I'D HAVE to go for Galway. Wexford have a new confidence but they haven't been this far before. They're in a position where their heads could be up in the clouds. They'll have been around the county, visiting clubs even though I'm sure Liam Griffin has brought them back down to earth.
Wexford have been there or thereabouts and often play one good match in a year. But this time they beat Kilkenny and at one stage of the second half, I distinctly noticed a change in mental attitude from last year. Kilkenny were going for goals and Wexford made it clear they weren't going to concede any. They looked mentally tougher and fitter.
I wasn't too surprised by the way Wexford played against Dublin. They were on a high and had to come down and Dublin don't have the same status as Kilkenny. What surprised me in the Leinster final was that they played a tactical game. Liam Griffin brought Rory McCarthy out to centre field and created a huge space on the right hand side.
This left our left half back, Kevin Martin, in two minds. He could see an extra man at centre field and could go with him or leave it up to one of our centrefielder to pick him up. This would have meant Offaly playing one on two, it would have backfired on Wexford and McCarthy would have had to go back.
Every forward needs space and by bringing McCarthy out, Martin Storey got that space and alternated it with Eamonn Seal Ian in the right corner. When a back line is going back, it's under pressure. Every back loves facing on to a dropping ball but chasing a man on a diagonal ball is always trouble.
We gave the Wexford forwards space and they took us on and brushed past us. They're mentally and physically fit and their upper body strength was noticeable. Offaly were unable to play them. Most importantly, they also put the ball over the bar and not wide as they did in the past. Every point that went over raised their confidence so that at the end, points were flying over from the corner. They had the ability to open our defence and when in space, they scored.
It's also Galway's style of play. In the famous game where we were annihilated (the League match in Ballinasloe last February), they started by warming up for 45 minutes beforehand and when the match started, they hit diagonal ball into the attack and each corner forward knew when to come.
Although Galway didn't impress in the final against Tipperary, they had been the form team all the way through the League. They've big men in the half forwards and Joe Cooney on the inside, their half backs are strong and Michael Coleman is playing deeper, as a more defensive centrefielder. He's a tremendous, inspiring player and will drop back and take ball on his half back line.
How Wexford cope with Joe Rabbitte and Cathal Moore will be important one's six foot four and the other six foot three. The Wexford half backs aren't the biggest. I was very impressed with Rod Guiney but Liam Dunne isn't a big man and neither is Sean Flood. They might move John O'Connor to the wing but then you're conceding to the opposition already.
The half back line is the most important on the pitch. Teams must build from the half back line, the puck outs will be dropping there. Wexford may struggle with three such big men in the Galway half forwards though Liam Burke can be disappointing. He gets possession but not much comes of it as he has a tendency to hit wides.
In the Galway full forward line, if Joe Cooney is on song, Ger Cush is in trouble. He will be out on to ball and will see Rabbitte and Burke coming in and lay it off. Cooney has a tremendous hurling brain. I think he's going to be very important.
The selectors have gone for Brian Feeney at full back and left out half back Padraig Kelly. They will be aware of the form of both. When you've seen players in training over a long period, you know who's in form. There are some who'll complain about Gerry McInerney at corner back. He's not the most classy hurler in the world but any back can stop any forward if he puts his mind to it. McInerney mightn't be two sided but he can stop a forward who is.
Galway don't have a tough championship match behind them and may take time to get going. But they will also be highly motivated to play from the start. They've all had hard club championship matches okay, the pace is different but they're still fresh while Wexford have been through a hard campaign. It's a situation created by the GAA and next year will be slightly different.
Liam Griffin knows the Galway style and Mattie Murphy knows Wexford's. A lot will come down to who will out think the other. Both are deep thinkers. I don't feel their League semi-final counts for much. Wexford were quite different Ger Cush was playing centre back and Damien Fitzhenry was outfield but it will be interesting to see who's learned the most.
Wexford are very tactical. We had anticipated a corner forward dropping off to create space, as Paul Codd did in the League quarter final. If that had happened again, we'd have let him off but we hadn't anticipated a half forward. If Galway watch a video they'll see Rory McCarthy going back, but Liam Griffin constantly changes tactics.
All the good matches in this year's championship have put Galway's League in the shadow. Those matches are making the headlines and everyone's talking about Wexford with Galway in the background. That will suit them and, as far as I'm concerned, Galway have been favourites since the League final. And they're coming into this fresh.
In the second semi final, Limerick manager Tom Ryan says he'd prefer to be playing Galway or Wexford. I'd take that with a pinch of salt but there is a problem playing Antrim. Supporters at best will be saying, Oh yeah, it'll be hard but we'll win out. Antrim champions Dunloy nearly had an All Ireland because Birr thought they only had to go out on the pitch to win the match.
To me, Limerick will have to tighten their defence. They're clearing from the back half that's too high for the forwards. Mark Foley, at left half back, is playing very well but is hitting the ball too high and is occasionally guilty of ball watching. There was an incident against Tipperary when Michael Cleary pulled away to the left corner and was there on his own. Luckily for Limerick, none of the Tipp forwards noticed.
Antrim's style is a possession game. Hand passing and running. I'm a great believer in more direct ball but Antrim aren't trained that way. The only way I see for them to win is to hurl for the 70 minutes, take nearly all their chances and hope for half the Limerick players to have an off day which is, I know, pretty simplistic.
A couple of years ago, I saw John Carson playing full forward for Ant rim in a challenge against Offaly in Coolderry. I thought he looked the answer to their problems. They hit early ball into him at five or six feet, he turned Kevin Kinahan and buried the ball. He looked big, able to turn and able to hurl but he never figured there for them on a regular basis and he's not even on the team for tomorrow.
Using Sambo McNaughton at centre back is a good move. He's very good facing a ball and will solidify the defence. He's also very experienced and has tremendous courage. I remember we played Joachim Kelly at centre back in 1993 and while people said it was a stupid idea, he played very well.
It should be a priority for Limerick to win well and I think they will because they have a certain number of fellas playing for their All Ireland final Places.
