Last week we brought you the British reaction to the first glimpses of hurling on Sky Sports. It was a flurry of bemused and curious comments, with a little cautious admiration for a game that – for the uninitiated – can seem utterly bizarre, not to mention dangerous.
Sky Sports offered British viewers their second taste of hurling last night, with the Leinster SHC Semi-final between Dublin and Wexford at Wexford Park. Unlike last week’s game – the procession that was Kilkenny strolling past Offaly – this was a decent contest.
Wexford had more of the ball in the first half but the Dubs went in at the break narrowly ahead. The early stages of the second half saw Dublin realising they were in for a real battle to keep alive the chance to retain their Leinster title. The Model County were making this a tight, entertaining contest that Dublin won 0-22 to 1-14.
Wexford's Ciaran Kenny and Conal Keaney of Dublin ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
Conal Keaney and Alan McCrabbe stepped up to the plate for Dublin and a series of fine scores carried Anthony Daly’s side over the line, but not before British audiences had been offered a proper game of the small ball.
Twitter reaction this week was still a steady stream of intrigued bafflement, but there was a lot more about the merits of the sport, and its entertainment values, than its novelty.
What a game this hurling is, I love my football and rugby league and now hurling. can't pick a winner out of the Wexford match so close.
— Peter eaton (@Petereaton1883) June 14, 2014
English guy in pub who's watched the hurling on Sky Sports; "mad sport, it's a bit Game of Thrones, Innit?" #GAA
— Joe O'Shea (@josefoshea) June 14, 2014
First time watching Hurling on Sky sports 3. From what I can gather it is a sport that involves lots of guys having a pub fight on grass
— Ben Nall (@BenNall79) June 14, 2014
You can literally twat each with a 2 x 4 piece of wood, smash a cricket ball at opposite players, rugby tackle each other.
— Ben Nall (@BenNall79) June 14, 2014
I've noticed these hurling players don't roll around crying like babys when injured ! Great first half.
— Peter eaton (@Petereaton1883) June 14, 2014
Watching Hurling. Entirely new experience, never knew so many sports can be combined to make such a weird sport #hockey #LaX #rugby #cricket
— Jess Hargreaves (@JHargreaves92) June 14, 2014
Hurling is absolute carnage. About five sports in one
— Jon Horn (@Jondavidhorn) June 14, 2014
How have I never watched hurling before this is great
— Rachel Franczeska (@rachfranczeska) June 14, 2014
It's like a mixture of cricket, rugby and a egg and spoon race #hurling #skysports
— Lillypad (@jacklilly14) June 14, 2014
Watching the hurling on sky. What do all those numbers mean?? @daraobriain
— Tom Pengelly (@flyincattlebird) June 14, 2014
This sport of Hurling is brutal. Looks like fun.
— Hannah Sherlock (@hansherlock) June 14, 2014
And Ben Nall had a suggestion for a potential use of hurling as punishment for soccer’s more theatrical side...
I now know how to punish divers in the world cup. Automatic 3 games playing hurling as there ban. They will never dive again if they survive
— Ben Nall (@BenNall79) June 14, 2014
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