TJ Ryan: Clare must shackle Fitzgibbon, Cork will have to get to grips with O’Donnell
Be Well Darragh Season Player The Cork's Of Could Fitzgibbon
My initial instincts are that Cork and Clare will serve up an open, free-flowing, high-scoring All-Ireland final to rival 2013.
Both teams score a lot, concede almost as much, and have been beaten twice in their seven games this year.
Two teams can fall into a trend and Clare have the recent advantage there. They won with a point or two in hand in each of the last three years. In 2013, Cork scored 3-16 both days and didn’t win either.
Sunday’s game will be won and lost based on a cast of characters across these five categories…
John Kiely spoke about scoring efficiency after the semi-final and this will be a key factor again on Sunday. Cork converted a superb 70% of their shots from play. Clare were in the mid-50s against Kilkenny so that has to improve. Limerick were made to pay for a similar conversion rate by Cork.
Goal chances will present themselves for both teams. To win All-Ireland finals, you have to take them. It could really open up for somebody on the day if they have their eye in.
Both have scored plenty of goals against each other. Clare have a nice bit of pace and variety inside but Cork are finding the net more this year. Brian Hayes scored a great goal, had one disallowed, and fired another chance over the bar against Limerick. Hoggie had an opportunity too.
If you create those chances in an All-Ireland final, you have to take them. You can’t miss two or three chances here and win.
The two front-runners for Hurler of the Year are Shane O’Donnell and Darragh Fitzgibbon. Both have played in seven games and both have scored from play in all seven. Fitzgibbon’s 0-22 means he’s averaging over three points per game and his assists are getting even stronger, setting up seven points against Limerick. That’s a huge return.
O’Donnell has struck 2-13, his assists are off the charts, and his free-winning ability is exceptional. He’s brilliant at getting the best out of those forwards around him.
The opposition will have to curb them to win the game. Clare must shackle Fitzgibbon and Cork will have to get to grips with O’Donnell. The Ennis man is a trickier assignment to pin down as he’s starting to rotate between the full- and half-forward lines. Seán O’Donoghue would be an obvious pairing if he stays inside, while Cathal Malone will aim to curb Fitzgibbon.
There are very good marksmen and henchmen on both sides so getting the match-ups right is a major piece of planning.
David McInerney did an excellent job on Adrian Mullen in the semi-final. Could he be the man for Shane Barrett? The influential centre-forward has to be stopped and John Conlon has moved to wing-back depending on the opposition. Against Cork, Deccie Dalton or Séamus Harnedy would be more of a like-for-like match with Conlon. They wouldn’t want McInerney dragged to the periphery either like Dalton did to Kyle Hayes.
Cork are changing the game to a degree by bypassing the middle third with direct puck-out routines into the full-forward line. Conor Cleary is athletic, an aerial presence, and offers a perfect match to nullify Brian Hayes. That might leave Adam Hogan or Conor Leen in the full-back position but it’s a risk worth taking.
Cork got the big decisions spot on against Limerick. After Ciarán Joyce’s handling of Gearóid Hegarty, he’s tailor-made for Peter Duggan. The world can see that Tony Kelly has been getting better around midfield and he’s primed for a big performance. Cork can’t give him the freedom of Croke Park so Tim O’Mahony may be tasked with replicating his performance against Cian Lynch.
We have seen All-Ireland finals turn on the impact of bench players. Neither side here is likely to produce any major surprises. Clare will be looking at Ryan Taylor, Ian Galvin, Aron Shanagher, and maybe Shane Meehan. Cork will call on Shane Kingston, Robbie O’Flynn, Ethan Twomey, and possibly Jack O’Connor or Conor Lehane.
The question for Clare is whether to start Taylor or hold him. The feeling is he’ll be kept in reserve as a potential game-changer for the final 20 minutes to repeat the boost he gave against Kilkenny. He may replace Malone when the game is opened up towards the end.
Can Cork counter in the battle to get the most from that 20-minutes-to-go moment?
Tom Ryan, my Limerick manager back in the ‘90s, referred to some forwards as skirters. Where he was coming from there was he had two dogs when he went hunting. One was brilliant to go into the burrow and do the dirty work. The other was lurking outside waiting to make the final grab and take the credit.
In the game at the moment, there’s a couple of players who mightn’t get in a load of tackles but when there’s a wide ball, will run to the other side of the field for the quick puck-out. They’re the skirters.
They pick off unmarked scores and their use of space has been very profitable for both of these teams. Diarmuid Ryan did it to Cork in Ennis last year for the winner. Deccie Dalton and Darragh Fitzgibbon do it. David Fitzgerald is very good at it.
Both teams use it well and here’s where the video analysis will be telling as they examine ways to nullify the opposition.