Time for new Kilkenny brigade to step up

How does a team deal with loss of two outstanding leaders?

The big issue surrounding Kilkenny is how much last year’s exertions have taken out of them? After losing the Leinster final, they were forced through the back door and one extra game, an All-Ireland quarter-final. Indeed they might have lost to Limerick only for the first-half heroics of Henry Shefflin.

Then they had the All-Ireland final and a replay, two really tough games where they had to dig very deep and call on their reserves of energy and experience.