lar was a great player, but he is risky to bring on in a tight game, gave away a silly point on D Burke, Lar cost Tipp the all ireland according to some Tipp supporters last year. Thats what the keeper is their for…..save of the year! Peno save was excellent too.
Thought that was a very soft free, his eye was on the ball all the time and made genuine attempt to win the ball. No one blames Lar for anything, the man is class and I love the way he loosely runs on to the ball. peno was straight at the keeper and from 25 yards so you’d expect a save, but Lars shot was something special
What did Lar supposedly do to cost Tipp the All Ireland last year ????
Tipp were awful , only 3 or 4 fellas played . Galway should have been out of sight
thought our full back line were very good, particularly James Barry
Yeah did a lot of good stuff but what did Flynn/Mannion score??
zero goals
At least 7 points between them
U are some clown Ullaigh, Tipp were hammered all over the field! Take Seamie out of it, they had no one else.
Ah 6 others scored and Barry kept Joe quiet, I think they had a few others alright
@james quinn if we were beat all over te field why did yee win by a single point in around the fou fourth minute of injury time, even though injury time was up at that point?
Up the Tribesmen !
I know its probably because of how good the game was but its funny how much attention sean kavanagh tackle got 2 years ago and there is almost no mention of hanburys tackle today which was as bad
was worse if anything
It’s hurling. The official media line is that if it happens in hurling it is great craic.
If the same thing happens in football, well then it can vary from “being cute” to “end of times” – the intensity of this reaction shall be dependant on geographically how far the offending team are from Dublin and Kerry.
Great artical JG very well written!
Great article!
Mr Garnier you summed that classic wonderfully, yes Kilkenny will bring a gameface..That is hard to smudge
I thought galway were much better on the day,seamus callinan covered up all the cracks and kept tipp in it.
Galway would have been well out of sight if not for him but fair play to tipperary for holding out so long. I would love to see the Tribesmen really cut loose in the final.
I like football so I don’t like hurling.
Great game well done Galway
When you were born your parents should have lashed you with nettles to check you were not a complete dud
And then they’d have been arrested for child abuse.
can we arrest them for world abuse for releasing you?
No because I’m a light in the lives of those who know me.
you really seem to have a problem with peoples opinions, Dave not everyone is the same leave people enjoy their life in peace.
it’s just my opinion Matt. The opinion card works both ways silly.
@Matt, Lindsay Price is a troll that only posts to incite and garner reactions, best to ignore.
Yeah, I don’t agree with you, so I’m a “troll”. That’s just what people say when they haven’t got strong arguments.
they’ve almost certainly come on from the team that lost the 2012 All-Ireland final replay…almost certainly…what a non-sense statement! Works 60% of the time all the time!
Great match me arse. Tipp bottled it again . Donkeys don’t win derbys
a game of two halves.
The west’s awake….. !!!
A sloppy game from both teams from my view(crap seats lower cusack beside the pitch)
I like bananas….
Great game but watched live by so few that 2 semi-finals played to half empty stadiums tells a tail for gaa 1 good game a year will not save games
There was 58000 people there yesterday. hardly empty.
they’re is a difference between an opinion and an insult but I didn’t expect you to have that much knowledge.
posting in the wrong place again? silly