Back to basics approach helps revitalised hurlers to show their true worth

FRANK FARRAGHER

WHAT a difference a victory can make to the mood of a team and its supporters. Two weeks previously in Tullamore, there was open hostility and anger at the manner of the defeat to Dublin but last Saturday evening in Pearse Stadium, players and management had relief written all over their faces . . . the supporters were relaxed. At the end of the day, winning is the great elixir.

Even if it was the day before the draw, that pitted Galway against old rivals Cork, there was no one getting too carried away with the win over Clare but yet there were plenty of deep breaths exhaled . . . a team that had badly lost its way was at least back on track again. A bit like the return of the Prodigal Son, except that there was no one talking about killing the fatted calf for a party.

There was a lot of talk from players and management about ‘getting back to basics’, substituting the myriad of training drills for more foundation skills like catching the sliotar at the first go or driving a 50 yard pass at the eye level of the receiver. Whatever formula Galway reverted back to, it certainly seemed to work.

Over the past couple of years at GAA matches, it has been an entertainment in itself to see the symmetry of cone formation on the pitch and then to witness a complex maze of warm-up runs and drills to match the synchronised swimming routines at the Olympics. All very impressive but does it matter of jot, when the first ball whizzes by your nose in the first minute, at the same time as a Kilkenny or Cork hurley misses (or maybe not) your ear by an inch.

Manager John McIntyre admitted that in the wake of the demoralising defeat to Dublin, they had gone ‘back to basics’ in the two weeks since that black day in the Midlands.

“We certainly did an awful lot more hurling. Since the Dublin defeat we played a lot of hurling, played a lot of games among ourselves – we had a lot less cones and discs. It certainly seemed to work here this evening.

“All of us were desperately disappointed at the display against Dublin and all our reputations were on the line this evening, both management and players. This evening though, I’m really delighted for the players – I knew that they were an awful lot better than they looked against Dublin.

“This week, two things are very important to us. After one good display we certainly don’t want to lose track of ourselves and as a squad we mustn’t forget what it took to deliver this kind of performance,” said McIntyre.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.