Darragh Fitzgibbon comes into the All-Ireland hurling final as the top point-scorer from play in the 2024 championship, as a midfielder.
When the game stops he really comes alive, with 15 of his 22 scores so far coming from puckouts. From both ends, through either direct wins, coming on to breaks like a train, or continuing that run and taking a pass generally ahead of the play. While 20 of those 22 were scored via a game restart - whether it be a puckout, sideline cut, free or throw-in.
Clare's midfielders will hope to fare better than Limerick's two-time All-Star William O'Donoghue who was taken off for the final quarter of his team's semi-final defeat to the Rebels.
A rare sight, he'd conceded seven points off Fitzgibbon over less than two games in the middle of the park. Shortly after the change however, the Charleville speedster surged on to a long puckout placed into the green grass in front of him to score his most recent point in this championship.
Regardless of who has been matched up against him so far this championship Fitzgibbon has consistently been a scoring outlet for his team. And therein lies his biggest threat, scores from puckouts.
The Cork number nine has scored 0-22 from play, averaging over 0-03 per match across their seven games en route to this afternoon's decider against Clare. Of those scores 68% have stemmed straight from puckouts, while 91% were from restarts including sidelines, frees and throw-ins.
Fitzgibbon races about like a greyhound let off the leash, his marker akin to the owner in the park trying to cut off the angles but never quite getting there.
From restarts in particular he has a standing start, allowing him to take advantage of his pace and fitness levels to go flat out to the landing zone. But also his ability to recharge and scan for the open spaces once the play is halted.
Fitzgibbon has scored off nine Cork puckouts, and six opposition puck outs. The average time Patrick Collins has taken in getting those nine puckouts off is 13 seconds, albeit the two sent directly to him were in four and seven seconds. Both picking the 27-year-old out as he spotted the space down the right sideline and had it in the legs to get there and point before his trailing marker could get close enough to even attempt a tackle.
On another three occasions he's received a pass from a Cork team-mate who has won their own puckout - Luke Meade, Mark Coleman and Shane Kingston - and gone on to raise a white flag, as well as winning and scoring off four breaks after a Cork half-forward contested in the air. Twice he gathered breaks from a Shane Barrett contest, once from both Declan Dalton and Seamus Harnedy.
From the other end, Fitzgibbon has intercepted one puckout - against Limerick in the semi-final, after reading the danger and sprinting to get there first - before sending it over from the sideline.
While he has received five passes from a colleague who secured an opposition puck out, and scored himself. Those passes have come from Barrett, Ciaran Joyce, Robert Downey, a tidy Alan Connolly flick and Coleman.
Similarly Fitzgibbon has slotted points after his team won a long Diarmaid Byrnes free against Limerick in the Munster round-robin, on three occasions after Cork won a long sideline cut, and once straight from the second half throw-in. On only two occasions did Fitzgibbon land points which originated from an in-play scenario - both were turnovers.
10mins: COR 0-05 WAT 0-01
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 30, 2023
Darragh Fitzgibbon dominating for Cork in the early stages as the Rebel County enjoy a four-point lead against Waterford.
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Rested after a break in play, the 2018 All-Star attacks where the puckout is aimed towards, is there to snap up breaks and go. But if another Cork player secures possession he continues that run and they know their midfielder will be ahead of them targeting the spaces between the lines.
A run which requires calling for the pass and receiving it on the move, unable to see what's over your shoulder. Most players prefer to receive a pass where they can see what's in front of them, but when executed well the run in behind pierces defences and the former UCC student is a master at it.
Only twice has Fitzgibbon scored in the pocket, pointing from within his own half both times. Whereas for over half of his scores he received a pass whilst being ahead of the ball.
The two-time Munster winner has scored 10 of his 22 points within the opening quarter, as he leads the way for the Rebels setting the tone with early points.
Five of these have been within the first five minutes of the game. One of such was in response to Tipperary's first minute goal in their Munster round-robin clash.
So far this summer he has come up with an instant reply for 1-07 conceded by Cork via the following restart, as well as stepping up to make it back-to-back points for Cork on four occasions.
Since his debut season in 2017 Fitzgibbon has faced Clare in league and championship on 10 occasions, and as with his record in the 2024 championship, the Cork midfielder has scored in every meeting. In total he's amassed 1-19 to give him an average of over 0-02 per game - all from play - against the Banner county.
Fitzgibbon has looked unstoppable for Cork this season, and is behind only Shane O'Donnell as favourite to scoop the Hurler of the Year award.
But if Clare can work as a collective to have a player picking up Fitzgibbon upon every game restart, taking a head start between the Cork midfielder and where the puckout is heading, and continuing their covering run right through towards goal (as Fitzgibbon most certainly will), they can slow down Cork's engine room.
All easier said than done at the pace Fitzgibbon goes at. But the performance of Cork's joint top scorer from play will go a long way to deciding matters.
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Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship final, Cork v Clare, on Sunday from 2.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
