Free for all - will dead balls decide the All-Ireland hurling final?

Taking your opportunities from dead balls is crucial in hurling.

One of the many reasons Kilkenny and Limerick will line out in tomorrow's All-Ireland decider is the accuracy of their free-takers.

In the Cats’ semi-final victory over Clare, almost half of their scores (12/26) came from TJ Reid placed balls.

The all-time record championship scorer missed just 1 of 11 shots from frees or 65s, also cutting over a sideline.

By contrast, Clare raised eight of their 23 flags from dead balls and missed three, two by Mark Rodgers and one for Tony Kelly.

Galway’s Evan Niland only missed one in their defeat to the Treaty, for whom Aaron Gillane was flawless (5/5). Diarmaid Byrnes was off target from two of his five long-range efforts however.

Accuracy also cost the Banner in the Munster final, when Kelly and first-choice free-taker Aidan McCarthy – who went off injured – missed two each in a game Clare lost by a single point. Gillane had a 100% record (8/8).

Kilkenny have a slight advantage if it comes down to a free-taking contest: Reid’s accuracy is 85% for the year compared to 83% for Gillane and 58% for Byrnes, who will take on anything from his own 45 and has scored 0-14 from placed balls. Goalkeeper Eoin Murphy occasionally does the same for Kilkenny and got a point against Antrim.

But if the Cats are relying on placed balls to keep them in the game tomorrow then they better get them on the board early.

In the vast majority of championship games this year, referees awarded more frees in the first half (70%) compared to more in the second (20%) or the same in each (10%). Those games where more frees came in the second all involved a big lead and the losers getting frustrated or winners fouling to prevent clear goal chances.

The average