John Horgan on hurling: Time now to ignore ridiculous hype from outside Cork

Munster hurling madness! The most appropriate way to sum up what transpired in Ennis last Sunday.

Others might use more flowery language to describe another gripping instalment in the rivalry that hardly ever fails to deliver from one year to the next.

This was another day of deliverance for Munster championship, another telling illustration that in the modern era, nothing should ever be taken for granted, no matter what advantage one team holds.

The game has evolved so much over the years that things can change almost in the twinkling of an eye and a lead of nine or 10 points can quite quickly be successfully erased. In fact, a team can lead by even more as was the case between Cork and Clare when Pat Ryan's team led by a dozen points at half-time and yet be hanging on for dear life in the game's dying embers, fortunate enough to get something at the end.

We are well used to the term 'a game of two halves' and this once more proved to be the case. When one team holds such a substantial advantage as Cork had and subsequently fail to emerge with the win it can feel like a loss.

Thankfully, Cork got the draw at the end of 78 minutes of hurling and in the backyard of the All-Ireland champions that might have been taken when the schedule paired the country's two best teams last season together again for the opener.

A point away from home is never a disaster and with two home games to come in this four-game provincial format the smart money will still be on Cork to be one of the three teams that will go forward into the All-Ireland series.

Every game, particularly in this Munster championship is a learning process, the belief that little or nothing separates the counties applies. Because of what transpired during the league, Cork crowned deserving champions and Clare relegated with just one win from six games, a school of thought existed that Cork were strong favourites.

It did look that way after 35 minutes with Cork's huge lead on the scoreboard and how they had performed in that opening period. It was very similar to the league final defeat of Tipperary, Cork astonishingly good in the early sequences as their opponents made very little headway.

In that league final, the second-half display that day came nowhere near matching what had gone on before.

It's rare though that one team dominates for the entire duration and as Clare showed last Sunday, they are a proud hurling county, they are not All-Ireland champions for nothing. There just had to be a kick in them.

And, by God, as we found out there was one almighty kick in them and it subsequently became a huge problem for Cork.

Through no fault of their own, this Cork bunch of players had been hyped up to an alarming degree, their goal-scoring exploits during the latter stages of the league contributing to a lot of that hype and the perception that they had a squad of players far superior to most others.

But league and championship hurling has always been poles apart. Yes, the double has been achieved quite often in recent times but nothing too great must ever be written into the secondary competition. Every judgement is made on how you go in the championship and how you performed during that season.

ON FIRE

Cork's hurling in the opening half in Ennis was a joy to behold, the tag of All-Ireland favourites was being justified and their forwards were on fire.

Brian Hayes delivered two sublime goals, Alan Connolly was a huge threat, Darragh Fitzgibbon was flying and Patrick Horgan's assistance and ability to bring others to the fore was hugely important.

The work ethic all over the field, the movement, the skill levels, some of the point-taking was right out of the top drawer.

One of Connolly's points from out on the sideline was as good a score as one is likely to see all season, his wristwork for that score mesmerising.

The combination play from all the Cork players was superb and if this was a soccer game across the water supporters of the team getting battered would have been leaving.

Nobody ever knows what goes on behind closed doors at half-time but it's a near certainty some choice utterings were made by the Clare management. And if that was the case it worked the oracle, Clare had a brace of goals on the board in quick succession and suddenly the entire complexion of the contest had changed.

We had seen it before and there's every chance we'll see it again before the season is over, a big lead being wiped out and the team on the receiving end in the opening half were now throwing the big punches.

By the game's end, only one of Cork's starting six forwards was still in place, Brian Hayes after the dismissal of Shane Barrett, harsh enough it seemed and the withdrawal of Horgan, Connolly and Seamie Harnedy.

TOO QUICK

Darragh Fitz had gone to midfield and the question must be posed, did the Cork management move too quickly in making some of those changes?

But it's always easy to be wise after the event and Clare, mainly through the huge influence of Peter Duggan, the introduction of Ian Galvin and their overall play ensured that we were going to be subjected to a mother and father of finishes.

It could have been far worse from a Cork viewpoint, when Clare secured the lead from a 20-metre free deep into added time, referee Liam Godon could, quite easily, have blown for time on the puck-out.

But Cork somehow got to manufacture a last-gasp free from the combination play of Shane Kingston and Ciarán Joyce and Deccie Dalton levelled it all up.

Cork had to play with 14 men for nearly a quarter of an hour and in the white heat of Munster championship hurling that can be a telling factor.

Yes, of course, with the lead that they had constructed, Cork should have pushed on to take the full return but the draw will have to do for now.

Learnings for everybody from this game, ignore the ridiculous hype, never take anything for granted and be mindful that Munster hurling is indeed a minefield. 

And after what transpired in Thurles, nobody will write Tipperary off next Sunday.

As it was at the beginning, everything is still all to play in this simply fabulous Munster Hurling Championship.