As has been the case for much of the history of Galway and Cork crossing paths in the hurling championship, the Rebels enter Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final as favourites to advance to a third successive decider.
The Leesiders have won 25 of the previous 34 meetings between the teams – including all six All-Ireland final clashes – but recent history is with the men from the west.
The Tribes are seeking a sixth win on the spin against the men in red, their last defeat coming in 2008 and Joe Canning’s virtuoso display (he scored 2-12 of the team’s 2-15 tally) to fully launch himself on a national level.
Ben O’Connor is aiming to steer his team to a third successive final, and while they may not have reached some of the swashbuckling highs of previous seasons, their only defeat was being edged out by Limerick in a Munster final and swatted away Offaly last time out with minimal fuss.
With such widespread talk of Cork and Limerick being the top two teams in the land, a first-ever Galway and Clare showpiece would be something of a huge upset.
The Banner’s task on Sunday is a daunting one – the Treaty men are odds on to lift Liam MacCarthy with their Shannonside neighbours the outsiders of the four left in the hunt – yet Galway will be “quietly confident” according to former player and RTÉ analyst Joe Canning.
The Tribesmen ended their provincial drought by racking up a big tally against Dublin in the Leinster final, and the fresh faces integrated into the side have shown real promise.
Cillian Trayers and Cian Daniels have established themselves in defence, while Rory Burke, Aaron Niland – pictured above – and Jason Rabbitte have injected real spark up front.
With Daithi Burke continuing to anchor the full-back-line, Cathal Mannion the conductor of the orchestra in a deep-lying role and Tom Monaghan and Conor Whelan to the fore up front, Micheál Donoghue’s side will not lack belief at Croke Park.
Canning, who lifted Liam MacCarthy in 2017, says having silverware in the cabinet already this season is a major plus for the men in maroon.
“Winning Leinster was huge,” he told RTÉ Sport. “It was 2018 when we last won it, so for the group of players, especially the older ones, never mind the younger guys, to win is a big pressure off the shoulders.
“They go into the semi-final without as much pressure as before and Cork are seen by many, along with Limerick, as the two best teams in the country. They can have a right cut off it.
“They are there on merit. They have only lost once this year (Leinster round-robin loss to Dublin). They are trucking along nicely. They are Leinster champions and not to be disrespected in any way.
“I’d say they are quietly confident.”
O’Donoghue’s second term in charge means there are few personnel remaining from the glory days of 2017. Against Dublin he introduced John Fleming – who raised a green flag – and Joshua Ryan.
With such a callow influx in the squad, is there any danger that the occasion against a seasoned Cork side could be overwhelming?
“We’ll see on Saturday, we don’t really know yet,” Canning said. “This is the first massive, massive test. Playing a Munster team and one of the All-Ireland favourites is huge.
“Hopefully they just perform on the day.”
The five-time All-Star has been impressed with the rise of Under-20 star Rabbitte in the full-forward line, often leading the line with others dropping deep. If he can make it stick, Galway’s chances of an upset increase greatly.
With that in mind, Canning says the performance of referee Johnny Murphy could be significant.
“I hope Jason gets a little more protection. He’s finding it very hard to get frees the last while. He’s up there on his own.”
Canning says another area his countymen will be looking to exploit is the fact Cork haven’t faced anything like the puzzle Galway have provided in the championship.
Content to let Rabbitte up top, the remaining forwards have tended to drop very deep and break at pace. The deployment of Cathal Mannion in front of his half-back line caused confusion for Dublin and it could lead to more opportunities this weekend.
While the heart says Galway, Canning admits that all things being equal, he’d expect Cork to take their place in the showpiece.
However, should the Tribes ensure the game is in the melting pot coming down the stretch, there is a real chance of progression.
“Cork probably haven’t hit their top stride yet, but Galway need everything to go their way and Cork to be off it a little bit.”
Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals, Cork v Galway on Saturday from 2.45pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, and Limerick v Clare on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
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