Sunday, September 1
GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final
Dublin v Kerry, Croke Park, 3.30pm
Lets start with all the talk of history and rivalry and the great games of the
past between Dublin and Kerry. Was the semi final meeting in 1977 between the two counties in fact the graetest game of Gaelic Football played or is the nostalgia blurring our vision? Or was Maurice Fitzgerald's equalising point from the sideline against the Dubs in Thurles one of the greatest scores of all time?
The strength of
their rivalry has been revitalised time and time again by epic
championship duels. Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final will be the 27th
time the counties have faced each other in the championship, and all but
a handful of their meetings have been in either All-Ireland semi-finals
or finals.
But that was the past so lets now concentrate on the here and now and the history that is now being created by these bunch of players even though age old rivals. Prior to dissecting the merits of each county however lets firstly disgard this myth that this Kerry team is an ageing team and that will be the single biggest reason why they will not ultimately be able to cope with the pace and power of the Dubs on Sunday. After 70 minutes on Sunday Eamon Fitzmaurice's charges may not have been good enough to topple their opponents but it can be gauranteed that it will not be because of ageing limbs. Looking at the age profile of the six defenders and goalkeeper named to start on Sunday, only two of them namely Tomas & Marc O'Se are over the 30 years bracket and one feels that there are many miles left in these two great servants yet. The midfield pairing are in their early to mid twenties and save for Paul Galvin in the forward division, and the calibre of the remaining players, they can hardly be classified as over the hill.
This will be the
fourth championship meeting between the sides in the last seven seasons. In the 2009
All-Ireland quarter-final Kerry spectacularly returned to form with a
1-24 to 1-7 thrashing of Dublin with manager Pat Gilroy memorably describing his team
as being like "startled earwigs" in the opening blitz in which Kerry
destroyed them. Two years later though, in the All Irealnd Final of 2011, when the Kingdom looked to be heading for another All-Ireland title
with less than ten minutes to go until Kevin McManamon's goal changed
everything and Stephen Cluxton's injury-time winner from a free sealed victory for the Dubs and their first All Ireland title since 1995. For
men used to winning like Colm Cooper, Declan O'Sullivan, Paul Galvin and
the Ó Sé brothers it was a horrendous way to lose an All-Ireland final,
and whether they admit it or not, Sunday's game is a huge chance for them and the rest of their teammates to exact revenge for that most bitter of defeats.
Looking at both teams form so far this season, Dublin must be lauded for their consistency all through, particularly in what is Jim Gavin's first
year in charge. They defeated Westmeath, Kildare and Meath on their way
to the Leinster title, recording an impressive average winning margin of 13
points in the process. They looked comfortable in their win over
Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final, and never really looked like
losing to the Rebels, but the success of the long ball tactic by the Rebels in on the Dublin fullback line where Ciaran Sheehan was most impressive, will surely be an area that the Kingdom will look to target. Kerry, on the other hand, struggled badly in the early part of the league season, including a 1-11 to 0-4 loss to Dublin in
Killarney, but turned the corner with victories in their final three games to avoid relegation, just, and this was ironically helped by Paul Mannion's last minute score for the Dubs against Donegal. Those early season struggles seem a long time ago now, and it's
worth keeping that period in mind when considering how Éamonn
Fitzmaurice has fared in his debut season as Kerry boss. They subsequently breezed through Munster with the second half of the Munster
final victory over Cork the only time they wobbled in the province in
2013. Although they were far from at their best in the All-Ireland
quarter-final win over Cavan, that was the type of game that they just wanted to get through without showing their full hand, particularly when they knew going in to the game that they would be meeting the Dubs once more in the semi final.
Looking to
the tactics briefly, all of the media attention seems to be concentrated on the pace and power of the Dublin team and in particular wing back Jack McCaffrey who has had a spectacular debut season so far. Is it too simplistic to think that the way to counteract that by Kerry is to put a speed merchant like Darren O'Sullivan on him and try and put him on the back foot? Will Bernard Brogan be as quiet again as he has been all season or is this the game where he will explode back on the scene once more? Can Kerry target Stephen Cluxton's kick outs which they did to such success in the 2011 decider? Can Kerry get a foothold in midfield and put pressure on Cian O'Sullivan who is not a natural midfielder and is utilised more there for his ability to get up and down the pitch and link the play? And there has been much media speculation this week as to whether Colm Cooper may switch from the forty into the corner for this
one. He is named at 11, but perceived weaknesses in the Dublin full-back
line have lead to suggestions that he should be deployed closer to
goal. Can Sptephen Cluxton continue his remarkable scoring rate from frees and 45's so far this season?
