Alright, we're approaching the business end of things now, so I said I'd start a new thread for the League quarter finals. Kilkenny and Galway are already through to the semi finals and await the winners of the two quarter final ties which are down for decision this weekend.
First up is the intriguing clash in Nowlan Park of Tipperary and Waterford. Waterford, the league champions, have made a shakey fist of defending their title so far, and the defeat at the hands of Cork in last weekend's farcical 'play off' was their 3rd of the campaign so far, including a bad trimming at the hands of Kilkenny, and a poor defeat at home to Wexford in the opening round. In fact their only wins were at home to Dublin and at home to Antrim, albeit those victories were very convincing. Their third 2 points came as a result of a walkover from Cork. Justin McCarthy will be much more focussed on peaking for the championship this year, and perhaps are building towards that bearing in mind their success in the League last year, and in Munster, still fizzled out under the heat of a Limerick challenge as the effects of a lot of hard matches took it's toll. Now that they are here though, Waterford will want to notch it up a bit, as defeat here would leave them a full 8 weekends from their first round clash with Clare. Tipperary are perceived to have momentum behind them, and are generally regarded to be 'on the way back', but is there much substance to that argument. Their league form has been patchy enough to date, with a late surge pulling them away from relegated Offaly in round one, followed up by a good win over a Limerick team still finding their feet. Galway drew with the Premier, as did a poor Clare side, albeit in Ennis where anything won is hard got. They rounded out their divisional matches with an expected scutching of Laois, but there are still questions, as new manager Liam Sheedy is finding his feet in the job. A lot of people were expecting wholescale changes, but the same names are still popping up for Tipp. Whether it will be good enough for them to progress from last years promise is another matter. Whatever the backdrop, I'd be expecting a good game in a lovely pitch for hurling, and I'll hesitantly give the nod to Tipperary as they bid to continue the momentum.
4.15 in Pairc na nGael is the time and venue for the second quarter final, as the hosts Limerick do battle with Cork. Following the strike, Cork have hit the ground running, as we knew they would, and finished with 6 points from 3 games played, including a hard fought win over Dublin in Parnell Park, where the Dubs learning curve continued as a rusty Cork side still showed the value of taking your chances. They blew away Antrim in Casement Park before holding off a spirited Wexford side on the last day. Better indicators of Cork's true early season form would have come against their postponed opponents, Kilkenny and Waterford, but they at least addressed one of those questions by going to Walsh Park and winning by a point in the aforementioned playoff. Limerick have alternated between the sublime and the ridiculous in the league, often within the same game. A trouncing at the hands of Tipperary was followed up by a mauling of Laois and a 9 point win over Clare in Limerick. Next out was a big win over Offaly, although they conceded 1-17 in the same game, and mixed great hurling with very average stuff. With qualification assured, Limerick were missing a couple of big name players, including Andrew O'shaugnessy and suffered the consequences as Galway took them for an 11 point hiding in the last game. Richie Bennis will be keen to progress to a semi final meeting with Kilkenny to whet the appetite for Summer hurling, whereas Cork will be keen to get as many games as possible under their belt. Another close one to call, but I'll pick Limerick to prove they are a little further along the road than Cork, even though that is likely to be very different come June and July.
I'll be interested to see what kind of team Cork put out.
There was a lot of newcomers on for the match against Waterford.
Was Gerald rewarding deserving players with promotion or treating the "play-off" as a glorified challenge?
Strange that despite missing all their early season training Cork have recovered in the second half of all their games.
They were behind in 4 and were able to step on the gas against Antrim.
Maybe they aren't as rusty as people were thinking....
Quote from: timmykelleher on April 02, 2008, 01:58:29 PM
I'll be interested to see what kind of team Cork put out.
There was a lot of newcomers on for the match against Waterford.
Was Gerald rewarding deserving players with promotion or treating the "play-off" as a glorified challenge?
Strange that despite missing all their early season training Cork have recovered in the second half of all their games.
They were behind in 4 and were able to step on the gas against Antrim.
Maybe they aren't as rusty as people were thinking....
I'm sure the Cork team, as professional (I mean that as a compliment) as they are would not have been sitting back eating chips and watching premiership soccer as the strike was on. Seán Óg and Donal Óg would have been ringing around, and Gerald McCarthy too I'm sure, to make sure they were training in groups, eating right etc etc. The rustiness would just be evident in playing together, as they'd not had challenges, Waterford Crystal etc etc. There was never a doubt that they would come back unfit, or anything like that.
As for last Sunday, I'm sure McCarthy treated it as a glorified challenge match, seeing as how he has had very few of them. Essentially nothing was riding on the outcome because its one of them two of them when you talk about Limerick or Tipp.
Is the draw for the semi finals already done or is it dependent on which team wins at the weekend that decides who faces Galway and Kilkenny respectively?
I think the winners of Limerick and Cork play Kilkenny, and Waterford/Tipp plays Galway. I could be wrong though.
Other way around I think - if Cork and Tipp win, Cork will play Galway and Tipp will play KK, because Tipp/Galway, Cork/KK have (or should have) met already in the group stages. Barring that, open draw I think.
