The Covid all Ireland hurling championship 2020/21

[sid waddell]

Limerick's swarming back is reminiscent of Dublin's, always seems to be two or three defenders hanging out of every Waterford forward

[Blowitupref]

FT Limerick 0-30 Waterford 0-19. From a neutral point a view a disappointing All-Ireland final. Congrats to Limerick from no title since 1973 to now 2 All-Irelands in 3 years

[Jeepers Creepers]

Who says goals win games. 30 point masterclass by Limerick. Does Kyle Hayes even breath!?

[imtommygunn]

I do worry limerick are going into a big period of dominance. The football isn't as interesting for a neutral these days so I really hope the hurling doesn't go that way too with one team just dominating.

Gleeson so gifted but hugely frustrating.

[didlyi]

Limerick haven't done 2 in a row yet but They were awesome today, But teams need to analyse them and come up with a plan to stop them. Like closing down the space they seem to make so easily for themselves.

[Milltown Row2]

Limerick haven't done 2 in a row yet but They were awesome today, But teams need to analyse them and come up with a plan to stop them. Like closing down the space they seem to make so easily for themselves.

The space is available because they work very hard to create it! It's very simple, take the easy points and the players have bought into that! Amazing set of players and management

[sid waddell]

What non-Limerick players will get into the All-Star team?

Tony Kelly definitely

TJ Reid maybe

What Waterford players?

Stephen O'Keeffe?

Lyons at half back will sneak in I think

Bennett will probably get a place despite a poor day today

De Burca will surely get in

Prunty the corner back might have a shout

Think Barron and Gleeson will miss out, Hutchison will miss out I think after being wiped out today

But which Limerick players don't get in? If Lyons and De Burca both get in, Byrnes would miss out

If Prunty gets in Nash would miss out

Cian Lynch might miss out

Be some competition in the half forward line - Hegarty, Morrissey, Bennett, Reid, Canning, Cathal Mannion

Much less competition in the full forward line - Aaron Gillane is the only full forward line player who is nailed on I think

Which shows how peripheral full forward line play has become to the game now - Limerick didn't score a goal in four of their five matches - only against Tipp they score a goal, they got three that day

And they only conceded three goals all championship and none in the last three matches

If you can score 30 points or over and stop goals going in at your own end, it's very hard to beat

[imtommygunn]

Another question... In hurling for a goal to count is it the whole of the ball has to cross the line or is that soccer? How much of the ball has to cross the line?

Tj Reid for sure. Maybe Diathi Burke? Canning in with a shout as always.  Kelly good shout. I would say Bennett too. Deburca yes.

Hegarty poty.

[sid waddell]

Another question... In hurling for a goal to count is it the whole of the ball has to cross the line or is that soccer? How much of the ball has to cross the line?

Tj Reid for sure. Maybe Diathi Burke? Canning in with a shout as always.  Kelly good shout. I would say Bennett too. Deburca yes.

Hegarty poty.

The whole of the ball has to cross the line - the umpire made a mistake with a 65 call in the second half where the ball hadn't crossed the line

[imtommygunn]

I thought that too but saw some nonsense on social media so was just checking... it was more from the joe McDonagh game it came up.

[sid waddell]

Tadhg De Burca injured his knee today and Liam Cahill says it doesn't look good

That's dreadful luck, a cruciate now means 2021 is a write off for him and maybe for Waterford, especially as it looks likely there will be another All-Ireland final as soon as seven months away

I wonder has the Covid disruption led to an uptick in cruciate and general knee damage, you'd need a wider study across sports but there have been a good few high profile ones - Virgil van Dijk, Pique for Barcelona did his, Jason Doherty for Mayo although I wonder was that related in some way to his original cruciate injury last year, even though it's the other knee I think

[imtommygunn]

It definitely looks to me like there is an upsurge in premiership injuries at least. Lack of pre season in any code doesn't look to be helping. I think vandjk had some help on his mind.

Compressed season plus lack of pre season can't be helping. Particularly amateur athletes.

[Milltown Row2]

It definitely looks to me like there is an upsurge in premiership injuries at least. Lack of pre season in any code doesn't look to be helping. I think vandjk had some help on his mind.

Compressed season plus lack of pre season can't be helping. Particularly amateur athletes.

So the Dubs will be ok 

[sid waddell]

It definitely looks to me like there is an upsurge in premiership injuries at least. Lack of pre season in any code doesn't look to be helping. I think vandjk had some help on his mind.

Compressed season plus lack of pre season can't be helping. Particularly amateur athletes.

So the Dubs will be ok 

Cruciate injuries have been far from unknown in the Dublin camp

Jack McCaffrey, Ciaran Kilkenny, Bernard Brogan and Eoghan O'Gara all did theirs

[imtommygunn]

Surfaces can be a factor in those too. Nou camp had a history. Croke surface at one stage considered a factor.