The intercounty hurling scene returned with a bang at the weekend…
The Walsh Cup is often maligned as a chance to work off the extra pounds put on at Christmas, but this year there was the added bonus of a new senior manager and his style to analyse.
Davy Fitzgerald captured two pre-season titles during his reign and Darragh Egan has put the same focus on getting a good start to the year.
Sunday saw Wexford come away from Rathdowney with a 1-27 to 1-16 victory over Laois to kick off their season. Here are the five lessons we learned from the game.
Youth Will Be Trusted Going Forward
One of the major criticisms levelled at the previous management team was their overreliance on core of players who had served the Purple and Gold with distinction over the years. Stability was traded for a deep panel that left subs undercooked when going deep into games and competitions.
The vast raft of changes employed by Egan show that certainly early on, he’s ready to embrace less familiar faces and hand everyone an opportunity to shine.
25 players got a runout and Billy Dunne, Oisín Pepper and goal-scorer Richie Lawlor all justified their starting berths.
A Focus On A Fast Start
The Yellowbellies burst out of the blocks in Sunday’s game, not letting a goal for the homeside rock their rhythm to lead by 5 at the water break. Wexford have been slow starters in the past, and most notably the All Ireland qualifier loss to Clare which saw the Banner record an 11 point advantage midway through the first half.
Players exploding from the throw-in is often a sign of a desire to fight for their manager and Sunday showed that the signs look good on that front, especially given the time of year.
No Sweeper! Yet…
Wexford have been at the forefront of the great culture war of hurling over the last decade. The pros and cons of the sweeper system have been debated to death, but Egan set up his men to front up to Laois in a 15 on 15 game. The cheers from the traditionalists could be heard from Bunclody to Bridgetown, but the celebrations might be cut short.
Opponents of the extra man will point to a very healthy score-line of 1-27 as a reason to leave the sweeper in the past, but speaking afterwards, Egan outlined that he’s prepared to go more defensively if the game calls for it.
Paudie Foley Picking Up Where He Left Off
Wexford fans were understandably frustrated when key centre back Paudie Foley announced that he would be stepping away from the panel in 2021. His rock solid defence and long range freetaking were sorely missed as the Model county once again fell in the summer.
Ultimately, his decision to focus on club proved a correct one, helping Crossabeg Ballymurn to the top table of Wexford hurling with success in the intermediate championship.
That’s why fans were delighted to see him once again wearing the number 6 jersey on Sunday. While it may take him a while to get up to the pace of intercounty action, his inclusion improves Wexford’s defence immeasurably.
Not Afraid To Get Down And Dirty
Wexford are by no means a dirty team, often using their supreme fitness to force mistakes from attackers. One interesting comment from the new boss post game though pricked up the ears of fans.
Speaking to South East Radio after the game, Egan made a point to highlight a lack of cynical play from his side as Laois scored their goal. He wants his side to be more “ruthless” when the opposition is bearing down on goal, saying the “lads at the top of the pile” will do whatever it takes to win. Nice guys finish last and maybe a cuter approach will pay dividends when the chips are down.
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At the end of the day, it’s far too early to read too much into a pre-season Walsh Cup game against an undercooked opponent. Despite that, there are certainly reasons to be cheerful for Wexford fans.
Featured Image Credit: Noel Reddy
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