Big call by Brian Cody but Kilkenny’s own odd couple proves a winning combination

We were treated to two fantastic games over the weekend and all involved — players, management, and officials — deserve our deepest gratitude. 

The players gave everything they had for the cause. The performances of these talented individuals were awe-inspiring and to think that these great players are amateurs. It must totally confuse people from abroad who are involved in professional sport. However, there was a downside also. Michael Fennelly, Adrian Tuohy, and Joe Canning were all playing well when they had their outings curtailed by injury — always a sad note. I hope sincerely that they recover quickly.

Down on pitchside last Saturday night, two things struck me about Kilkenny: The ability of the management to make the right selections for big game replays and the team’s superb physical condition for big games. In the replayed final of 2012, Walter Walsh was introduced and ended up as man of the match. In the 2014 replay, John Power was introduced and scored the game-breaking goal. Last Saturday night, newcomers Mark Bergin and Liam Blanchfield operated in the full-forward line, with Blanchfield giving a terrific display.