John Horgan on hurling: Dust is settling now but Cork will have to make some hard calls from here

The best part of a week has passed now since Cork's second-half meltdown in Croke Park against Galway and that has provided ample time for reflection on where it all went so wrong again for the second occasion in just less than 12 months.

So many aspects of the game have been diced and sliced over the past number of days but the consensus was that Cork were simply beaten by a far better team. They were outfought, outthought and outscored by an opponent that had all their ducks in a row and crucially had far more individuals than Cork had playing at the top end of their game.

For the second time at headquarters, everything hinged on what transpired in the second half, exactly as it was against Tipperary last July.

Two abject 35-minute performances by a side on the biggest of days is difficult to understand. One maybe because that has happened to the best of teams in both codes, but twice in such a short enough space of time poses big questions both on and off the field.

Those will have to be addressed before we see players wearing a red jersey back in action next February.

At the levels that the inter-county game has now reached you almost need players in double figures contributing at a very high standard. That was not the case with Cork last Saturday, too many below-par returns from players who are capable of much more as they have proved on many occasions.

Off the pace

In simple terms, as a unit just not near good enough.

There's a long winter to be negotiated before next season and surgery will be required. At the same time, there is a core group of players with the capabilities to be again involved at the business end next season.

Great warriors like Damien Cahalane and Seamie Harnedy may not be back again but nobody can question the fine service that they have given.

Harnedy should have been introduced last Saturday. 

The younger players, Willie Buckley, Barry Walsh and Hugh O'Connor, will be a year older and a year wiser in 2027. Others like Diarmuid Healy, Pádraig Power, Alan Walsh, Micheál Mullins and Brian Roche will be more battle-hardened. 

It's imperative that no stone is left unturned in the search for new material in the club championship that will begin in a short few weeks. Of course, it's up to the players to put up their hand for consideration.

Here's a stat from Cork's last two visits to headquarters, the scoring return for the second-half of both games amounted to just seven points, a shocking return.

On the other hand, 4-28 in the same two halves was conceded, far, far too much.

All-Star Ciarán Joyce will be back in the frame too, adding far more stability to the defence. He's the type of player who leads by example. And surely too, Deccie Dalton must be in the equation again.

But for now wounds must be healed and wrongs must try to be righted, not caving in as has been the case in the last two big days that really matter.

Galway's victory last weekend has softened the conversation regarding the state of play in the Leinster championship and in recent times that has taken some battering.

Winning Leinster this year had to be a major contributory factor in Galway's emergence... it had to be a confidence builder. It illustrated that remedial work can be done in a short enough space of time, Galway in 2025 and the team that performed in their last two very recent visits to HQ poles apart.

A better combination of the old guard and the new kids on the block, a better balance too working the oracle for Micheál Donoghue.

So, all the forecasts, the predictions about a Cork, Limerick final came to nothing but John Kiely's men kept their side of the bargain after being taken right to the wire by a rejuvenated Clare who were desperately unlucky to come out on the wrong side of an absorbing encounter.

But as we have been learning all the way back to their emergence in 2018, Limerick somehow find a way to cross that finishing line, they just do.

Yes, they haven't done so in the past two years but through the seasons they have this knack of pulling a game out of the fire.

Given what had transpired in Cusack Park a few months ago, a hammering by 15 points to their near neighbours, not too many gave the Banner too much of a chance last Sunday. Again, those that wrote them off were well wide of the mark and we should have known that.

This was a Clare team that were All-Ireland champions two years ago with quality players spread around the field.

Yes, they failed dismally to defend that title last season but good players don't become bad ones in that short enough time-frame.

Buzzing

Their pride was stung badly on home soil with that capitulation to Limerick, to Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh too, to a lesser extent because they had safely secured their place in Munster's top three before that.

They had an All-Ireland winning All-Star player and manager in their corner and Brian Lohan was going to ensure that if the opportunity presented again to tackle Limerick there would be a much changed scenario.

They excelled in the opening half last Sunday, Tony Kelly emphasising again that he is one of the greats of the game that has been our privilege to watch in action, Peter Duggan was magnificent as was Ryan Taylor.

They outhurled Limerick in that period and went in five points to the good, Limerick were second best in that 35-minute period.

But Clare's level of excellence could not be maintained, their scoring rate dropped completely, just 1-3 in the second-half, the goal from a penalty, just a point more than Cork scored the previous day and that was never going to be enough against a team of Limerick's resilience.

Gearoid Hegarty was magnificent, he stood tall to be counted, the type of leadership required when danger is looming large, a player who drags others along.

Cian Lynch's impact off the bench was crucial too and you know what, I hope they win the final now because this was another illustration of their greatness through the years and that has to be admired.

It will, hopefully, be a titanic struggle next Sunday week against a Galway team that tore Cork asunder last Saturday, the Cork team that so many had pencilled in to be Limerick's final opponents.

The Eurovision winning song from Johnny Logan 'What's Another Year' came to mind last where Cork are concerned last Saturday night, 22 years now and counting without the only prize that counts.

Different Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Galway teams have all been on the podium on All-Ireland final day since Cork last stood there in 2005. There needs to be addressed over the next six months.