Kilkenny Vs Wexford Leinster Senior Hurling Final

cill_dara · June 27, 2007, 11:19:59 PM

Stephen Nolan replaces Paul Carley in the only change to the Wexford team for Sunday's Leinster SHC final against Kilkenny at Croke Park.

Faythe Harriers clubman Nolan is preferred to Carley in a half forward line which once again features dual star and former defender David 'Doc' O'Connor at centre forward.

Despite his late winning free against Dublin, Barry Lambert has to be content with a place on the subs' bench once again.

Wexford (SH v Kilkenny): D Fitzhenry; P Roche, D Ruth, M Travers; R Kehoe, K Rossiter, C Kenny; D Lyng, E Quigley; M Jacob, D O'Connor, S Nolan; N Higgins, D Stamp, R Jacob.

Thought I would get this topic going. Not that mych hype surrounding the game so far! Suppose another mauling by the cats is expected.
Hoping for a good game of Hurling though, I notice that it's nearly every second year Wexford give the cats a good game anyway so heres hoping they can deliver a performance that does them justice because it's in them!
With Wexford being a Hurling team close to my heart I love to see them do well ! So Up The Yella Bellys !!!

bottlethrower7 · June 28, 2007, 11:09:23 AM

Wexford were desperately disappointing against Dublin. They were a better side, no doubt about that, but could have lost the game as easily as won it. They look very vulnerable at the back, which is normally their strength. Declan Ruth just isn't really working out at number 3 and theres no other obvious option without major surgery in the rest of the defense. Rossiter is best left where he is. They are poor enough up front too. I don't rate Carley at all, and it seems hes only really there for his frees.

I'm not sure we'll learn a whole lot from the game. Kilkenny should win it handy enough, though if Wexford have any bit of a kick in them, it'll come out on sunday. A lot will depend on Kilkenny's mindset. They hurled fairly well against Offaly, but didn't display any great urgency until the second half, when they pulled away. I'd expect something similar this sunday. They'll be a bit complacent, and if needs be they'll up the tempo later in the game.

I hope Wexford are better than they showed in the semi-final. If not, there could be a cricket score between the teams.

Billys Boots · June 28, 2007, 11:16:08 AM

QuoteDeclan Ruth just isn't really working out at number 3

Is Darragh Ryan retired/injured/suspended? Excuse the ignorance.

Dinny Breen · June 28, 2007, 11:36:14 AM

QuoteExcuse the ignorance.

no problem, where use to it...

cill_dara · June 28, 2007, 12:42:07 PM

As far as i know Darragh Ryan has retired, missed last years championship too. He had that troublesome knee injury throughout his intercounty career. Probably the best Hurling full back in my memory(Im Young enough by the way) he cleaned up even on many of wexfords bad days. Great Hurler.

Billys Boots · June 28, 2007, 12:49:31 PM

QuoteProbably the best Hurling full back in my memory

I don't know if I'd go that far, but he certainly was an elegant counterpoint to the 'Heffalump' hurling fullback of the Diarmuid O'Sullivan model.

AZOffaly · June 28, 2007, 01:13:44 PM

Yeah Billy, Darragh Ryan was a good full back alright, but in fairness Brian Lohan was ahead of him at least.

Billys Boots · June 28, 2007, 01:24:00 PM

And Noel Hickey probably too!

bottlethrower7 · June 28, 2007, 01:33:42 PM

Quote from: Billys Boots on June 28, 2007, 11:16:08 AM
QuoteDeclan Ruth just isn't really working out at number 3

Is Darragh Ryan retired/injured/suspended? Excuse the ignorance.

He tried to make a comeback either last year or the year before. I recall seeing him with the team, but not togged out. He did both cruciates and had problem after problem with the knees. Eventually something had to give, and he packed it all in.

He was a fairly majestic full-back alright, no 2 ways about it, and up there with the best of them for sure.

INDIANA · July 01, 2007, 06:29:42 PM

bit of a shambles really- meyler made the mistake of thinking they are abetter team than dublin because they hit a lot of wides- kilkenny are 15 points better than anybody in leinster at the moment the other 3 are at the same level- with only dublin and to a lesser extent offaly with the potential to step up a level. I think wexford are banjoed-nothing coming through and laois could pass them out based on underage performances recently

Canalman · July 01, 2007, 06:36:20 PM

Had an inkling it would be a massacre after watching the gulf in class yesterday between Cork and Dublin.

GY Joe · July 02, 2007, 08:01:28 AM

Quote from: Canalman on July 01, 2007, 06:36:20 PM
Had an inkling it would be a massacre after watching the gulf in class yesterday between Cork and Dublin.

Aye, very sad for Wexford.

Leinster needs Galway more than Galway needs Leinster at this stage...

bottlethrower7 · July 02, 2007, 10:52:50 AM

INDIANA, Wexford are better than Dublin. They should have beaten them by 10 points in the semi-final, and its a blessing in disguise that Dublin weren't there to suffer the same fate as Wexford (though they did suffer their own mauling at the hands of a half-arsed Cork team on sunday) yesterday.

I would rather be in Dublin's position than Wexford's at the moment though. Things look a whole lot more promising in the coming years for Dublin. One wonders how low things can get in Wexford. This wasn't just a case of Kilkenny being that much better than Wexford. Its as much about Wexford's ineptitude, and their failure to raise anything remotely resembling a challenge. Their lack of passion and heart is the most disappointing thing.

Many of the most shambolic games in Croke Park in the last 7-8 years or so have involved Wexford. Think of how tamely they bowed out against Cork and Clare. The upteen facile efforts against Kilkenny. Wexford need to take a long hard look at themselves in terms of their character and what playing for their county means to them before they do anything else.

The fact that John Meyler felt he had to apologise to the Wexford people on behalf of the team says it all really.

Wexford are going to get a lot worse before they get better, and what a sad, sad sight to see Declan Ruth hauled ashore the way he was. One would have thought a switch with Rossiter would have been worth a try rather than bringing him off so soon into the game. He had been having a bit of a nightmare, and probably is past his sell-by date, but he deserved to be treated with a little more respect than he was.

Punxsutawney Fergal · July 02, 2007, 01:12:50 PM

All you can do is laugh

Wexford camogie girls have more testosterone than the current Mens squad!

INDIANA · July 02, 2007, 01:15:18 PM

I don't rate Meyler as a manager. They had no gameplan yesterday- no tactics- no nothing and the the buck stops with him. The team is setup incorrectly and as a result they give themselves no chance. They don't have the players but he could at least get his end of things right. Then at least he could say he was doing all he can. But doc o connor at centre forward-stamp up front-ruth at full back- lumping high ball into small forwards etc etc- that's his area of things.
I don't know who will want to manage wexford in the years ahead. At least dublin put up some resistance on saturday- wexford put up none- not even the basics of pride seem to exist anymore in Wexford hurling.