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Clare's Cian Dillon and Patrick Horgan of Cork. INPHO/Cathal Noonan
expert view

Daithi Regan: 'When JBM's and Davy's teams collide, it will be fascinating'

TheScore.ie’s hurling columnist looks ahead to Sunday’s clash in Croke Park.

COULD ANYONE HAVE envisaged this final pairing at the outset of 2013? Surely not.

People looked at 2013 for Kilkenny to dominate. For signs that Eamonn O’Shea would resurrect Tipperary. For signs that Galway would not disappear after having had a fine season.

They were the three teams being heavily focused on. Yet the longer the season progressed, the more people started to take notice of Clare and Cork. They are two really innovative teams.

Counties needed to stop looking at what Kilkenny are doing and try to match that. Instead they needed to conjure up something different as they weren’t equipped to take Kilkenny on at their own game.

Clare and Cork have done that in devising systems of play that have proved effective. They’re being steered by a demure individual in JBM and an effervescent figure in Davy. When JBM and Davy’s teams collide, it will be fascinating.

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Clare’s Darach Honan and Stephen McDonnell of Cork
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan

Of course they have already met this summer. Back in the Gaelic Grounds in June, Darach Honan was causing serious problems for Cork early on. Cork were struggling to deal with him but they weathered that storm.

The template was shown that day in the great fitness and skill levels that Cork demonstrated. They broke Clare’s game down, broke their spirit and forced mistakes. By the end they were deserving winners.

If Cork can get ahead of Clare by three or four points tomorrow, they will create difficulties and force problems. If Clare take the lead from the start, they are in their comfort zone and they will not be forced to change their gameplan.

Key Players…

Who are the key players tomorrow? For Cork I think it’s Patrick Horgan and Lorcan McLoughlin. If Cork win tomorrow and Horgan plays well, he will win the ‘Hurler of the Year’ award. That’s how good his form is at the moment.

Lorcan McLoughlin is key around the middle of the field. He’s not a very imposing physical player but has a scoring ability that could be crucial. If he replicates what he did against Dublin, then Clare have a problem.

For Clare, Brendan Bugler in defence is a real leader. He goes forcefully for the ball and plays a structured game. His increased contributions have been drawn out of him by management teams.

Then there is Paraic Collins up front. The kid is a sensation. It’s rare to get a guy as good as he is and as skilful as he is, to have such a work ethic off the ball. Very few modern players have it and he reminds me of what Tim Crowley used to do for Cork years ago.

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Cork’s William Egan and Clare’s Paraic Collins.
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan

A lot to me boils down to Cork’s skill level. They are supreme stick men. Their passes are on the money. That’s down to what they have as a county.

They are notorious for it and it’s critical to this particular team. Those supreme skill levels were central to getting past Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final.

I don’t think Clare have an individual first touch that is comparable but they make that look redundant. They place high octane pressure on the passer and the receiver.

Whoever gameplan holds up on the day will win. But I believe it’s going to be cagey game. Neither side are renowned for goalscorers and I can’t see this being a scorefest that ends up with a scoreline of 3-18 to 2-17.

Verdict…

I fancied Kilkenny at the outset this year but I put Clare down as my dark horses to land the All-Ireland title. I couldn’t see them losing against Galway and Limerick in their last two games.

I go for Clare to win again on this occasion but I’m not as certain. Compare Cork to Galway and they have more brains, compare them to both Galway and Limerick, and they have more skill and belief.

Cork have a lot more going for them than what Clare have faced this year. There’ll be an inherent belief in this Cork group that if they get it right, they will win.

But Clare will come at them with a challenge like they’ve never had before this year. When Clare get their periods of dominance, they’ll go for the jugular and I believe that will carry them over the line.

Clare hold the edge over Cork in their 2013 meetings to date

Jimmy Barry-Murphy: Sometimes I wonder what I let myself in for

‘Nobody could have foreseen how Clare would improve with every outing’ – Mike McNamara

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