Ahead of an All-Ireland semi-final that is ridiculously hard to call, we look at the build up of both sides, the threat of Patrick Horgan and the influence the Dublin half-forward line might have on proceedings.
How do Dublin solve a problem like Patrick Horgan?
The fact that Cork haven’t been breaking bread at the top table alongside the game’s heavyweights in recent years means the spotlight has been taken away from him to an extent, but Patrick Horgan is showing this season what most hurling folk knew for quite some time anyway; namely that he is undoubtedly one of the top marksmen in the small ball game at the moment.
Deservedly the 7/1 joint favourite for Hurler of the Year alongside Ritchie McCarthy, Horgan’s importance has been illustrated not just in his contributions to the scoring charts (he’s notched up 0-23 in Cork’s three games to date) but also on the evidence that he was sorely missed in the Rebels’ only mishap to date when he was sent off during the Munster Final defeat to Limerick.
That red card was subsequently overturned and Horgan delivered a man of the match display in the Rebels’ dethroning of the Cats a fortnight ago, a display that would have had Anthony Daly tearing his hair out over how to deal with the Glen Rovers clubman had he any hair on his head left to tear out.
Peter Kelly will likely be the man trusted to live in Horgan’s shadow in Croke Park on Sunday and he has proved himself an able man-marker in the past. Dealing with Horgan might be more than a one-man operation, however, so expect protection to be provided by Liam Rushe at centre back and from retreating team captain Johnny McCaffrey a little further out.
Cork have enough talent in their forward line to share the scoring load on Sunday, but if Dublin can nullify a man at the peak of his powers right now, they’ll be a long way towards their first All-Ireland decider in 52 years.
Who benefits more, a refreshed Dublin or Rebels with momentum?
The merits of being fresh or battle-hardened going into a big game have been debated often in the GAA in recent years and as far as the big ball is concerned, Mayo emphatically dispelled any fears about their readiness for battle against Donegal despite not even a hint of a challenge in Connacht going into the quarter-finals.
Dublin will be hoping they can respond to similar concerns in similar fashion this weekend, having been idle since the Leinster Final on 7 July while Cork have played both Limerick and Kilkenny in the intervening period.
Readying for battle after a long lay-off will have been Anthony Daly's biggest challenge in the last month
Dublin should know something about the benefits of momentum having played for five weeks on the trot in June and July, a period in which incremental improvements were obvious in games against Wexford and Kilkenny, culminating in a tour de force against Galway in the Leinster Final.
Anthony Daly’s been around the block long enough to know a thing or two about keeping his troops motivated, about keeping training fresh and ensuring that the in-house A v B games have plenty of bite about them to ensure that there is zero complacency heading into Sunday.
That said, it’s hard to beat having a consistent run of games under your belt and although Cork have only had two, the momentum is with them. It could be the difference in what is likely to be a game of extremely fine margins.
Laying the foundations in the Dublin half-forward line
He did a fair bit of experimenting before finding the right formula but in the first game against Kilkenny Anthony Daly settled on a half-forward line of Conal Keaney, Ryan O’Dwyer and Danny Sutcliffe and it has arguably been the most important line on the Dubs team since.
Keaney is such a talent that he could flourish anywhere on the pitch but half-forward, as opposed to centre-back, appears to be his best position and along with O’Dwyer – previously not always the most reliable of players – and Sutcliffe, he has laid the foundation for Dublin’s blitz through the closing stages of the Leinster Championship.
The return of 1-8 from the half-forward line in three games is modest enough, but their appetite for work is voracious and you imagine that Cork’s half back-line of Kenny, Joyce and Egan won’t have the same influence they had against Kilkenny, when an unfit Henry Shefflin was sent off and Cillian Buckley didn’t have his best day at the office.
The outcome of the collective battle between the Dublin half-forward line and the Cork half-back line will have a major bearing on the result, or they could end up cancelling each other out. Either way, it will be fascinating to watch how it develops.
