Magic minors turn on the style

When Clare hurled at full pelt in Pairc Uí Chaoimh, the ease of their instant touch, smooth striking and flawless free taking was clearly visible.
What was perhaps less aesthetically endearing, yet hugely influential, was Clare’s frantic yet co-ordinated work-rate when Waterford had possession. 
Any of the 36,654 in attendance in Cork who couldn’t indefinitely put off a visit to the packed Pairc Uí Chaoimh toilets, could identify with the Waterford minors.
Neither the Déise minors nor those queuing to use the facilities had much room to manoeuvre.
Clare were much more up for it and infinitely more skilful than their opponents. They even looked imposing in their warm-up routine, with every player getting plenty of striking time. For example they played conditioned games with teams split into five groups of six. Waterford were divided into two cumbersome groups, with many of their players not getting a meaningful touch, as they battled with their team-mates caught in the warm-up bottle neck. 
The fluency of Clare’s hurling was a few steps ahead of Waterford from the opening whistle. By the 13th minute Clare were 0-7 to 0-2 up with Peter Duggan, Aaron Cunningham, Oisín Hickey, Jarleth Colleran and Tony Kelly arching over an array of glittering scores.
Yet as easy on the eye as Clare’s hurling was, Cathal O’Connell’s turnover, when they had possession, leading directly to Colleran’s ninth minute point, indicated Clare’s resolve. They were prepared to lace their lovely hurling and movement with relentless work-rate and honesty.
Work rate aside, Clare responded with steadfast nerve whenever Waterford pushed them. The best example of this was their five-point retort to Waterford’s first half goal, including two sublime Colm Galvin scores.
For 45 minutes, Clare’s hurling was clean, crisp and indecision free. Eight points up at half time and 11 ahead 13 minutes into the second half, Clare’s tempo definitely dropped considerably during the closing 15 minutes. They had 1-19 on the board 18 minutes into the second half and only tagged on a single pointed free thereafter. Waterford banged in two goals in the closing quarter and without Eibhear Quilligan’s sharp stop from Adam O’Sullivan, Waterford could have made it even more treacherous for Clare.
Part of the reason Waterford partially hurled their way to respectability was due to Clare’s decreasing work rate as the second half wore on. They didn’t track or pressurise Waterford with the same vigour, while the Clare defence was opened up relatively easily.
Add the fact that Clare were also cut open for Waterford’s first half goal and it’s evident that they can be got at defensively. Yet from the management’s viewpoint, Clare are better off winning by five points, knowing that they have some issues, rather than winning easily and their weaknesses not being unearthed until they hit Croke Park on August 7 or 14.
Substitution wise, Clare used just Alan Mulready six minutes from time. It should be impossible to nitpick following as impressive a win as this, yet it’s very likely that Clare will need at least 18 or 19 players in August and hopefully in Croke Park come September. Then again what Clare man or woman would have believed this time last year, that the county would return home in July 2011, to two-in-row Munster minor champions?
This win leaves Clare hurling in an unusual setting. The county has a store of the best minor hurlers in Munster from this year and last, along with proven winners in their early 20’s, after Clare’s U-21 win two years ago. Yet the senior team is possibly the weakest of the five serious hurling counties in Munster. ‘Possibly’ following the capitulation of the Waterford seniors last Sunday.
The Clare minors clearly hang onto every word their management team say. Otherwise they wouldn’t have produced such a compelling 45 minutes of hurling in Cork. They are playing with a freedom, fluency and unity that every team, whatever the sport, aspires to.
The challenge now for everyone involved is to burrow beneath the radar for the next five weeks and cajole their provincial form to come with them to Dublin.