Ciarán Carey and Ryan O’Dwyer give their thoughts on Limerick v Clare who will lock horns in Sunday’s Munster senior hurling final.
There is a ripple effect when you’re missing one of your leaders — explains Limerick icon Ciaran Carey.
Sean Finn is out for the season after tearing his cruciate in Clare’s one-point win over the Treaty at the Gaelic Grounds in round two of the Munster championship.
Banner full-back Conor Cleary, who is often detailed with a marking job on Aaron Gillane, dislocated his shoulder in the final game against Cork and is a major doubt.
These neighbours have played some pulsating games in recent seasons and Carey insists that “Limerick can’t be roaring favourites”.
“Since young Finn was injured, Barry Nash is a bit iffy, Dan Morrissey (is too), so that is an effect of Sean Finn missing,” the Patrickswell man explains.
“When you’re missing one of your leaders in the full-back line, there will be a little ripple effect and consequences, and Cleary is the same.
“If he is out, that is going to be a huge blow mentally for Rory Hayes and Adam Hogan, whoever is going to be there.
“But let’s be honest about it, go back to last year’s Munster final and call a spade a spade: Clare were the only team up to that point that were able to implement a blueprint that would derail Limerick’s system and implement their own system.
“They did it last year and I see this Sunday being the exact same.
“They’re going to put the squeeze, they’re going to push up all the time because they’re a very athletic, fit team and it will be interesting to see how Limerick are going to cope with that because this will be the third time in the past two years that Clare are going to come with the same system.
“So it will be interesting to see if Limerick have anything up their sleeves themselves to counteract that.”
