This is going to be explosive
And of course, as usual also on those trips, I picked up a few titbits, conversations overheard.
In Thurles, I was listening to a Limerick man and Wexford man arguing over which was the more arrogant hurling county, Tipperary or Kilkenny, and of course the Limerick man was saying Tipperary, the Wexfordman was convinced it was Kilkenny. My own opinion? I couldn’t agree with either of them, because I don’t think either of those counties are arrogant.
I think the real question — and it’s more relevant than ever this year, the 125th anniversary of the founding of the GAA – is, where is the real home of hurling? This game, this All-Ireland final, will supply the answer.
One major difference between attitudes in the two counties — in Tipperary it was the older fellas who had confidence, the younger ones who had a real fear of Kilkenny — in Kilkenny it was the complete opposite, it was the younger fellas full of confidence, the older fellas preaching caution. The reason? Memory, long-term memory, back to the time when Tipp had the upper hand in this particular rivalry.
I say long-term memory, because it’s a long time ago, and here’s evidence of that. Down in Langton’s I was talking to Joe Hennessy, who played for Kilkenny from 1973 to 1988; Joe played in two minor All-Ireland finals, then three U-21’s, and five senior finals, yet never in that time, not once at any level, did he come across Tipperary. What does that tell you? What it says to me is that really, there is very little recent history to judge these two counties by.
On the same theme, however, I also met a guy in Kilkenny, and he put this proposition to me – “Tipperary must be coming again.”
“Why is that,” I said?
“Because they’re starting to reappear along the border!” he says.
So I asked him, “Are ye getting worried?”
“You’d always be worried about Tipp when they start to get their heads up!”
My question now is this – do Kilkenny have reason to be worried? Tomorrow’s All-Ireland final is a massive challenge for Tipperary, but I feel that everything Liam Sheedy and his management team have done through this season has been geared towards just two games – the All-Ireland semi-final and the All-Ireland final.
Okay, they had to win the Munster final first, and they did that, but they also won the Munster final last year, and were then beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final. That was not going to happen again. Tipp’s management learned an awful lot from that semi-final defeat last year, and those lessons were put into practice against Limerick this time round; okay, Limerick were poor, but Tipperary were relentless, never took their foot off the pedal, really drove it home – that was impressive. That was something they needed to do for themselves, to get rid of some of the demons from last year, and to answer some of the critics who were saying that they were fading out of every game this year, but it was also sending a message to Kilkenny, and especially in the goal department.
Everyone is talking about Kilkenny’s experience at this level, but I’m looking at Tipperary, and I see two central figures, Brendan Cummins at one end of the field, Eoin Kelly at the other, Lar Corbett alongside him; those three players have won an All-Ireland with Tipp (in 2001), and I think that experience is going to be crucial for Tipperary tomorrow. Crucial also, though, is how the other central players will perform for Tipperary – I’m talking about Padraic Maher at full-back, Conor O’Mahony at centre-back, Shane McGrath and James Woodlock in midfield, and Seamus Callanan at centre-forward.
Cummins will be behind young Maher, advising him, coaching him, and I’m sure Eoin Kelly will be organising the half-forwards, including Callanan, but the others – once that ball is in play, they’re going to have to find their own footing in Croke Park. Shane McGrath especially – he was the real leader of this team last year, from midfield, but he hasn’t really clicked yet in this campaign. He has had the mumps, got a bad dose by all accounts, but there can be no room for weakness of any sort tomorrow, no room for excuses. If he can rediscover that form, it will be a huge boost for Tipperary.
Two men who have really worked their socks off for Tipperary are two of the more unsung members of the team – wing-forwards Pat Kerwick and John O’Brien. The ball they’ve won, their distribution, the scores they’ve got, at critical times – they have been outstanding for Tipperary all season. One more game, that’s all that’s left, one more game to produce again. If they do, then it will ease the way for that outstanding youngster inside, Noel McGrath, and with Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly also in there, Tipp have real threat. To set up those opportunities, however, the puck-outs will be crucial, and that places a huge responsibility on Cummins – the game could even hinge on that.
I’VE spent a lot of time analysing Tipperary, but there’s good reason for that. Tipperary are the new kids on the block, the unknown quantity at this stage of the championship, while Kilkenny – well, they’re going for four-in-a-row, I’ll only be repeating myself in a lot of what I have to say about them.
I want to focus on one man for Kilkenny tomorrow – I hope Tommy Walsh isn’t on a yellow card within a few minutes of the throw-in. What’s been happening with this guy is very unfair; he has got a reputation now — wrongly, I believe — but the result is that at the start of almost every championship match he’s being targeted by his opponent, drawing the referee’s attention to him early on, and most refs are buying it.
Tommy Walsh is an exceptional hurler, an outstanding wing-back – leave him alone, get on with the game, and let’s see what happens.
Looking at Kilkenny, I think that, like Tipperary, they too geared themselves for an All-Ireland semi-final and final all season. They did enough to get over Waterford in their semi-final, and now, the big one — we saw last year what Kilkenny can do in a final. If there is a concern in Kilkenny, it has to be about the full-back position.
At the time of writing I haven’t got the Kilkenny team, but the word from down there during the week was that Noel Hickey won’t start, that JJ will be left there – that wouldn’t be how I’d line them out. I think Kilkenny are a far more balanced team with Tommy Walsh on one wing, offering protection to Michael Kavanagh behind, and JJ on the other, covering in front of Jackie Tyrell; I think the Kilkenny midfield also operates better with those two in place. If Noel Hickey isn’t fully fit, I’d put Brian Hogan back to the edge of the square, a bigger, stronger man than JJ, and put John Tennyson — a central player anyway — at centre-back.
Midfield isn’t a worry for Kilkenny, no matter what two they start, though I have great time for ‘Cha’ especially, and Michael Rice. It’s a question of balance here, and Derek Lyng has always gelled really well with Fitzpatrick; still, Rice has been a revelation there this year, and Michael Fennelly is no slouch either. No matter what pairing is chosen, what a lovely dilemma for Brian Cody to have.
Up front, the biggest problem for Kilkenny this year is that they haven’t really clicked yet, as a unit; Eoin Larkin was the main man against Galway, Martin Comerford against Dublin in the Leinster final, Henry against Waterford, with a couple of others playing half-decent supporting roles at different times. That sort of output won’t do against Tipperary, they’re going to need this unit to click. I’m still waiting for Richie Power to deliver on his potential, I expect Eddie Brennan to do his usual thing on the big day in Croke Park, Aiden Fogarty likewise – if all six click, then the umpires on their end had better be alert!
To wrap up, I think this is going to be a really explosive All-Ireland final. Don’t blink in the first 20 minutes, because you’re sure to miss something – hopefully, that will be the case for the full 70 minutes, and isn’t it great to be able to have that kind of anticipation? I’m expecting to see the best All-Ireland final for many years, and at the end of it, what?
Well, a phrase I heard many times in the Marble City this week has convinced me – Kilkenny would willingly give up the other three titles they’ve won (and I don’t mean the minor, U-21 and intermediate, from last year!) to beat Tipperary. When it’s all over, I expect the home of hurling will have moved a few miles, come Sunday evening.