The absence of Killian Young
and Aidan O'Mahony through injury leaves a relatively inexperienced
Kerry defence, and certainly Sunday will be a huge day for the likes of
Shane Enright, Fionn Fitzgerald, Mark Griffin and Peter Crowley.
However, the presence of Marc and Tomás Ó Sé at right-full-back and
right-half-back is massive. For Dublin, there is no major
changes to a side that has had a very consistent look all season. The
main selection issue was in attack, where Paddy Andrews has got the nod ahead of the impressive Dean Rock with
Bryan Cullen also kept in reserve.
With the Kingdom coming in to this encounter somewhat under the radar and the bitter memories of the 2011 defeat coupled with a desire in the Kerry players to win another All Ireland that should not be underestimated, take them to just edge this titanic tussle.
Verdict: Kerry Odds: 21/10
Saturday, 31 August 2013
Saturday, 24 August 2013
2013 Championship Challenge Week 15
Sunday, August 25
GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final
Mayo v Tyrone
Venue: Croke Park
Throw In: 3.30pm
After the furore of their All Ireland Quarter Final victory over Monaghan and in particular Sean Cavanagh's "rugby tackle" that denied the Farney men a goal scoring opportunity, Micky Harte and his men will see the challenge of taking on this bang in form Mayo team as exactly the challenge they need to concentrate the minds on the big prize once more. In the flesh, Mayo's comprehensive dismantling of All Ireland champions Donegal in another of the quarter finals was as complete a performance as seen in Croke Park in many a year. Based on form therefore Mayo should advance to another All Ireland Final appearance but if only sport was that predictable.
Back in late May when Donegal blew Tyrone away in the final quarter of the Ulster Championship, few would have predicted that Mickey Harte’s side would outlive the reigning All-Ireland champions but the Red Hands have proven to be the great survivors of the 2013 championship. These survival skills will now be given their biggest test yet. Can Player of the Year candidate Sean Kavanagh carry his team over the line once more or will Tyrone's charmed life come to an end?
After their demolition of Donegal in the All-Ireland quarter-final, James Horan’s Mayo are now the team to beat having taken over that mantle from Dublin with a string of outstanding displays. Their average winning margin in championship 2013 has been an incredible 16 points which was exactly what they beat Donegal by on August 4. They have scored 13 goals in four games, and in the only game they failed to raise a green flag, the Connacht semi-final defeat of Roscommon, they hit 0-21 and had 12 different scorers. It was also the third year in a row that the Westerners have dethroned the reigning All-Ireland champions. But that becomes an even more annoying statistic if they do not go on now and claim the biggest prize and finally end an All-Ireland drought that dates back to 1951.
The last time the sides met was in Round 3 of the Qualifiers in 2008 when Tyrone won out by 0-13 to 1-9 en route to the third All-Ireland title of the Harte era. There is in inescapable sense of destiny attached to the current Mayo team, and who would begrudge them, but if there is one team capable of putting a spanner in the works it’s Tyrone with the chief strategist Mickey Harte plotting their downfall. Tyrone haven’t been anywhere near as impressive in their run to the semi-finals as Mayo, but in Harte's 200th competitive game in charge, can the bookies really be correct in ranking them as such outsiders?
An interesting sub-plot, but vital to the outcome, of this game will be the midfield battle, where two sets of brothers will go head-to-head – the O’Sheas of Breaffy for Mayo against the Cavanaghs of Moy for the Red Hands. Aidan O'Shea gave a powerhouse performance in the defeat of Donegal but will he be tasked with tracking the marauding Seán Cavanagh or play his natural game and let the opposition worry about him? The game could well be won and lost in that battle.
