HE WAS LEFT pretty unimpressed last Saturday night in Castlebar by the efforts of his All-Ireland winning charges, the response in Tralee tonight heartened Kerry manager Jack O’Connor.
Kerry suffered a seven-point loss to Mayo, after a pretty insipid first-half showing, but in O’Connor’s eyes the attitude of his team was noticeably sharper for this meeting with Armagh.
“You’d have to say it our backs were to the wall. I mean we didn’t want to be going up to Tyrone with only two points. I’ve been saying it pretty consistently that we were behind the curve starting off training.
“But I think tonight outside of the fact we had another extra week’s training, I think the attitude was better tonight. We weren’t happy with the way we played up in Castlebar. It was an unacceptable performance and the players knew that.
“They didn’t have to be told that but just to make sure they knew it, we told them on Tuesday night. Look they reacted the right way, that’s all you can do after a bad performance is react the right way.
“We weren’t (talking) during the week too much about tactics, this was about attitude. We felt we were well off it above in Castlebar. We weren’t tackling, we weren’t tracking runners, we weren’t doing any of the fundamentals that you need to do first before you play football. And I thought we did that in spades tonight.”
O’Connor hailed the ‘real mettle’ of his players in digging out a one-point victory over Armagh.
“They’re a big physical side, they’re very fit. Sometimes those games are great to play in, those hard tough games where there’s nothing soft. I thought our boys showed real mettle tonight. Tony (Brosnan) kicked an important score from out near the touchline and Donal O’Sullivan obviously got the one that put us two up. They all contributed.
“They (Armagh) certainly weren’t allowing us to go down the middle so we had to constantly switch to the wings. Look that’s the way the modern game has gone. Any fella that’s up in the stand that was shouting to kick it in, I mean outside of the last one that Tom kicked in that we got the break off it, you wouldn’t get much change out of just bating ball in with that many men back.
“The important thing is not to take the ball into contact and not to turn over the ball. Above all else try and get a shot off. Kicking a wide isn’t the worst thing in the world in that situation, but the worst of all worlds is get turned over and get caught on the counter-attack, because they’re a well-organised defensive team, a dangerous counter-attacking team.”
Kerry travel to Omagh next Sunday with O’Connor revealing experienced duo Gavin White and Paul Geaney are back training but unlikely to be available to face Tyrone.
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I wonder how long it takes him to sign a few Irish in Bristol? Not saying it’s a bad thing but as he said he knows how good some of these players are
@Chris Mcdonnell: Well he’s already got Mads!
@RMcG: fair point I forgot about him but I was taking more about young players maybe second in line at their clubs.
I’m delighted for marmion. He got total of 6 minutes in the first two south African tests and was then replaced for the third by a player who had just announced his international retirement. He was clearly a player who deserved better than that and it took an injury to Murray to get his chance to show it. Still prefer Murray but Al least now we know that we have two 9s and 10s capable of playing.
Better than Murray potentially
@Alan Barber: that’s silly talk. Can you just not say he’s a fantastic player.
@Chris Mcdonnell: No. No I can’t Christmas Bells.
@Chris Mcdonnell: Chris this Alan b is like a sepsis on the 42. He lives on the soccer articles spewing about Man U or Liverpool can’t tell which as I don’t engage and now unfortunately he has infected the rugby comments.
My advice would be not to acknowledge him and hopefully he gets a job or something in the meantime
@bobby henderson: can just mute him. That’s what I did
There is no better preparation for playing Test Rugby, than actually playing test rugby. Critical that Murray has a deputy that is totally armed top step in when required. But is should not require injury to Murray for Marmion (or AN Other scrumhalf) to get sufficient game time to progress…
his big hots playing on the wing against Australia changed Joe’s perception of him
Marmion should be considered just as “cover” for Murray. He’s a different type of player and one that should be used when the strategy is complimented by his skillset. His consistent speed of delivery is top-drawer and he has the speed and eye for a gap to keep fringe defenses from taking short-cuts.
@Dennis Laffey: indeed it’s his eye for a gap that sets him apart from Murray. Marmion is such a nuggety little player, bristles with intent with or without the ball. If your an opposition nine he must drive you demented….
For me Murray rarely breaks whether it’s strategy or. choice,but it’s an oddity for a nine of his size who is by no means slow.
But it astonishes me given how much team’s target Sexton, that he doesn’t carry the ball up more himself and keep opposition backrows guessing….
Have some decorum, Daragh, its’ free