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The first seismic change to the All-Ireland hurling championship happened back in 1997, with the introduction of the back door for provincial finalists.
Straight away the traditional big guns of Tipperary and Kilkenny took advantage, Tipp reaching that year’s final, while the Cats knocked out Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Thankfully Clare stepped in to halt both their gallops.
Then in 1998 Offaly lost twice (technically!) before winning that year’s All-Ireland final to become the first side to win it all through the back door.
In 2002 the qualifiers came in and Clare took advantage by going all the way to that year’s All-Ireland final, despite losing to Tipperary in the first game of the Munster championship.
That qualifier system was a typical GAA answer to a GAA problem, namely the imbalance of the provincial set-up.
New format
This season’s new group format might be the most equitable that we could have come up with while retaining the archaic provincial configuration, but within it there is an issue for Munster counties. This is one that seems to have escaped much comment, namely the fact that only three counties from Munster can advance to the last six.
As recently as last year Munster had Clare, Cork, Waterford and Tipperary in the last six, joining Wexford and Galway. That avenue is now closed to them.
Come 17 June two Munster counties will down tools for the summer and that will take getting used to because all five Munster sides were still heavily involved in the championship at that stage last year. So Leinster has stolen a march!
Criticism
With this in mind, Brian Cody’s criticism on Sunday last of the fact that one Leinster county will be relegated this year is slightly rich because a county from Leinster has been relegated from the Liam McCarthy in the past few years regardless (Laois, Antrim, Westmeath, Carlow all went down at some stage).
This is a price that Offaly in all likelihood will pay for Leinster’s third spot in the knockout stages. And Cody’s Kilkenny might be the beneficiaries of that third spot in the next few years, if not this one.
The next five weeks will be wonderful for small ball followers. We almost got the perfect start in Parnell Park, we should get it somewhere this Sunday.
Dublin and Wexford in Innovate Park has quickly become pivotal in Leinster.
Davy Fitzgerald will have been nervous watching the Dubs appetite against the Cats. That was the template Davy likes to use and his side will be cold going into Sunday.
Dublin won’t. Pat Gilroy and Anthony Cunningham have immediately justified the bravery in appointing them.
That performance was a real hat tip to both. Hopefully the same level of intensity and passion is brought to Wexford Park.
Quick pace
This is a feature of the new format that I really like. There will be no time to wallow in defeats or savour wins. It’s all about the next game.
And this next game definitely has a health warning for Wexford.
If the Dubs can bring the same mindset into this weekend’s clash then this will be a physical battle and one that Wexford will do well to emerge from. I still fancy them, but only just and in potentially ugly fashion. The cards could flow.
The first game can set the tone for your four matches and the Munster matches will prove that. The winners on Sunday in the Gaelic Grounds and Pairc Uí Chaoimh will make the top three. The possible compensation for Tipp and Clare, if they emerge empty handed from the weekend, is that they have home games a week later.
Limerick are the coming team and while defeat on Sunday at home wouldn’t kill them off, I’m not sure it will make them stronger. This is a huge game for them.
If they are the team we (and I) think they will be, they need a win on Sunday to set fire to the Munster championship.
So could Clare if they can capitalise on the nerves Cork are sure to bring to their first game on their new ground.
It’s a tall order, but as per usual, the closer we get to Sunday, the more optimistic I am getting! The head still says Cork, but the heart is catching up.
This Munster championship will be unpredictable and I don’t see any county winning all of their games.
At a push, I’ll call a Tipperary-Limerick Munster final, with the other three all having a chance to make the knock-out stages going into the last week on 17 June.
Let hurling nirvana begin.
How can the Leinster squad lift themselves for Munster after last weekend’s European heroics?
Well it shouldn’t be too difficult really, because a number of their squad are champing at the bit to play their part in a remarkable year, many of whom didn’t see any consequential game time in Bilbao.
With Robbie Henshaw and Isa Nacewa out and Johnny Sexton possibly joining them, the door opens for the European Champions to showcase their squad and of course the cup itself during what could turn out to be the perfect celebration gig.
Munster will think differently and a Pro14 title would end their year on a high, but in truth they will be overmatched this weekend unless the seven day turnaround catches Leinster out.
I can’t see that happening because these players don’t really rest on laurels. They will have been back down to business by Tuesday.
Depth
Andrew Porter, Jack McGrath, Joey Carberry, Rhys Ruddock and Jack Conan are just some of the internationals that didn’t make the Leinster starting 15 in Bilbao and a few of those will probably start this semi-final.
Right now Munster (or anyone else for that matter) can’t call on the same quality of reinforcements.
Of course, the visitors will battle, but the reliance on Murray, Earls, O’Mahony and Stander can be nullified by the better team. CJ is a case in point. He is not the same force with ball in hand this season for Munster because opposing teams are waiting for him, knowing that he is the man to stop.
There are few other telling ball carrying alternatives in red. The Blues are holding most of the aces.
Munster’s pride should bring defiance, but in the end the Leinster double will remain intact.
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