Brendan Cummins doesn’t believe that Waterford or Clare are capable of defeating Kilkenny in the championship if both continue with their current defensive structures.
The Munster rivals will meet again on Sunday for the Allianz Division 1 replay (3.30pm) after they finished on 0-22 apiece at Semple Stadium last time out to add further intruige to their Munster championship clash on 5 June.
Maurice Shanahan levelled the game with the last act of extra-time, but large parts of the 70 minutes and particularly the first half were forgettable as both sides set up to nullify the attacking threats in the game.
“I don’t think Waterford or Clare will win an All-Ireland playing that style of hurling”
Many observers were critical of the mass of bodies around the middle third which led to inaccurate long-range shooting, with 39 wides accumulated over the course of the 90 minutes.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, two-time All-Ireland-winning goalkeeper Cummins admits that there needs to be a balance between defence and attack to challenge for ultimate honours in September.
“Both players have fantastic players which is the real disappointing thing,” he said when reflecting on the drawn encounter.
“I chatted to a few Waterford supporters coming out of the game and they were giving out, saying ‘It’s too negative’, and I said well, ‘You played an expansive game against us [Tipperary] in the Munster final in 2011 and we scored seven goals, so which do you want?’
“Derek McGrath is trying to strike a balance. I don’t think Waterford or Clare will win an All-Ireland playing that style of hurling.”
While the former Premier star doesn’t expect a change in styles for Sunday’s replay, he believes that if both sides stick rigidly to their current tactical set-ups then they will fall short of stopping Kilkenny in their bid for three-in-a-row.
“This time of the year they will probably accept shadow boxing, I’m not sure what is going to happen in the championship match in June.
“But remember, Kilkenny win All-Irelands because they all defend together and they all attack together. They keep players up the pitch.
“If any team wants to win this year their system is going to have to beat Kilkenny and neither systems I thought last weekend, from my point of view, won’t beat Kilkenny because they are not playing to each other’s strengths, which is pace and power.
“In the summer I think it will open up but for now this is what I think we will be subjected to.”
Fellow RTÉ pundit Tomás Mulcahy conceded he found the game very difficult to watch at times and says the current defensive malaise has been present in the game for a number of seasons now.
“At times I counted 24 players in the middle third. Players were getting the ball and running into six guys...players were going nowhere," he said.
“We can say the game has evolved, it’s the modern era, but I’m certainly not buying into it"
“Then you had a situation where players had to take a pot-shot from 60, 70, 80 yards away and balls going wide. It made it very, very negative.
“It’s not just that game, it’s been going on now since Clare put that defensive structure in place. Most teams are following suit at this stage.”
Mulcahy fears that because defensive structures and the use of sweepers has trickled down to all levels of hurling, it could impact negatively on participation numbers over the coming years.
“Hurling was never like that. It was about being instinctive, hand-eye coordination, skill, everything else that comes into play,” he said.
“Maybe too much strength and conditioning has led to all of this, and all the tactical review and previews.
“We could lose the youngsters going forward.
“We can say the game has evolved, it’s the modern era, but I’m certainly not buying into it.”
