All Ireland Under 21 Championship 2015

[Premier Emperor]

Wexford 4-17 Kilkenny 1-09 

I'm sure Kilkenny will tell us it was a bad Kilkenny team and not a good Wexford team.

[waterfordlad]

It's a long time since Kilkenny hurlers got a beating like that. Now they know what it feels like to be on the other end of a beating.
There are some good teams in contention for the under 21 this year. Clare v Waterford and Tipperary v Limerick in Munster semi finals next week.

[Dinny Breen]

Wexford 4-17 Kilkenny 1-09 

I'm sure Kilkenny will tell us it was a bad Kilkenny team and not a good Wexford team.

Even Kildare only lost by 9 points to Wexford

[redsetanta]

KK should have been beaten by Carlow the last day.

[waterfordlad]

Great game between Clare v Waterford last night. Clare aren't ready to give up their under 21 dominance yet even against a fancied Waterford team with a lot of players from senior team. Waterford were looking good in first half but Clare turned it around at start of 2nd half to take the lead. Bobby Duggan scored 0-13, 7 from play and and Ian Galvin was also good up front for Clare.
Tipperary v Limerick now tonight also on TG4.

[Roashter]

Yes, a very good game to watch indeed. Clare were the better team and both Bobby Duggan & Ian Galvin were outstanding scoring 6 each from play.
Waterford seemed very flat and maybe the Munster final on Sunday took a lot more out of them than was expected.

[deiseach]

That was the All-Ireland, right there. Nuts.

[Farrandeelin]

Pity Wexford can't transfer the recent u21 campaigns into senior ones. Always had a soft spot for Wexford hurling.

[johnneycool]

Yes, a very good game to watch indeed. Clare were the better team and both Bobby Duggan & Ian Galvin were outstanding scoring 6 each from play.
Waterford seemed very flat and maybe the Munster final on Sunday took a lot more out of them than was expected.

I'd agree with that, I think Derek McGrath will be reasonably happy to have those lads solely involved in the seniors to himself as freshness will be his biggest problem come the Dublin game.

Duggan and the other Galvin looked sharp enough, thought O'Donnell tried to do too much at times and was well bottled up by the Waterford backs.

From a Waterford perspective I'd like to see Dunford play closer to the goals as when he does get possession he's far too far out to do real damage and runs down cul-de-sacs a bit much.

Nice to see the referee blow up for overcarrying, he could have did it a lot more, but sure, let the game flow!! 

[Canalman]

Usually but not always a disjointed performance when  5 or 6 senior panellists who have been training solely with the senior panel join up with the rest of the panel for a game. *

Waterford imo anyway looked lethargic and monopaced last night.

Nice tidy Clare team there............... again.

* Clare team of the last few years a huge excepion although I don't think you will ever see  teams so full of hurling talent ever again at this level.

[deiseach]

It's great what Clare have done. Lessons and inspiration for the rest of us.

*washes mouth out with soap*

[imtommygunn]

I would have said it's a worry for them that their performances in the senior championship seem to be getting worse rather than better though especially given the talent they have coming through.

Ok they won the AI a couple of years ago but they now seem quite far away from it.

[johnneycool]

I would have said it's a worry for them that their performances in the senior championship seem to be getting worse rather than better though especially given the talent they have coming through.

Ok they won the AI a couple of years ago but they now seem quite far away from it.

Not sure Davy is getting the best out of them TBH.
He's some real scoring talent in his team, but like Waterford and Dunford to an extent, they play too far from the oppositions goals. Imagine Tony Kelly getting on more ball in and around the opponents 21 yard line, along with O'Donnell and Conor McGrath, Aaron Cunningham in closer to goal. Granted, none of them are big, physical units and need a bit of space to operate, they'd be a handful for any defence.
Davy is pretty conservative when it comes to team formations, preferring to stifle the opposition first and then out point them, possibly score the odd goal from deep which suggests he's not comfortable with his defence (which isn't shabby either), but that seems to be the way most teams are lining out now anyway.
Last year they were off the boil, this year they didn't have that bit of luck they had in 2013, goal opportunities when they did arise weren't taken and so on.
Still wouldn't bet on them not having an impact on the AI scene in the next few years though, would just love for them to go all out and give teams their fill of it at the right end of the field.

[Canalman]

Agree johneycool . Imo of course, if there was a team that doesn't need "systems of play" , "sweepers", "short passing game" it is the Clare senior team. In 2013 they were a breath of fresh air . Pace, pace and more pace with plenty of skill thrown in .

If this makes sense, maybe the AI win came a couple of years too early for Clare in the bigger scheme of things. Might be the only one they win (unlikely) or if they hadn't have won it they might win 3 or 4 in the next decade or so.

Croke Park is where Clare play best imo.

DF deserves another year with them  and I reckon he will be a much better manager next year.

[Premier Emperor]

Great game between Clare v Waterford last night.

I saw the last few minutes and it looked poor. Both sides hit about 6 wides each.
The U21 is all Tipperary need for the Munster treble and I'd expect Limerick tonight to be a bigger challenge than Clare in the final.