For the first 25 minutes of Saturday's All-Ireland semifinal, it seemed like Galway had the measure of Limerick. A surging start gave Galway an early six point lead and even the most hardened of Galway supporters were wondering if this Limerick juggernaut might be vulnerable today.
By the time, the full time whistle was blown, Galway had been utterly destroyed. Limerick won by nine points but the scoreline somewhat flattered Galway, such was the dominance that Limerick enjoyed in the second half.
The result was another reminder of the sheer class of a Limerick side chasing a fourth consecutive All-Ireland. But it also asks again major questions about Galway, who slipped away so meekly when Limerick raised the temperature.
Anyone familiar with Galway hurling will know there is a brittle streak there, and it was there long before Henry Shefflin took the helm.
Many had hoped Shefflin could infuse Galway with a Cody-esque steel. But on the evidence of this All-Ireland semifinal loss to Limerick, Galway are further away from the big dogs than they were a year ago.
Galway only scored five points in the second 35 minutes. Éanna Murphy's puckout was the game's decisive battleground: when it was obvious to the world that Limerick had solved Galway's long puckout, Murphy kept putting balls deep and into the hands of Treatymen.
Where Galway lost it
Clare legend Anthony Daly watching the match for RTÉ Radio 1 and had some interesting thoughts on where Galway lost the game.
1-12 in the first half, 1-12 in the second half: Limerick. Galway, five points in the second half. They had no leaders really to be honest with you, there's a puckout meltdown, but credit to the leaders in green. Up they came again.
Fellow pundit John Mullane suggested the result could have been different if a Brian Concannon first half shot on goal hadn't been hooked by Mike Casey. That goal would have given Galway an eight point lead, but Daly seemed confident that Limerick always had the measure of this Galway team.
When you see some of the unforced errors in the second half... Even when Eanna Murphy managed to find a man with the puckout, they struggled, like. He [Murphy] had a bit of a meltdown, because maybe the guys outside weren't moving like they were early on in the game. And then he didn't have the conviction to actually belt the ball at him when there was a slight movement on....
At one stage, Conor Cooney made the move. He bought himself about seven yards of space. The puckout didn't get past the 45. Either it was a mishit or a lack of conviction. It feels very hard to be picking out a goalie here. No one took a grip of it around the middle. You could hear it off Davy [Fitz, who was on co-comms on radio] saying 'somebody stand up and do it'. But they didn't.
You have no chance to beat Limerick with that kind of lack of leadership.
It's damning but there's ultimately no debating it. Galway were punished for their tactical rigidity, but they didn't have the leaders to stand up to that fearsome Limerick half backline and wrestle the game back.
Another long winter of introspection awaits for Galway supporters.