Tyrone go into the game without the suspended Martin Penrose but Conor Gormley is available and his experience will be vital. Mayo manager Horan has unsurprisingly kept faith with the same team that started against Donegal the last day with Keith Higgins continuing in the half-forward line where his playmaking and footballing skills were to the fore in the first half against Donegal. Tyrone will have their systems and structures well in place to negate the Mayo attacking threat but there is something about the Mayo beast this season that exudes an assurance of their quality and they should run down the Tyrone gameplan of containment and advance to the decider of the 3rd Sunday in September.
Verdict: Mayo Odds: 2/7
GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final
Mayo v Tyrone
Venue: Croke Park
Throw In: 3.30pm
After the furore of their All Ireland Quarter Final victory over Monaghan and in particular Sean Cavanagh's "rugby tackle" that denied the Farney men a goal scoring opportunity, Micky Harte and his men will see the challenge of taking on this bang in form Mayo team as exactly the challenge they need to concentrate the minds on the big prize once more. In the flesh, Mayo's comprehensive dismantling of All Ireland champions Donegal in another of the quarter finals was as complete a performance as seen in Croke Park in many a year. Based on form therefore Mayo should advance to another All Ireland Final appearance but if only sport was that predictable.
Back in late May when Donegal blew Tyrone away in the final quarter of the Ulster Championship, few would have predicted that Mickey Harte’s side would outlive the reigning All-Ireland champions but the Red Hands have proven to be the great survivors of the 2013 championship. These survival skills will now be given their biggest test yet. Can Player of the Year candidate Sean Kavanagh carry his team over the line once more or will Tyrone's charmed life come to an end?
After their demolition of Donegal in the All-Ireland quarter-final, James Horan’s Mayo are now the team to beat having taken over that mantle from Dublin with a string of outstanding displays. Their average winning margin in championship 2013 has been an incredible 16 points which was exactly what they beat Donegal by on August 4. They have scored 13 goals in four games, and in the only game they failed to raise a green flag, the Connacht semi-final defeat of Roscommon, they hit 0-21 and had 12 different scorers. It was also the third year in a row that the Westerners have dethroned the reigning All-Ireland champions. But that becomes an even more annoying statistic if they do not go on now and claim the biggest prize and finally end an All-Ireland drought that dates back to 1951.
The last time the sides met was in Round 3 of the Qualifiers in 2008 when Tyrone won out by 0-13 to 1-9 en route to the third All-Ireland title of the Harte era. There is in inescapable sense of destiny attached to the current Mayo team, and who would begrudge them, but if there is one team capable of putting a spanner in the works it’s Tyrone with the chief strategist Mickey Harte plotting their downfall. Tyrone haven’t been anywhere near as impressive in their run to the semi-finals as Mayo, but in Harte's 200th competitive game in charge, can the bookies really be correct in ranking them as such outsiders?
An interesting sub-plot, but vital to the outcome, of this game will be the midfield battle, where two sets of brothers will go head-to-head – the O’Sheas of Breaffy for Mayo against the Cavanaghs of Moy for the Red Hands. Aidan O'Shea gave a powerhouse performance in the defeat of Donegal but will he be tasked with tracking the marauding Seán Cavanagh or play his natural game and let the opposition worry about him? The game could well be won and lost in that battle.
Tyrone go into the game without the suspended Martin Penrose but Conor Gormley is available and his experience will be vital. Mayo manager Horan has unsurprisingly kept faith with the same team that started against Donegal the last day with Keith Higgins continuing in the half-forward line where his playmaking and footballing skills were to the fore in the first half against Donegal. Tyrone will have their systems and structures well in place to negate the Mayo attacking threat but there is something about the Mayo beast this season that exudes an assurance of their quality and they should run down the Tyrone gameplan of containment and advance to the decider of the 3rd Sunday in September.
Verdict: Mayo Odds: 2/7
Friday, 16 August 2013
2013 Championship Challenge Week 14
All Ireland Hurling Championship Semi Final
Croke Park
Throw In: Sunday 3.30pm
There are numerous homes stretching along the 20km border between Clare and Limerick where both counties flags hang proudly out the same windows in the lead up to this game, an example of the mixed marriages and the split personality that defines many households in the area. It is also possible to stand on either side of the water for miles and miles along the coast roads and look into the other's territory. No escaping therefore the rivalry between these counties and particularly in the lead up to a game of the magnitude of this All Ireland semi final.
