Derek McGrath: Flexibility can be a friend for Kilkenny as much as Limerick

Flexibility is central to Limerick and Clare. Henry Shefflin has modified the views he held as a pundit. Will Brian Cody adjust to take Kikenny forward?

Eoin Cody of Kilkenny is tackled by Damien Reck of Wexford during the Leinster SHC Round 5 match at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Dies Cody find it harder than anyone to win a free?
Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Nickie Quaid’s post All-Ireland diary entries from these pages last August were insightful and revealing. A doting young father, a meticulous preparation methodology, and more importantly a sound family heritage and support system. It prompted me to reflect on how well Limerick have coped with their success.

In the masterful book Ego is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday talks of the “top of the mountain” bringing “new temptations and problems”. The thinner air can be tightened by egotistical tendencies. “We stop learning, we stop listening and we lose our grasp on what matters, we become victims of ourselves and the competition.” None of this has infected the Limerick psyche.