Birr vs UCD Preview

[Lone Shark]

Odd though it may seem, there’s a strong chance that not everyone in attendance next weekend in Parnell Park will be there to see a top quality game of hurling. After all, it is UCD, and there are so many intriguing sub plots that it could fill any number of intriguing theses. For students investigating the merits of Youth vs Experience, or the benefits of growing up and playing together as opposed to a variety of influences coming together in adulthood, or the difference parish pride makes in two teams’ respective performances, it would be hard to find a better case study than Sunday’s clash.

What is for sure is that this represents for Birr the kind of challenge the will not have met in Offaly all year, and as big a hurdle as they are likely to meet in their quest for a fifth All Ireland Club Championship. James Stephens may be have secured the ultimate prize last March, but they were extremely fortunate to scrape last years Leinster decider against UCD, and indeed but for some better umpiring, Birr could be taking on the reigning All Ireland champions instead of the Dublin Champions on Sunday in Parnell Park.

For all that, when it comes to intercounty talent Birr still hold the upper hand, despite UCD’s reputation as an “All Star” team. If Birr play to their potential, there are a lot of factors in their favour, and they should come through to meet perennial rivals Castletown in the Leinster semi final. The key battle, as per usual in modern hurling, will be in the half lines, in particular Birr’s half back line taking on UCD’s half forwards. Whelahan, Errity and Claffey were nothing short of imperious against Coolderry, but they now meet a less well known but very functional unit, with Stephen Lucey of Limerick the only county star, though Redmond Barry has been known to line out at wing forward also.

Those who were in Portlaoise for Coolderry’s humbling at the hands of the students last winter will remember a fine performance from Kilkenny centre forward Bryan Phelan, and he will be integral to their chances of getting good ball into the inside forward line, which has no shortage of threats, Ballyskenach’s Brendan Murphy the most well known to most readers of this publication.

There is relative parity at midfield, with Bryan Barry and Barry Whelahan both county players who seem to perform best when lining out with UCD/Birr as opposed to their counties, while Paul Molloy and Colm Everard are both under-rated hurlers with a wealth of club experience.

As you’d expect, the student’s backline is also very capable, but Birr proved once again in the county final that the wealth of talent they have up front means that they can run up large totals on even the best of defensive units. Mick Fitzgerald is unfortunate in that he’s an outstanding full back in a county endowed with Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Pat Mulcahy making up a fine triumvirate of number threes, and it’s safe to say that he would be a county starter for any team in Ireland. He’ll ensure that Birr will be hard pressed to hit the net, but even still, the college half back line lacks the kind of dominant figure who can starve those forwards of possession. It is here that Birr should have the winning of the game. The two Hanniffys are in the Leinster interprovincial team, and joined by Stephen Brown, a candidate for club player of the year, this is an area of the pitch where Birr can and indeed should dominate. This line has been contributing of the order of 12-15 points from play per game, and with 17 or 18 points likely to prove enough to get either side over the finish line, once they reach double figures it should be more than enough.

There are of course plenty of things to be wary of as well – UCD are very match fit, and have a deep pool of fit young players who will be trained to their peak for this game, while Birr have had some time since their last competitive clash. With almost all of last years team returning, there will also be a keen drive among the students to atone for last year’s exit, where they were very hard done by to say the least of it. The Babs Keating factor can never be discounted either on any occasion he puts out a team against Offaly opposition.

For all that, this Birr team is too experienced not to take cognisance of all of those factors, and assuming that the fluidity and crispness that they showed in the county final is still intact on Sunday, they should provide ample evidence to all those thesis writers mentioned at the start of this article that whatever other factors might be at play in a hurling match, ultimately the side with the most class and talent will win the majority of games, and on Sunday that side should be Birr.

[black and red exile]

Excellent preview LS. I personally believe that even though Birr will face a step up in class in UCD on Sunday, if they show the same drive and hunger that they showed all year, Birr will have six to eight points to spare come full time, but the attitude has got to be spot on.