Fine margins, so victors will be those who want it more
Kilkenny want to win everything, we know that, but what about the others? Everyone wanted to win games during the league itself but I wonder was this just to avoid relegation? It was an outstanding campaign, my reservations about the number of teams notwithstanding, with even the two teams who contested the relegation final last Sunday in with a chance of reaching the semi-finals in the final round.
Now that these four have come this far, who wants to drive on? We’ll focus on the curtain-raiser, and what a curtain-raiser it is. I’m impressed with the team Tipperary have picked. They’re rotating the goalkeepers, which is good, but I like the placing of Padraic Maher at full-back and the switching of Brendan Maher from midfield to wing-back. Don’t be surprised if these are the six backs you see in the championship.
In midfield, Noel McGrath joins his namesake Shane, and is getting nearer and nearer the place I think he’ll end up — the half-back line. Even with all the hurling he’s done, Noel is still very young; he’s being kept out of games up front now but he’s such a brilliant hurler, great stickman, the half-back line could be where he ends up.
A worry for Tipperary —the only big ball-winner in the forward line is Bonner Maher. But one isn’t enough. There’s no doubting the stickwork or ability of the others, and it’s great to see the youngster, Jason Forde, getting an opportunity on a big day. But Eoin Kelly’s absence through injury is a big loss for Eamon O’Shea’s side.
To Dublin. Has Anthony Daly set another record, a positive record, for the Dubs? League champions two years ago, Division 1B champions this year, those are two achievements that in normal times would be seen as great work. These aren’t normal times though, a lot more is expected of Dublin these days and it would have to be said that last year was a disaster for them. It wasn’t that they were walloped or anything like that – in fact, the beating by Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final apart, they came very close to having another fine year. But they were relegated, a major shock to a side that had real ambitions of winning an All-Ireland.
Had they started to believe the hype about themselves? Everyone else can believe the hype about a team but not the players or management. You have to give them great credit for the way they’ve bounced straight back up. In the likes of Peter Kelly, Liam Rushe, Joey Boland, Paul Ryan, and Dotsy O’Callaghan, who seems to have regained his form of a couple of years ago, they still have the players to do damage.
Rushe played very well at centre-back against Limerick but faces a very different challenge here. Lar Corbett isn’t conventional, he’s going to be here, there and everywhere and Liam is going to face a dilemma, does he go or does he stay? Under normal circumstances I’d be saying ‘stay’, but Lar isn’t normal – so here I’d say ‘go’! Lar is a finisher, a sniper of the highest quality except Lar goes for goal, not for points. But, what Lar doesn’t like is a defender glued to him for the hour and that’s what Rushe should do, get one of the midfielders to fill the space – perhaps even Joey Boland, who has also played very well there.
To Kilkenny and Galway, which will be the first competitive game since 1998 without the imposing figure of Brian Cody on the sideline for Kilkenny. I wish Brian the very best in his recovery and hope to see him back soon.
Someone said to me during the week that Kilkenny will “want to win this for Brian”. Under Cody, and whether he’s there or not, the Kilkenny guys go out to win every game. If someone like Henry Shefflin is out in the attack (and I also wish him well in his recovery), others step forward to take up the slack. I’ve been really impressed with Richie Hogan in that regard, outstanding in every game I’ve seen him play this year.
There’s word Michael Fennelly may be injured; if so, look at who’s left for the midfield spots — Lester Ryan, Michael Rice, Cillian Buckley, maybe Richie Power. What a foursome to have, what depth!
Kilkenny were vulnerable early in the league this year but when the chips were down, when they had to win games, they did, qualified by beating Waterford, Clare and Cork on successive weeks.
That’s the bottom line with Kilkenny, they win when they have to. Will they win here? I think so. They want to give Galway no leeway, no hope. Galway beat them in the Leinster final last year and should have beaten them the first day in the All-Ireland final. Kilkenny have found their Achilles heel, the middle of their defence. Advice for Galway? Play Cyril Donnellan at centre-back, Niall Donoghue at full with Kevin Hynes further out the country; leave Joe Canning on the edge of the square. If Joe doesn’t get scores he’ll win frees, maybe a penalty or two, and we know that means.
Kilkenny-Tipperary final for me.