Yet despite their many meetings over the years, Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final between these two rivals is truly seen as a rather novel occasion. It's the first time they have ever met at this stage of the championship. They have met in a championship game at Croke Park before though - that was back in 2007, when Limerick defeated Clare 1-23 to 1-16 in the All-Ireland quarter-final, on their way to being well beaten by Kilkenny in the decider. They have met twice in the championship since then, their most recent meeting being last season, when Limerick won on a 3-18 to 1-20 scoreline in Phase III of the All-Ireland qualifiers where both John Allen and Davy Fitzgerald were in their first seasons as Limerick and Clare managers at the time.
As much as the rivalry between Clare and Limerick has been discussed ahead of this game, so too has been the potential rivalry between the two men on the sideline. That's because both men are firmly associated with the tactical side of hurling, and there is an expectation that formations and strategies could be central to Sunday's contest i.e Davy Fitzgerald bursting a gut on the sideline pucking every ball with his troops while John Allen would be seen as more sedate with the get up of a professor in his pomp.
The nature of Clare's victory over Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final marked them out as serious contenders for the Liam MacCarthy Cup once more. That convincing 1-23 to 2-14 win came on the back of impressive qualifier wins over Laois and Wexford and made up for their somewhat below par defeat to Cork in Munster back in June. That form line may not be seen in such a negative light with the Rebels subsequent march to the All Ireland Final. This form, coupled with the continued success of their U21 team makes Clare as challenging an opposition as Limerick could expect to face at this stage. With so many of those U21s, such as Tony Kelly, Seadna Morey, Podge Collins, David McInerney and Colm Galvin to name but a few, so central to the senior team's hopes, there is no doubt that this is a Banner side on the march. The big question is whether this is just potential at present and a work in progress or can it manifest itself all the way to the ultimate prize?
This too is new ground for Limerick. This is their first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009, and that match is probably best forgotten from their perspective. They were beaten by 24 points by a rampant Tipperary. This is a new team though. The likes of Declan Hannon, Graeme Mulcahy and Shane Dowling have all blossomed into top class senior hurlers, having starred in the county's Munster U21 triumph in 2011. Other players from the successful Ardscoil Rís Harty Cup winning teams have also made the step up, and this has already been Limerick's best championship campaign in years. They ended a 17-year wait for a Munster title with a thrilling victory over Cork in the final, having impressively dethroned Tipperary in the provincial semi-final. This is a different type of challenge though. It's five weeks since Limerick played Cork and the question is whether rustiness will be an issue or not. Taking last weekends semi final as a baramoter the defeated Dublin players were categoric that their five week lay off did not contribute to their loss.
Limerick seem to have more experience through their ranks and also would seem to have more strength in depth on their bench. The Clare game plan is unique however and seems to be suiting this group of young, talented hurlers to the tee. Much will depend on how Limerick adapt to the roving role of Podge Collins once more and the pace of the other Clare forwards who will try and drag their opposite numbers out of position. Regardless of the outcome of the game, the prospect of the two Shannonside rivals going head to head in an All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park is a mouthwatering one, and in this remarkable championship of 2013, who would bet against another classic? And therefore the possibility of a further thriller in a replay.
Verdict: Draw Odds: 10/1
Croke Park
Throw In: Sunday 3.30pm
There are numerous homes stretching along the 20km border between Clare and Limerick where both counties flags hang proudly out the same windows in the lead up to this game, an example of the mixed marriages and the split personality that defines many households in the area. It is also possible to stand on either side of the water for miles and miles along the coast roads and look into the other's territory. No escaping therefore the rivalry between these counties and particularly in the lead up to a game of the magnitude of this All Ireland semi final.
Yet despite their many meetings over the years, Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final between these two rivals is truly seen as a rather novel occasion. It's the first time they have ever met at this stage of the championship. They have met in a championship game at Croke Park before though - that was back in 2007, when Limerick defeated Clare 1-23 to 1-16 in the All-Ireland quarter-final, on their way to being well beaten by Kilkenny in the decider. They have met twice in the championship since then, their most recent meeting being last season, when Limerick won on a 3-18 to 1-20 scoreline in Phase III of the All-Ireland qualifiers where both John Allen and Davy Fitzgerald were in their first seasons as Limerick and Clare managers at the time.
