Two freestyle hurlers, two very similar hurlers.
The role of the hurling midfielder has changed greatly in recent times. Nowadays, playing in the midfield is a bit of a free ticket.
The most graceful movers, the slickest hurlers, the sharpest brains all line out in í lár na páirce now. The number eights and nines sniff around the turf hunting for leather, and their opposite numbers do the exact same thing.
They’ve freedom to roam and this licence takes them to all corners of the pitch but their responsibility lies in getting on the ball more than it does negating their man directly.
That’s why you’ll often have four points scored by one midfielder in a game now, and four scored by his marker.
Unburdened by responsibility, the four men begin their day shoulder to shoulder for the throw-in but from that moment on they’re playing off instinct to impact the game in any way they can.
Managers are beginning to realise that there’s literally no point in trying to mark the unmarkable.
Cork’s Darragh Fitzgibbon and Kilkenny’s Richie Leahy are clear-cut examples of the unrestrained colts who are covering every blade of grass and taking over the game.
When these boys do get on the ball, the opposition are in trouble. They want the ball and they know that when they get it there’s 29 other hurlers on the pitch looking for it. They know they’re in control and when they’re in control their team is safe.
They’ve the propensity for a long range score. Fitzgibbon has scored nine points from play in four Munster senior championship games for Cork to date. Leahy came off the bench to score two for Kilkenny when their Leinster semi-final against Wexford was in the melting pot.
The pair have speed, lots of speed and when they get the ball in hand, it’s a case of catch me if you can.
Here’s an example of Fitzgibbon at his very peak against Clare earlier in the year.
Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon bursts out of defence and scores a fantastic point! pic.twitter.com/p7b04f7g3o
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 20, 2018
And Leahy causing wreck against Wexford.
They can run the opposition ragged. They know what type of ball their forwards want. They are the modern midfielder.
So when they lined out for their counties in their respective under-21 championship provincial ties on Wednesday night, all eyes were on two of hurling’s most exciting young talents.
Both of them delivered.
Richie Leahy
The Rower-Inistioge club man was, along with fellow senior star John Donnelly, the Cats’ best performer as they went down to Galway in Tullamore.
He scored three points from play, won a host of frees, set up his teammates for scores and won countless possessions.
He set the tone early on, soaring high to pluck a sky-scraping Liam Dunphy puckout above a sea of Galway bodies.
He picked off those long-range scores we talked about.
He glided past the Tribesmen all night long.
He was unlucky to come out on the losing side of that battle, but he did his stakes with the seniors down the line no harm with Brian Cody undoubtedly impressed looking on.
Darragh Fitzgibbon
The Rebel star has been tipped by many to pick up this season’s Young Hurler of the Year award. He’s certainly going the right way about it so far.
https://twitter.com/darrenbrennan11/status/1009555268018102272
The Charleville thoroughbred played a crucial role in the Leesiders’ narrow victory over the Déise in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. He came into his own again, ending his evening with three points to his name and a man-of-the-match award to boot.
His stats for the evening were something special.
Darragh Fitzgibbon's Performance against Waterford u21s.
14 possessions
4 shots on goal
3 points scored
1 wide
6 passes – 5 completed and 1 lost.
2 frees won
1 free against
1 interception@BigRedBench @corkgaa @GAA_BEO— Sean Flynn (@SeanFlynn85) June 21, 2018
He scored points like this one.
That’s what he’s been doing all year.
Hurling’s new breed.
GIF Credit throughout this piece: TG4.