I would go for Tipp to beat Waterford and Cork, if they are really interested, to beat Limerick.
Tipp and Cork for me, Limerick are a poor side IMO with no depth to their panel so if Cork want to win then they will. In the other game I went for Tipp on the basis that they have been working very hard since before Christmas and will be fitter than Waterford. That should be enough to see them over the line, though I'd go for Waterford should they meet in the summer.
From a Limerick perspective, and seeing the team been named for the weekend, I would reluctantly agree with zulu, we dont have the depth, bar the starting fifteen and either one of the Tobin's we really struggle for quality hurlers. There hasnt been any great finds in the off season with Dave Bulfin (sub-goalie) looks ok, Wayne McNamara (hasnt made much of an impact) other than that nothing else.
One thing going for Limerick is the settled look of the team with O'Dwyer and McNamara the only non-regulars from last years championship team, so they will definintely give Cork a rattle especially with it in gaelic grounds.
Limerick boss Richie Bennis has reacted to the eleven point hammering his side suffered against Galway last time out by making six changes for Sunday's NHL quarter-final against Cork.
The 2-24 to 1-16 loss to the Tribesmen was the low point of this year's league campaign for the beaten All-Ireland finalists and Bennis has been quick to make changes to his side.
Brian Murray returns in goals in place of Dave Bulfin while captain Mark Foley slots into the half back line, with Damien Cosgrave losing out.
In midfield Wayne McNamara now partners Donal O'Grady with Peter Lawlor dropping to the bench.
In attack there are three changes with Mike O'Brien, Andrew O'Shaughnessy and Seanie O'Connor all recalled. The players to lose out are Kevin Tobin, Donie Ryan and Brian Begley.
Limerick (NHL quarter-final v Cork) - Brian Murray, Damien Reale, Stephen Lucey, Seamus Hickey, Mark O'Riordan, Paudie O'Dwyer, Mark Foley, Donal O'Grady, Wayne McNamara, Mike O'Brien, Ollie Moran, Niall Moran, Andrew O'Shaughnessy, Seanie O'Connor, Pat Tobin.
Subs - Dave Bulfin, Brian Begley, Paudie Browne, Mickey Cahill, David Clancy, Damien Cosgrave, Michael Fitzgerald, Hugh Flavin, Barry Foley, Stephen Lavin, Peter Lawlor, Alan O'Connor, Kieran O'Rourke, Donie Ryan, Kevin Tobin
like most counties limerick simply don't have the technical ability to compete with kilkenny and cork in particular. they have some fine hurlers and play a physical game but that's not enough against the elite.
I would have thought that too Indiana, but in fairness I've seen them a couple of times this year, and they seem to have adapted their game a bit. It's not all about hard running and soloing through tackles to score anymore. There's a lot of little flicks and handpasses to open men, a lá Cork, and it suits them. I think Limerick may be decent again this year, although I wouldn't expect them to get to another AIF.
Paddy Power have the following odds for the matches this week:
14:30 Tipperary v Waterford 8 - 11 10 - 1 5 - 4
16:15 Limerick v Cork 7 - 4 10 - 1 8 - 15
I would have thought Limerick's odds would have been shorter.
They are playing at home. They have Mark Foley and their Goalie back. Richie Bennis is a good manager.
They didn't do too bad against the "elite" last year eventually getting past Tipperary and Waterford.
I think them odds are long on Limerick as well. I think I'd be nearly 10/11 Tipp 11/10 Waterford, 11/10 Limerick 10/11 Cork.
Cork team has been named:
Cusack
oneill Diarmuid osullivan brian murphy
John Gardner Eoin Cadogan sean og
Tom kenny stephen white
leigh desmond Brian corry timmy mccarthy
ben o connor canty naughton
Apparently Neil Ronan is injured. He would have been one of our more prolific players recently.
Didn't see much of either game but the Cork/Limerick game seemed very poor and I'm afraid the Limerick could be in for a very tough championship. As for Waterford I think they are trying to peak for late summer and that can excuse some of their early season form. In saying that I don't think it will do them much good, there simply isn't an AI in this squad.
limerick lack the craft- they got lucky against waterford last year. cork were missing a heap of players as wel today. waterford have done very little training- probably less than most they have bigger fish to fry. hard to see anyone bothering kilkenny.
wait aminute limerick can't be good- didn't dublin beat them last year in the league? that explains it then so.
Two good matches today - Limerick put it up to a good Cork side whereas Tipp were simply too good -
Any word of the semi finals ? They're on next Sunday but any word of venues ?
QuoteTwo good matches today - Limerick put it up to a good Cork side whereas Tipp were simply too good -
Any word of the semi finals ? They're on next Sunday but any word of venues ?
Will be announced tomorrow or Tuesday morning.
Lads, I won't bother with too much analysis here, because I didn't see the second hlaf of the Cork game (Had to go feed the ducks with the young lad :D) but how did John Gardiner not get at least a yellow card for choking Niall Moran? I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And then Moran got up and had a poke back at him and got a yellow himself. He must feel fairly aggrieved. What Gardiner did, or at least what I thought he did (I can still hardly believe I saw it correctly) deserved a red card.
Zulu, were you in at it?