All-Ireland Hurling Final: 'Cats have a chance but Limerick favourites' says Neil McManus
- Published
Limerick won their third straight All-Ireland title last July when they edged out Kilkenny 1-31 to 2-26 in a thrilling contest at Croke Park
Former Antrim star Neil McManus feels Kilkenny "do have a chance" of denying Limerick a fourth straight All-Ireland Hurling title but says "a lot of things will have to go right" for the Cats.
"It's not David and Goliath," McManus told BBC Sounds' The GAA Social Extra.
"Limerick will be favourites of course. They are the best team in the country.
"Kilkenny are best placed to meet the physical challenge [of playing Limerick] but I don't know if anybody can to be honest."
Galway led the champions by six points after 30 minutes of Saturday's first semi-final but John Kiely's side reduced the deficit to one by half-time and went to record a dominant 2-24 to 1-18 win.
"They [Limerick] are so physically dominant. You saw Kyle Hayes getting the ball and there was opportunity for him to strike cross-field towards Aaron Gillane but he just decided 'no......I'm going to run 80 metres here'. He ended up just flicking the ball over the bar and it's the closest thing you will get to a handpass point.
"Him and Diarmuid Byrnes. They get the ball and they go forward. It's nearly like a physical challenge that they put down to everybody."
Belfast man's input to Limerick success
McManus believes the input of strength and conditioning coach, Belfast man Cairbre Ó Cairealláin has been crucial to Limerick's recent domination of inter-county hurling.
"He was Tipperary's strength and conditioning coach the last time they won the All-Ireland. There is obviously something about him - no two ways about it - how he gets the group to buy into strength and conditioning."
McManus added that Limerick's recovery from a relatively slow start once again emphasised their total trust in the structured method of play which has served them brilliantly in recent years.
"We saw a couple of blips where they had two or three wides in a row which was very uncharacteristic of them but there no panic.
"They keep striking the ball to hand, playing the short intricate game that we are so used to seeing them play and delivering from what I would call the delivery zone between the two 65s.
Neil McManus believes Kilkenny boss Derek Lyng may have to consider putting a second marker on Limerick's star forward Aaron Gillane in the All-Ireland Hurling Final
"Even when they are under pressure - they were six points down at one stage on Saturday -. they continue to stay with the process, work the ball into Aaron Gillane who was man of the match again after an incredible Munster Final.
"I don't know how you would stop Aaron Gillane. I think you would have to play an extra defender quite possibly.
"Limerick play the ball out through the hands and they switch it whenever they get to the midfield line or there or thereabouts and you've got Aaron Gillane coming off one side of the field and Seamus Flanagan coming off the other side of the D.
"If they happen to cross each other and one wins possession not only are they going to score a point but it also opens up for a goal for them."
'Hannon return will improve Limerick'
McManus also feels Limerick's relative ease in eventually subduing Galway in comparison to Kilkenny's difficult in edging out Clare in Sunday's epic second semi-final will also be to the Treaty County's benefit on 23 July.
"Limerick didn't really have to pull out all the stops in the second half to win that semi-final. That's a huge advantage for them because Kilkenny really had to work to get over the line."
McManus says the expected return of skipper Declan Hannon at centre half-back will also enhance Limerick on Sunday week despite Will O'Donoghue's impressive display in the number six jersey on Saturday.
"Will O'Donoghue looked really comfortable playing there but Declan Hannon will be playing. He's captain and he will improve Limerick for the final.
"I heard that he wasn't that far away for the semi-final so it shows the confidence they have in the rest of the squad that they didn't take a chance on their captain for the semi-final."
The sides meet in last year's decider at Croke Park when the Treaty men edged out the Cats 1-31 to 2-26 after a thrilling battle.
Kilkenny have a record 36 titles but haven't lifted the Liam McCarthy Cup since 2015.