Hurling talking points: What we learned from the All-Ireland semi-finals
Monday 29 July 2019 17:23, UK
Following the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals, we examine the major talking points.
Was the Limerick win Brian Cody's greatest victory?
Beating the seemingly unbeatable All-Ireland champions on Saturday evening is perhaps Cody's greatest victory in management - and that's saying something. The Kilkenny players were up for it, and clattered into the opposition right from the throw-in.
Meanwhile, it was a tactical masterclass, as the Cats nullified the Treaty half-forward line which has done so much damage.
Such was the scale of the achievement, Cody - who usually downplays any tactical innovation - admitted it worked out in the Cats' favour.
"When you have the quality of the half-forward line that Limerick have, it becomes even more difficult, and the speed that the other lads come onto the ball as well," he noted at full time.
"Hurling is now so fluid and so much tactics involved in it, it's challenging for everybody."
Bumper hurling weekend is a resounding success
The decision to put the two All-Ireland semi-finals on the one weekend divided opinion ahead of 2018. However, now with two years of a sample size, it's safe to say it's been a huge hit.
Granted, it stretches resources in terms of media build-up, but what it has created is a festival of hurling.
While bunching the games together hasn't been responsible for the four epics over the last two years, it has created a buzz, with high attendances and unprecedented hype.
Hurling has been the talk of the country over the weekend and into Monday, as we all try to make sense of what unfolded in Croke Park in recent days.
Time for two referees
Refereeing decisions from both games are still being discussed. Could Limerick have been awarded a late 65? Should John McGrath have been given a straight red? What of Tipperary's disallowed goals?
Hurling, by virtue of its sheer pace, is always going to be susceptible to poor decisions. Indeed, it may not be suited to further input of technology, should that mean the tempo is lowered.
However, it wouldn't take much to add a second referee at the top level. Given the speed of the sliotar and distances it can travel, it's a logical step, and has worked in other sports - the GAA has even seen it in action in International Rules series.
You're never going to completely eradicate questionable calls, but having an extra pair of eyes would go a long way to improving the standards of officiating.
Tipp and Kilkenny show it's all about timing your run
And then there were two. For large parts of the summer, there were question marks hanging over both Tipperary and Kilkenny.
The Premier hit a mid-season slump in their 12-point defeat to Limerick and sluggish display against Laois. The Cats went on a run of three games without a win in Leinster.
The Noresiders lost two games this summer - as did Clare and Dublin, while Galway and Wexford lost just one apiece.
But crucially, the games Tipp and Kilkenny lost were games they could afford to lose, and in the cut and thrust of knockout hurling, they delivered in spades.
Old guard restore order, but it's not the end of hurling's revolution
The decade ends as it began - an All-Ireland final being played out between Tipperary and Kilkenny. Half of the deciders in the 2010s will have been contested by the old rivals.
However, 2019 seems different to 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2016. There is an overarching sense that this won't be the status quo for much longer.
Regardless of what plays out on August 18, the hurling landscape remains relatively level, and nine teams will head into the winter with realistic ambitions of All-Ireland glory in 2020.
In fact, you couldn't even confidently predict that both the Premier and the Cats will get out of their provinces next season.
Nonetheless, the Liam MacCarthy Cup will return to a familiar abode for the next 12 months, and there's a mouthwatering contest in store in three weeks' time.
Sky Sports' GAA coverage continues on Saturday as the Super 8s comes to a head, with both Mayo vs Donegal and Kerry vs Meath live and exclusive.
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