WHO HAS LEARNED THE MOST FROM LAST WEEKEND’S ‘DEAD RUBBER’
Antrim v Clare Very Div 1B National League Final in NGDC, Pitch 1 Abottstown, Saturday 28th March 2025, throw in 2pm
The Antrim v Clare game played last Saturday may have been pronounced a ‘dead rubber’ (where the outcome of the game has no intrinsic value, having been either resolved earlier or to be determined by a final game) but both sides will have extracted their own intel and exercised a testing strategy or two. It’ll have been mostly about sizing up and giving the necessary game time to some of the players.
Clare ran out a complete second team compared to the panel against Limerick, Antrim on the other hand, gave game time to returning players. The question remains unanswered until Saturday, ‘what are the margins between Clare’s first and second team, did Antrim mostly shadow box?’ But any boxer worth his salt will tell you that’s an essential part of any build up to the big night.
It’s a fabulous result to win the league with a clean sheet, but on the day though, it hardly matters Antrim won 5 of 5 games to Clare’s 4 from 5. We will see two different teams and that’s what’s so exciting about Saturday’s Very Div 1B league final. The game will be played on pitch 1 in the National Games Development Centre, at Abbotstown, a fitting venue for the final game, the technical specification for the pitch being matched to none other than the ‘field of dreams’ in Croke Park.
The throw-in will be at 2pm and the Saffron Gael will have ringside access to bring you a report and photos of all the relevant action from the final.