The debate about how best to cater for Galway's underage requirements re-emerged in recent weeks with Conor Hayes and minor manager Jeffrey Lynskey proposing various ways of integrating the county with others in Leinster and Munster in order to make the experience for teams from the west more equal.
Good teams lack match practice whereas moderate teams have their season artificially extended into August.
This evening's semi-final is a good example of the former. There is confidence in Galway that the players are good enough to go all the way but how do you measure up against a team that's been through the crucible of a seriously high-level provincial competition?
Limerick weren't especially fancied on the starting line for this year's Munster championship and no wonder with Waterford packing players who had won the national league, Tipp All-Ireland winners when the cohort was in minor and Clare All-Ireland champions at this level for the past three years.
Nonetheless they came through a great competition and have played really well. Cian Lynch is the best known of the players, having come through his debut senior season, and his instant goal against Tipperary set the tone for the under-21 victory whereas his namesake Ronan, who sat his Leaving Cert in June, made a huge contribution in the provincial final against Clare, shooting 13 points, three from play.
Difficult opponents
Manager
John Kiely
has marshalled his resources well and they will be difficult opponents but Galway have a layer of quality that makes them formidable. Half of the starting attack that took Galway to this year’s senior final –
Conor Whelan
,
Cathal Mannion
and
Jason Flynn
– all line out this evening.
Sometimes senior players don't prosper at underage but there is little concern about this happening in Galway for whom Brian Molloy, one of the stars of the county's recent intermediate All-Ireland success, also features in attack.
Defence isn’t as well served though, and full back Darragh O’Donoghue is out of the team with a hamstring injury.
For all Limerick’s robust athleticism and some very skilful players, the match is likely to be decided by the Galway forwards whose pace and scoring capacity are allied to soaring confidence levels. Galway are more likely to make it to another All-Ireland final – the county’s fourth this summer.