As much as the rivalry between Clare and Limerick has been discussed ahead of this game, so too has been the potential rivalry between the two men on the sideline. That's because both men are firmly associated with the tactical side of hurling, and there is an expectation that formations and strategies could be central to Sunday's contest i.e Davy Fitzgerald bursting a gut on the sideline pucking every ball with his troops while John Allen would be seen as more sedate with the get up of a professor in his pomp.
The nature of Clare's victory over Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final marked them out as serious contenders for the Liam MacCarthy Cup once more. That convincing 1-23 to 2-14 win came on the back of impressive qualifier wins over Laois and Wexford and made up for their somewhat below par defeat to Cork in Munster back in June. That form line may not be seen in such a negative light with the Rebels subsequent march to the All Ireland Final. This form, coupled with the continued success of their U21 team makes Clare as challenging an opposition as Limerick could expect to face at this stage. With so many of those U21s, such as Tony Kelly, Seadna Morey, Podge Collins, David McInerney and Colm Galvin to name but a few, so central to the senior team's hopes, there is no doubt that this is a Banner side on the march. The big question is whether this is just potential at present and a work in progress or can it manifest itself all the way to the ultimate prize?
This too is new ground for Limerick. This is their first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009, and that match is probably best forgotten from their perspective. They were beaten by 24 points by a rampant Tipperary. This is a new team though. The likes of Declan Hannon, Graeme Mulcahy and Shane Dowling have all blossomed into top class senior hurlers, having starred in the county's Munster U21 triumph in 2011. Other players from the successful Ardscoil Rís Harty Cup winning teams have also made the step up, and this has already been Limerick's best championship campaign in years. They ended a 17-year wait for a Munster title with a thrilling victory over Cork in the final, having impressively dethroned Tipperary in the provincial semi-final. This is a different type of challenge though. It's five weeks since Limerick played Cork and the question is whether rustiness will be an issue or not. Taking last weekends semi final as a baramoter the defeated Dublin players were categoric that their five week lay off did not contribute to their loss.
Limerick seem to have more experience through their ranks and also would seem to have more strength in depth on their bench. The Clare game plan is unique however and seems to be suiting this group of young, talented hurlers to the tee. Much will depend on how Limerick adapt to the roving role of Podge Collins once more and the pace of the other Clare forwards who will try and drag their opposite numbers out of position. Regardless of the outcome of the game, the prospect of the two Shannonside rivals going head to head in an All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park is a mouthwatering one, and in this remarkable championship of 2013, who would bet against another classic? And therefore the possibility of a further thriller in a replay.
Verdict: Draw Odds: 10/1
Friday, 9 August 2013
2013 Championship Challenge Week 13
In the words of Alex Ferguson it has now come to the "squeaky bum" time of the season. No back door, no second chances, man to man and may the best team win. After the furore of last weekend and Mr Brolly's cat on a hot tin roof impression (was it the biggest plot loss since Eamon Dunphy after the Ireland/Egypt game at Italia 90?) we return to the more sedate surroundings of the hurling championship and the much anticipated semi final clash between Dublin and Cork.
For the second week in a row these two counties will meet in a crucial knock-out championship game at Croke Park. This will also be the first All-Ireland semi-final meeting between the sides in 85 years, an indicator of how long Dublin have been missing from the top table of the hurling championship. They did meet in the Qualifiers in 2007 and 2008, Cork winning by five and fourtheen point margins.
After their Leinster final hammering of Galway, Dublin will be viewed as slight favourites by many, but Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s young Cork side will be full of confidence following their impressive quarter-final defeat of champions Kilkenny. Cork will also have tradition on their side in any big game in Croke Park with their last appearance there in the September decider being as recent as 2006 whereas Dublin have to go all the way back to 1961 for their last final appearance at headquarters.
Dublin have taken what could be viewed as the more difficult path to the semi-final, having drawn with Wexford in their opening game and then won the replay. Again, they needed a replay to beat Kilkenny in the next round, but in the Leinster final they delivered the finest performance of Anthony Daly’s management reign to beat last year’s All-Ireland finalists, Galway, by 2-25 to 2-13.
It’s been quite a remarkable turnaround for Daly’s side having been humiliated by Kilkenny in Leinster last year while also operating in Divison 2 of the league this season. To reach an All Ireland Final would be quite the achievement and was summed up well by Daly himself this week: “It's easy talking here today when we know we're in an All-Ireland semi-final and we're Leinster champions but there have been plenty of times you'd be driving home saying to yourself, 'Hi, go way back to your pub and fill porter will ya'.”
Cork are back in the semi-finals for the second year in a row under Jimmy Barry-Murphy, but the feeling is that they are a little bit better prepared this time around. JBM’s young side look fitter and stronger this year and the manager has had another 12 months to fine-tune a very distinct style which is primarily based on pace and swift delivery of the ball in to the inside forwards. A lack of a goal scoring threat to date may be seen as a deficiency of the system however. Having performed poorly against Limerick in the Munster final, they returned with a bang against Kilkenny, running the Cats ragged with a superb game-plan based on pressing and relentless running.
Dublin are a younger side with less mileage on the clock and Daly will no doubt have a few tactical aces up his sleeve to deal with the Rebels. Cork have named an unchanged side from the one that overcame Kilkenny but one change of note to the subs is the inclusion of defender Brian Murphy, who has recovered from a shoulder injury. Dublin are also due to name an unchanged side from their Leinster Final win.
With Dublin having to cope with a five week lay off since their Leinster Final victory, up to that point they had played five weeks in a row and seemed to be getting stronger with each outing, and Cork having the confidence of their victory over Kilkenny and just their general tradition of playing in these type of high pressure games, Jimmy Barry Murphy's side may just shade it to make an All Munster All Ireland Final against Limerick or Clare.
Verdict: Cork Odds: Evens
For the second week in a row these two counties will meet in a crucial knock-out championship game at Croke Park. This will also be the first All-Ireland semi-final meeting between the sides in 85 years, an indicator of how long Dublin have been missing from the top table of the hurling championship. They did meet in the Qualifiers in 2007 and 2008, Cork winning by five and fourtheen point margins.
After their Leinster final hammering of Galway, Dublin will be viewed as slight favourites by many, but Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s young Cork side will be full of confidence following their impressive quarter-final defeat of champions Kilkenny. Cork will also have tradition on their side in any big game in Croke Park with their last appearance there in the September decider being as recent as 2006 whereas Dublin have to go all the way back to 1961 for their last final appearance at headquarters.
Dublin have taken what could be viewed as the more difficult path to the semi-final, having drawn with Wexford in their opening game and then won the replay. Again, they needed a replay to beat Kilkenny in the next round, but in the Leinster final they delivered the finest performance of Anthony Daly’s management reign to beat last year’s All-Ireland finalists, Galway, by 2-25 to 2-13.
It’s been quite a remarkable turnaround for Daly’s side having been humiliated by Kilkenny in Leinster last year while also operating in Divison 2 of the league this season. To reach an All Ireland Final would be quite the achievement and was summed up well by Daly himself this week: “It's easy talking here today when we know we're in an All-Ireland semi-final and we're Leinster champions but there have been plenty of times you'd be driving home saying to yourself, 'Hi, go way back to your pub and fill porter will ya'.”
Cork are back in the semi-finals for the second year in a row under Jimmy Barry-Murphy, but the feeling is that they are a little bit better prepared this time around. JBM’s young side look fitter and stronger this year and the manager has had another 12 months to fine-tune a very distinct style which is primarily based on pace and swift delivery of the ball in to the inside forwards. A lack of a goal scoring threat to date may be seen as a deficiency of the system however. Having performed poorly against Limerick in the Munster final, they returned with a bang against Kilkenny, running the Cats ragged with a superb game-plan based on pressing and relentless running.
Dublin are a younger side with less mileage on the clock and Daly will no doubt have a few tactical aces up his sleeve to deal with the Rebels. Cork have named an unchanged side from the one that overcame Kilkenny but one change of note to the subs is the inclusion of defender Brian Murphy, who has recovered from a shoulder injury. Dublin are also due to name an unchanged side from their Leinster Final win.
With Dublin having to cope with a five week lay off since their Leinster Final victory, up to that point they had played five weeks in a row and seemed to be getting stronger with each outing, and Cork having the confidence of their victory over Kilkenny and just their general tradition of playing in these type of high pressure games, Jimmy Barry Murphy's side may just shade it to make an All Munster All Ireland Final against Limerick or Clare.
Verdict: Cork Odds: Evens
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